Monday, February 25, 2008
Night Wind
By Ramone - February 24, 2008
April 23 - When walking in the city over the course of a few nights in February, I was blessed by the Lord's presence and I looked up the dark night sky, and it made an impression on me. I began to put it together as I saw it in a picture, something that I more felt and saw in my spirit than understood at the time.
It was the wind at night, and an intercessor (me) was also interesting, one arm up in praise and the other arm kind of up and out, extended as if reaching out to embrace. I didn't understand it, but it felt right in the Spirit. As intercessors (that's us) are filled with His heart and Spirit, we are extended towards Him and towards the people on His heart.
As I walked around in His presence in the city, I was also struck by the glow of the light from streetlights falling on buildings. I was moved by the hues and colors of these lights at night falling on the buildings and how they seemed to glow with them. I was moved with love for the people on His heart, just filled with His love for them and love for their beauty and worth in His eyes. In the sky, it was as if I could see strokes or swirls of night colors -- black, purple, blue -- not in the literal sky, but in my spirit in my mind.
One of those nights when I looked up at the sky, I prayed for the people on His heart, trusting in His wind (Spirit) to "birth" His children (remember how the Holy Spirit "brooded" over the earth before creation in Genesis 1?). Then I suddenly remembered Ezekiel 37 and opened to it and read it! I had forgotten about that when thinking about His "wind"!
When a sister-in-Christ saw this picture, she was impressed by the Holy Spirit very strongly and saw a vision:
I saw the reds and oranges in the bottom part as fire - fire of the Holy Spirit moving among the people bringing about transformation. Moving into the buildings, houses and burning in the hearts of people. I saw the man standing over the city change from intercessor to preacher and the city change to stadium. The high-rises changed to sound systems and huge monitors as the sound came thundering across the stadium and shook the city. The sound was the swell of the heavenly beings joining with the voices of truth on Earth and the darkness above began to lift off of the city. The praise, fire, passion, praise PUSHED the darkness off of the shoulders of the city and light became the enemy of darkness. It grew inexorably and could not be stopped.She added that, "This is God's FIERCE love for the people in that city of captivity." She also included parts of Psalm 18,
The cords of death encompassed me,I then realized, that is why I was so impressed by the darkness and the different colors I saw swirling around in it in the Spirit! The darkness in the sky is not the spiritual darkness (I'm weeping in the Spirit here), but it is the darkness that surrounds the Lord of lords! (The darkness "over the city" is mainly seen on the houses & buildings.)
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His hiding place,
His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of calamity,
But the Lord was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
- Psalms 18:4-19 (NASB)
The "foundations" of the earth are shaking -- that is why it looks like the "light" is coming from below. I didn't mean to draw it this way, but the houses & buildings actually look like little "mountains"! The foundations of these buildings are going to be shaken by the Lord and the truth of their foundations laid bare by the power of His Spirit, the power of His Word and the intense revelation His love! (more weeping in the Spirit here!) Thank You, God!
The city is crowded, but in the picture you get even more the sense of claustrophobia -- which is a spiritual choking, a spiritual claustrophobia of the enemy. God is going to TAKE HIS CHILDREN OUT OF CAPITIVITY TO THIS DARKNESS and SET THEM FREE into a BROAD AND SPACIOUS PLACE!!! (Weeping in Your heart, Lord!) Hallelu Yah!
As we intercede for them He is already setting people free, and as for them, He is already and is going to raise up the cry of David:
"The cords of death encompassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears..."And then their earth and the foundations of this city will tremble and shake because of His POWERFUL love! (Symbolized by the intense darkness that surrounds His throne -- a symbol of the power of His righteous justice! See also Psalm 97)
And the "channels" of His LIVING WATER shall be revealed to them! Indeed they have already opened and will open more and more here to bring His water (word and Spirit) to people who are dying of thirst! And they will stand up, praise God and testify,
"He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of calamity, but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me."This is a picture of God's FIERCE love, this is a picture of Him THUNDERING here! This is a picture of His Spiritual POWER that is and is coming and will set people free and is already setting them free! This is a picture of His MIGHTY WIND, His wind of JUSTICE that sets people free, that sets us free and sets THEM free! (Thank You, Lord! Thank You for Your wonderful heart and tears!)
