Tag: eternal

God is …invincible

Karla Lees

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We like to think of God like Superman….but He doesn’t have an Achilles heel or a weakness for kryptonite.

He is invincible.

When we walk with Him like David did, we can take down the giants we come to face in our lives.

Notice in 1 Samuel 17 that David mentions several instances where God helped him defeat lion(s) and bear(s).  

Because it’s not only one instance where we will encounter situations beyond the norm, is it?!

David taped in to the strength beyond his own when He stood up against Goliath, and defeated him as God lead him to.

Because when we walk in obedience as He leads, He directs our weaponry to hit the intended mark.

For the battle truly belongs to the Lord, and He will never be defeated.

I have struggled for the past 24 hours with a very painful issue with my foot. 

God reminded me that the plan He has for me will come to pass, and to not be discouraged as I wait for His lead.

He is with me.

His plans always come to fruition.

He wins the battle against evil.

Maybe you too needed to be reminded God is invincible. 

He is in control and aware of all things.

He is the Master Craftsman, and is intimately familiar with our inner most beings.

Nothing, absolutely nothing happens that He is unaware of and trying to resolve for His best.

Absolutely all things are possible in, through and because of Him, for He is the Mighty, Holy, Majestic, Uncreated One.
Who was, is and is to come, forevermore.

Our Hero is not a human based superhero with human flaws and weaknesses.

He is, and will always be, invincible!!!

evermore

Karla Lees

The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8 ESV

Evermore.

That is the kind of God You are.

You are eternal, forever.
You were, will be and always will be, you guessed it, evermore!

Evermore,
You are for us.
Not in a flighty, come and go as You please fashion,
but evermore!
You are protecting us, loving us, guiding us, providing for us, healing us, loving up on us, cheering us on,
evermore,
into eternity,
from the moment we first breathed You in until we enter the forever
Home You have waiting for us.

Evermore.

Lord, help my faith love beyond my awestruck wonder to deeply make the truth of who You are sink into the deepest levels within me.  I am delighted to know You are with me forever, that evermore is the Truth You are, and offer to Your beloved!

#wideeyedandmystified

God guards you from every evil, He guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, He guards you now, He guards you always.
-Psalm 121:7-8 MSG

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the secret on how to truly love people

Karla Lees

There is a secret to how we can love others well.

Those who have found it know it isn’t actually about them.

The key to unlocking this secret?

God’s love.

When we get how loved we truly are by the Lover of our Souls, our love begins to escape our hearts and leak out to those around us.

In essence, receiving His love helps you spread it to those who need it, because when you know deep down you are so loved, you can’t help radiating that love about you.

This love of God I am referring to?

Just plug love into the search engine of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, and see how many verses come up… (684 in the ESV translation)…which averages to about 1.53 love verses a day!

Love matters to God.

So much so He has never stopped telling the world He loves them, starting with Adam & Eve, down to the children born this last second.

He has never stopped showing us His love, through creation and the cross.

He has never stopped feeling our pain, getting into the dirt & pain of our lives and offering us a hand up.

He will never stop. For just as He is eternal, so is His heart.  And it will never stop beating for the ones He loves. Ever.

Being pursued by such Love?

Believe it.
Embrace it.
Accept it.
Remember it.
Show it.

BEARS.

Love BEARS all things.

And He has shown us this kind of love that we are to have for one another…

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

May we press close to the One who loves us more than we can imagine, and continue to show His love to all around us, that they may come to know they are Beloved too.

When joy is a habit, loving people is a reflex.

Bob Goff

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unstoppable love which never ends

Karla Lees

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable— absolutely nothing 
can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8:38-39 MSG

Nothing can separate us from. God’s love.

Ever.

Nothing.

I got a graphic glimpse of this revelation when I watched the movie The Passion of the Christ.

A love which didn’t let
pain,
sorrow,
temptation,
religion,
politics,
hard hearts,
abandonment,
betrayal
or misunderstandings
turn Him away from the path that lead Him to the cross.

A death which separated God from part of Himself, because He couldn’t stand being separated from US!

Think about that. God so loved us… part of His own family was put to death for our sin, because He couldn’t show us His love in any other way but the best- setting us free and taking back the keys to His kingdom. Demonstrating that love in a display so amazing and so powerful it ripped the separation between us forevermore!

Lavish love poured into a womb, poured out on the cross, then poured into our hearts for eternity…

What love!

We people tend to use the word love a lot in ways it was never designed for…. I love potato chips, I love that…

Love is not such an easily exchangeable word once you encounter His love.

Love comes with a price: being vulnerable before the one you love, and opening yourself up to the fact they may not love you in return.

This love God has for us? This love Jesus displayed for us? This love Holy Spirit stirs in our hearts?

God loves all of us, each and every one of us, whether we receive it or return it, always.

Imagine loving, and knowing who will love you in return.

How my heart aches knowing He loves every single person ever, died for each one, and knows that despite all His efforts to reach us with that love, some will ignore Him, brazenly break His heart with their actions and deliberate turning from Him.

No lover enjoys when someone turns away from you, changes their mind, cheats on you or abandons you.

No parent relishes the pain their kids go through when they refuse your help.

The weight of His love must be huge in its enormity, yet His love remains unstoppable in His pursuit of us all.

Once you decide to accept His love, there is nothing that can change His heart for you.

You become His, forever.

Nothing, ever, can change His love for you.

There is no place you can hide or run where His love won’t find you. He will have already run to greet you there with wide open arms.