Thank You, God! I am in awe of Your Spiritual might and POWER for us and for them!!!!! All I can do is weep in Your Spirit! I don't know what to say! I worship You and I praise You, Lord! You are the God! You are the Deliverer! You are the Liberator! You are the One who by His might sets the captives free! You are the hard-core REDEEMER of the men, women and children of this city! So be it, in Jesus' name, hallelu Yah and AMEN!
Blessings to you all in His name and in His love!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Eternity
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By Ramone - February 22, 2008
He has set eternityThis is a picture that came after the Lord helped me free of an old unbelief in the eternalness of the spirit He's put in us (see the whole story here). In joy in Him and in my spirit I saw this picture of me beholding with joy and wonder the eternal soul and spirit God has put in me. Really seeing that He has really really put an eternal soul and spirit in me! Oh my God! My Lord! What have You put in me!!! Thank You!!! I will live forever! Thank You!!!
in the hearts of men
yet they cannot fathom it...
- Ecclesiastes 3:11
But God has revealed it to us
by His Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10
The Dew
By Ramone - February 22, 2008
"I will be as the dew to you, Israel;I did this picture after He blessed me with this word one night. You know when you wake up you're often groggy or half-awake and not altogether "with it"... and I'd been getting bad temptation in my mind at that time. Still do, sometimes. But He brought me this verse one night before I went to sleep. Dew! It comes in the morning! You don't know how or from where, but it's there and it covers everything!
you shall blossom as the lily."
- Hosea 14:5, adapted
So too with Him, with His Spirit, His Word and His presence -- He is there with me, covering me, covering everything! Somehow knowing this and being reminded of this ... makes a difference. He makes a difference. Thank You God for being "dew" to me every morning! Help me to rest and know You are there, and not just get up & walking to wherever I've got to go!
The Heart of the Matter (2)
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Glorified
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By Ramone - February 20, 2008
Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me into glory.
I grew up believing that when believers die, they "sleep" in the earth and don't know anything. I didn't know that God had made me more than "body and breath" -- that He had given birth to an undying, eternal spirit inside of me. But the Bible speaks words of comfort to us as believers, that nothing can separate us from God, not even death. And that if we believe in Jesus, even though we "die", we yet live and will never die. I grew up not knowing the Spirit and the reality of the spiritual. The unseen spiritual is more "real" than the natural that we see and understand; the spiritual is concrete and goes on even when the natural dies. Though you cannot "see" it, believing in Christ you have been given new, eternal birth, and though you may die, you will yet live and He will take you to Himself.
"I am the resurrection
and the life.
He who believes in Me
will live,
even though he dies;
and whoever lives and believes in Me
will never die."
Christ will be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me,
to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
For I am convinced
that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers,
neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Read more of the story of this picture: "Glorified" (at Heart For Adventists)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Heart of the Matter
By Ramone - February 18, 2008
Having and professing the right beliefs doesn't equal salvation. The heart may still have stony walls around it.
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."The heart must come first. If the mouth speaks the right confession but the heart is not soft, trusting in Him, then the confession does not save. You can adopt the right beliefs and still have a hard heart. God is after our hearts above all.
- Romans 10:9-11
In the same way, having "good works" does not mean you're saved, and does not prove the state of your heart. Having the correct theology can also become like "good works". Just like you can't ultimately judge someone's heart by their works, you also cannot judge someone's heart by their theological beliefs. Both errors judge the inner by means of the outer.
My spiritual mum Hazel, when writing of the wideness of God's mercy (link), said it very well:
Faith in God is what saves us—not possessing a certain amount of minimum information. God's Word tells us that He cares about faith more than the content of our theology. He cares about trust more than orthodoxy. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). In essence the issue God cares about is the direction of the heart.God is seeking to penetrate the walls we have put around our heart! He's not just after profession, but He wants our heart! Indeed, will He not look past our professions to the state of our heart? Will not the state of our heart's response to Him be the determining factor more than the accuracy of our mind's beliefs?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Leaving My Building
(Click on pictures to see larger view)
By Ramone - February 17, 2008
I grew up Seventh-day Adventist, being taught their belief called "soul sleep". Even after leaving Adventism, for several years I continued to hold onto the soul-sleep belief because it seemed to make more sense. There were a few Scriptures that didn't quite fit into the belief, but I found ways to round them out or explain them away (or just ignore them) in order to make the Scriptures fit the belief. And also, I just shelved the issue for later.
Finally, however, God raised the issue of "soul sleep" with me and I began to realize I was afraid. Not only had I been holding onto that belief because it seemed to make sense, but I realized I was afraid of letting it go. I was afraid of being deceived and lost if I believed in the regular Christian belief. It was part of a system that I'd been raised in, and ever since I was little I was unknowingly led to put my faith in that system. And those Scriptures that didn't agree with the belief, well, I was afraid of letting them mean what they said. If I did that, then I feared I would be deceived. It was too dangerous to let the Word mean what it said.
As soon as I realized that I was held by fear from taking the Word at its word, I knew that God was putting a step of faith in front of me. I could stay inside my old belief and think I was safe here, but really I would remain captive to fear. Or, I could let Him take me by my hand and lead me out. Yeah, it could be dangerous "out there", but I would risk it and trust in His hand instead. In other words, instead of trusting my own belief or system of beliefs, I would trust in His power to keep me from being deceived, led astray or lost.
The first picture above is how I saw it. I saw my old "building" (belief/s) behind me, and as a child I was being led by Him (the Holy Spirit) away, trusting in Him. Then I looked back and saw the second picture, that my "building" which I had formerly thought was "safe", was now on fire, burning from the inside. It was ironic especially because the "soul sleep" belief in SDA is attached to "annihilationism" (the belief that "eternal fire" isn't eternal). When I gave up "soul sleep" and rested Him instead, I also gave up the belief in "annihilationism"... and left God's fire in God's hands, trusting that He meant what He said and it's not up to me to question His justice, but trust that He knows best and that He loves everyone (even the lost) more than I do or can imagine.
Inside the building are written the words:
Doctored Doctrines Fears Afraid Knowledge InformationThe building is the system of beliefs/theology that we consider to be our "safe house". We bend, re-interpret or plain ignore Scriptures that don't fit into our system. I should mention that this is not only true of Adventists, but it is true of many "systematic" theologies which trust heavily in their systematic-ness instead of leaning on Him and trusting His hand.
Protection Reasonings Systematic Theology Formulas Prooftexts
We think that our systems/theologies are our places of safety, but in reality holding onto Him is our only safety. And He is not a list of beliefs. He is not defined by our beliefs. What we believe about Him doesn't change His reality. We need to stop putting our faith in our beliefs and put it in Him instead. Because the truth is that our systematic/theological 'fortresses' are not safe at all. They are houses of cards and are going to fall. Theology is not a safe place; Christ is! We can hide in our systems, afraid of letting His Spirit in (He's wild, you know, not like a tame, static theological point), but if we do that we are open to all sorts of things that can "burn" us. Fears, attacks of the enemy, denial, secret shame, pride, haughtiness and more.
Holding onto Him, trusting Him, seems risky. It doesn't seem as 'anchored' as an air-tight belief system. But really, no system is air-tight. And if a system says it's air-tight, then it is probably rounding-out, re-interpreting or ignoring some important things in Scripture. And it is also probably very afraid of the Holy Spirit Himself, because 'information' seems more safe. A real, living Being seems more risky. But the opposite is true: God is the only safe place! The only safety from falling, being deceived or lost, is Him Himself. You can trust Him! He won't lead you astray. Lean on Him!
*****
My story of leaving "soul sleep": "A Spirit of Life"
The Potato!
By Ramone - February something, 2008
One night as I was groggily trying to fall asleep, temptation began coming in my mind. God gave me the strength to begin to resist it and speak against it in Jesus' name, and it was a battle. Suddenly the words just came out of my mouth as I rebuked the enemy tempting me --
I put the potato on you in Jesus' name!
It was so funny and random that I just busted up laughing! How weird, crazy, funny and random it seemed! And this is just how I saw it! I was smashing the temptation like you would smash out a cigarette with a potato! Why a potato? I have NO IDEA! It was just funny! I saw myself smashing it with one hand, and then I traded hands and smashed it with the potato in the other hand!
The funny thing is that the utter ridiculous hilarity of it completely pulled me out of the moment of temptation! Praise God! When you're in temptation and staring at it, feeling its power, you sometimes forget how defeated the enemy is! And he seems soooo strong even though he's not. He's just a liar who likes to "roar" as if he's strong. But he's been doomed and de-fanged. Don't believe his silly roaring! Stand in Jesus Christ who is his head and our head -- and you have all authority in Jesus!
Why does the enemy conspire- Psalm 2 (adapted)
and his servants plot in vain?
They take their stand
and gather together
against the Lord
and against His anointed children.
"Let us break their bond to Him," they say,
"and throw off their protection."
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them!!
Then He rebukes them in His anger
and terrifies them in His wrath, saying,
"I have installed My King
in them, My holy people."
I will proclaim the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, "You are My son;
today I have become your Father."
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Poka-Poka
By Ramone - February 11, 2008
"Poka-poka" means it's getting warmer. This was an unusually warm day so we took a walk outside, and as Timothy was sleeping, we were able to stop and rest in the park. Yoko didn't have a book, but I surprised her because I had brought her little New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs. So as she read Jesus' words, I sketched her and some of the trees & things around her. It was a nice day. It's getting warmer in His love!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Fellowship of the Spirit
By Ramone - February 11, 2008
This is God's heart and desire for our friends whom this picture is about. More on this in the days to come.
Free in the Ocean
By Ramone - February 10, 2008
This picture came from His heart a day after my friend & spiritual-mom Hazel and I were praying for Christians who have been living in a "fish tank" (see this picture of a vision she received and its interpretation). This is God's heart for us -- free in His ocean of love, at rest in Him, surrounded by Him, encompassed by His presence and Spirit. Free, and at rest! In His control alone, and joyful because of it.
The Empty Chair
By Ramone - February 9, 2008
This picture came one night as I was praying about a friend's dream. The Lord showed some people we know---friends---who are on His heart because they are afraid of His Spirit. I sketched this picture just before the one above, but for now will leave the one above by itself as we continue to intercede by His Spirit according to His timing. Hazel's comment ("anonymous") below speaks His heart about this.
This version below is the "full room" version of the picture. I believe I sketched this picture first, which really shows what the room is "full of" and what is keeping the Holy Spirit out:
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In blessed contrast to these pictures, the follow-up picture shows God's heart for us all and for our friends we're praying for: Fellowship of the Spirit
*****
See also: "Locked Out (No Room For My Spirit!)" at Weeping Jeremiahs and Heart For Adventists
Going Deeper
By Ramone - February 9, 2008
Your love is an ocean
Its depth beyond knowing
Your call to me is
Come in, come deepI want to go deep, LordSo take me now deeper
I want to go deep
In Your ocean of love, Lord
In the ocean of You
I pray, in Your heart
To know the fullness of
Your love in Your SonOh take me now deeper
Deeper in Your heart
In the depths of Your love, Lord
In the depths of Your Son
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Timo wants to go deeper into Your love, too!
The Thorns
By Ramone - February 3, 2008
This came as I was worshiping the other night singing "My Jesus I Love Thee"... it's a "worship" picture -- from me to Him. But on the other hand, I saw it. So is it "prophetic"? Ha! I have no idea! But I'm blessed by His love!
Thank You for taking the thorns on Your brow, Jesus. Thank You for showing them to me, for melting my heart, for being the source of my worship to You. Thank You for revelation of Your love. It is by Your revelation that I worship You. All things-- even my free worship to You--are to You and from You. Thank You, Lord God.
Daddy's Little Girl
By Ramone - February 2, 2008
She matters to Him!
She's not little in His eyes.
She is precious to Him.
Her love is great to Him.
His love is great to her.
His love is set on her.
He is captivated by her.
She is captivated by Him.
Jiyuu!
By Ramone - January 23, 2008
Many women have been culturally held down here in Japan, not knowing what they are worth and being treated as objects. Many have accepted this as their fate and put their desire in being accepted by men. But Jesus is the Lover of them, of their hearts and souls. They will come out and be free, seeing Him who loves them so much, and they will love Him for who He is just as He loves them for who they are in His eyes. "Jiyuu" means "freedom"! (^_^)
As she sees HimA prophetic picture of what's to come.
He sees her and
calls her forth.
Restoration!
By Ramone - December 3, 2007
"Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor ["trouble"] a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt...
"In that day I will respond,"
declares the LORD—
"I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;
and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel ["God plants"].
I will plant her for Myself in the land;
I will show My love to the one I called 'Not My loved one.'
I will say to those called 'Not My people,' 'You are My people';
and they will say, 'You are my God.'"
- Hosea 2:14-15 & 21-23 It's in the wilderness—in and through barrenness and brokenness—that He restores us. "You will restore my soul." All we can see there is the Son!
Sometimes we have to lose everything before we can understand ourselves "naked", who we are, and what we really need. Taken out of our "city" and the comforts we latch onto, we can see ourselves in the Light and need nothing else but His life-giving water!
This place is the doorway of hope!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Believe On Jesus
(1) Fall Upon the Cross, (2) Fall Into His Arms, (3) Rest On the Rock
(Click on a picture to read a little more about it.)
By Ramone - January 25-26, 2008 (poem - February 1st)
Believe on JesusThese pictures came one day when I was meditating on the book of James. Chapter 2 of James is sometimes considered "difficult" because it seems to contradict how we are saved by faith in Christ's work instead of by our works (*see note below). To summarize what I've learned from reading the book in context, James lashed out at hypocrisy in the church. A careful study of Paul's writings finds both apostles in complete agreement. The "deeds" that James speaks of are the outworking of faith, the deeds of faith (not of the Law), and they do not negate that we are saved by Christ's grace through faith.
Fall upon His cross
There for our crimes He died
Gave pardon through His loss
Cast your whole hope and life
Your everything must fall
At the foot of the cross
Receive His life, His all
Believe on Jesus
Fall into His arms
In His loving embrace
Find safety from all harm
Give Him all of yourself
Your junk, your flaws, your sin
Trust in His hold on you
And not your grip on Him
Believe on Jesus
Rest upon the Rock
His strength overcomes weakness
In Him put all your stock
Rest your whole life on Him
He's the Rock, not you
Know peace complete, secure
His faithfulness is true
As I was thinking of this, I remember that older English expression of believing in Jesus which says, "Believe on Jesus." I remember once hearing a pastor make a big fuss about the difference between believing "in" and believing "on" Jesus. I didn't quite see his point and thought it was a little too nitpicky. (**see note below)
But as I thought of it in the context of James -- about believing God enough to actually trust in God with your whole life, including your actions -- it made sense! Believe "on" Jesus -- cast your whole life on Him! And one, two, three, these pictures came and illustrated it, helping me understand visually what it means to believe "on" Jesus!
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(First sketch on January 15, 2008)
*****
Notes:
(*) About James: Probably one of the biggest problems with James is when Christians read the "works" he talks about as if he is talking about the works of the Law, when in fact he is not. This is clear because of the two examples of "faith & works" he mentions -- Abraham sacrificing Isaac (forbidden clearly by the Law) and Rahab the prostitute lying to the Jericho authorities (lying was forbidden by law, as was prostitution). The works James speak of are clearly the works of faith, the result of listening to the Holy Spirit. James speaks of the "law that gives freedom", which we know from the book of Romans is not the law of Moses, but rather the law of the Spirit (see Romans 8). The law of the Spirit gives us freedom, but our receiving of Christ's grace is conditional upon on being willing to give the same freedom to others -- to live in the grace He's given us and extend it to those who have wronged us. Refusing to give grace leaves little grace for us (James 2:12-13).
James does not speak of works or actions in a way that "balances" faith. Rather, James distinguishes between hypocritical faith and true faith -- hypocritical faith professes belief, but true faith trusts God with one's whole life (compare James 2:20-24 with Hebrews 11:17-19, and indeed all of Hebrews 11!). James shows that we must trust God enough (and listen to His Spirit) that we will follow Him when He asks us to do things that don't appear to make sense (such as Abraham sacrificing Isaac), and in context, James urges us to live a life of love by stretching out with our whole lives on behalf of the poor and needy. In particular, James urges that we do not profess belief and act contrary to the Spirit of love. Acting contrary to the Spirit of love, he argues, shows that we do not possess a saving faith.
(**) About believing "on" Jesus: I looked it up in the Greek, and often (especially in Romans) it does say believe "on" Jesus, however, the point may only be a matter of Greek grammar using a different word in different grammatical situations. All the same, the difference between the English "in" and "on" is helpful in illustrating the full faith and trust that James speaks of, that Paul includes in "calling on the Lord", and the life of faith that Jesus invites us to.
Rest On the Rock
By Ramone - January 25, 2008
Part 2 of 3 in the "Believe On Jesus" Series
Believe on Jesus
Rest upon the Rock
His strength overcomes weakness
In Him put all your stock
Rest your whole life on Him
He's the Rock, not you
Know peace complete, secure
His faithfulness is trueThis is the last picture (of three) that came one day when I was meditating on the book of James. I remembered that older English expression of believing in Jesus which says, "Believe on Jesus." I thought of it in the context of James -- about believing God enough to actually trust in God with your whole life, including your actions. It made sense! Believe "on" Jesus -- cast your whole life on Him! This was the last of three pictures that quickly came and illustrated it, helping me understand visually what it means to believe "on" Jesus!
This picture, actually, was something I first doodled in a sketch book on "Sabbath-rest" notes probably back in 2002 sometime. It summed up what "Sabbath-rest" felt like (Sabbath-rest is the wonderful rest and peace that comes to us in Jesus because of His finished work for us). It's like resting on a big rock in the ocean, safe from all the waves. Bathing in the sun. Feeling it's solid power and security. Jesus is our Rock! Rest on Him.
Fall Into His Arms
By Ramone - January 25, 2008
Part 2 of 3 in the "Believe On Jesus" Series
Believe on Jesus
Fall into His arms
In His loving embrace
Find safety from all harm
Give Him all of yourself
Your junk, your flaws, your sin
Trust in His hold on you
And not your grip on Him This is the second picture (of three) that came one day when I was meditating on the book of James. I remembered that older English expression of believing in Jesus which says, "Believe on Jesus." I thought of it in the context of James -- about believing God enough to actually trust in God with your whole life, including your actions. It made sense! Believe "on" Jesus -- cast your whole life on Him! This was the second of three pictures that quickly came and illustrated it, helping me understand visually what it means to believe "on" Jesus!
Believing on Jesus is like being a child and falling into your Father's arms. You cast yourself on Him, you just jump into His arms and feel His embrace. Hug! You rest there and that's your world---that's all you know. Remember how big and strong Daddy's arms are? When we're little, our earthly fathers' hands just seem so BIG and STRONG! And our heavenly Daddy's hands are much stronger! It is those hands that save us. "Faith" means jumping into them and trusting them like a child.
*****
See also: "Held By Trustworthy Hands" (at Heart For Adventists)
Fall Upon the Cross
By Ramone - January 26, 2008
Part 1 of 3 in the "Believe On Jesus" Series
Believe on Jesus
Fall upon His cross
There for our crimes He died
Gave pardon through His loss
Cast your whole hope and life
Your everything must fall
At the foot of the cross
Receive His life, His all This is the first picture (of three) that came one day when I was meditating on the book of James. I remembered that older English expression of believing in Jesus which says, "Believe on Jesus." I thought of it in the context of James -- about believing God enough to actually trust in God with your whole life, including your actions. It made sense! Believe "on" Jesus -- cast your whole life on Him! This was the first of three pictures that quickly came and illustrated it, helping me understand visually what it means to believe "on" Jesus!
Believing on Jesus is like taking a leap. You may have gotten so "high up" in your life, but it's not worth anything compared to what He has offered you---His life! All mountains, all heights, all buildings and all our achievements -- they'll crumble. Leap now while you can! Believe on Jesus! Believe what He has done for you on the cross. He exchanged His life for ours; He took our punishment and gave us His inheritance and reward. Cast your whole life upon the mercy to be found at the foot of the Cross. Leap! Leap in joy! Leap in sureness! Leap on His promise!
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