If you are His, you will be loved by Him now and into eternity!

Once God decided humanity was in His plan, He never looked back from His love for us.

Take a moment today, and think over the cost of His love for you today.

Lent is a season of seeking Him, and historically giving up in order to see Him anew.

Give up your false belief that you are not worth His love this Lent.

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Love’s value is based on the depth of love in the heart of the giver, not the recipient.

Oh how He loves us!

You are His beloved, and He will never stop singing that love over you, showing it to you or pouring it into your heart for the rest of your life, and into the next!

#lavishlove
#hopeinHisPresence

presence

Karla Lees

Presence.

What do we really mean when we use the word “presence”?

Presence
noun

The Google Dictionary:

1) the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing. (“her presence still comforts me”)

synonyms: existence, being there

2) a person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen.

synonyms: ghost, spirit, specter, phantom,apparition, supernatural being

3) a group of people, especially soldiers or police, stationed in a particular place.

Dictionary Reference.com:

1. the state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place.

2.
attendance or company:
Your presence is requested.

Presence:
Where God is, eternally, visible in heaven & sensed on earth.

Who God is, His being, God with us, God within us, God present, supernatural being, almighty God, Spirit, everywhere present.

Invited by His people to reveal more of Himself to us, to come and be present with us in a deeper life altering way, especially when we are gathered seeking Him.

I know I need His Presence more and more as I get to know just how wrecked and broken I am within.

His Presence restores what sin batters.

His Presence binds up what remains in tatters.

His Presence brings hope & comfort to inner shatter.

His Presence is where we find what truly matters.

You don’t need to be in a large group of fellow believers, a trained minister, or doing anything in particular apart from seeking Him to sense His Presence.

He just requires us to tune in and seek His frequency.

Did you know that everything has a frequency?

I believe that as Jesus walked the earth, the atmosphere around Him literally changed because of the Holy frequency He was emitting.

And those around Him were not only attracted to Him, but changed in the encounter. Eternity meet humanity and radically changed the present forever.

God invites us to tune in.
Seek His Presence.
Be present in His company.

In fact, He delights in us, and longs to spend more time with us. He wants to be our soft place to land, our cover when the battle rages, our shelter in the storm:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble…

Psalm 46:1

Like the father waiting day after day for his beloved son to return home, God is always present in His wait.

He is all in.

His heart is to reassure us with His love, restore us as only our designer can, equip us for daily living out our faith, and enjoy spending time together.

His Presence
in our present
fully present.

What a present, indeed!

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the force

Karla Lees

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Are you an ally of the Force?

There are only two to align yourself with…as we all see so visually made clear in the Star Wars saga.

You can align yourself with good, or the dark side.

The best? Being led by Holy Spirit.

The less? Being led by the enemy.

If you are unsure about which force you are aligning with, there are two sure fire questions to ask yourself:

1. Will this action I am considering hurt anyone, myself included, in any way?

2. Will this action I am considering bless anyone, myself included, in any way?

Door number one leads to harm, and is not the force you want to be joining up with. The enemy of humanity wants nothing more than to tear each and every person down, in an futile effort to try to show God he is His equal.

Door number two leads to blessings, and is the force you want to join and walk through life with. The creator of humanity wants nothing more than to build up and draw to Him each and every person, in an overwhelming love call to remind us that He alone is God, and wants the best for us.

It doesn’t matter what the outsides look like, as Yoda so aptly demonstrates in Star Wars.

It matters which well you are drawing your strength from.

If you don’t take the time to think through before you act, you can unknowingly align with the enemy.

Harm is never worth it.
And always does more damage eternally to the one who delivers it, if left unchecked.

Good is always worth it.
And always does more building up of the Kingdom and blesses the one who offers it, even if left unnoticed.

The Force is with you.
Your choice? Which side you will join.

The battle has already been won.

God will be the victor.
And the enemy knows it.

Don’t miss out on all He has for you, to bless you, give you a HOPE and a future.

May The Force behind all Good, Holy Spirit, be with you.

relentless

Karla Lees

never stopping
pressing on towards the goal
focused determination
refusing to allow for defeat
Your love is relentless.

Being on the receiving end of this relentless love has led me to tears, caused me to tremble with thankfulness, quieted my anxiety and put many of my fears to death.

And still, Your love pursues me.

Relentless is an adjective that beat describes God’s heart for his creation:

incessant
persistent
constant
continuous
non-stop
never ending
unabating
incessant
unceasing
unrelenting
unending

The mercy, grace, flavour, blessing and overflowing passionately devoted love You have for me, for us, is relentless.

You will never stop reminding us You love us.

You will never cease to love us, no matter what.

Not even death couldn’t hold you back from completing your plan to reveal Your relentless love to the world.

The Bible is full of Your heart, Your love, poured out in ink and real lives lived seeking You. Actual people who lived with the questions we still ask ourselves today:
Do we matter?
Does anybody love us?
Why am I here?

You pursue us to let us know:
We were, and are, chosen.
We were made by our Creator to bring Him glory.

And He loves us.
Oh how He loves us.

I will never stop singing and proclaiming,
“Your Love is Relentless.”

PS. The song “Your Love is Relentless” by Hillsong is worth a listen. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear God’s heart beating for you, for us.

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when the beauty fades

Karla Lees

Over time, almost everything loses its luster. Rust spots, fraying strings, parts breaking down, wrinkles and age spots begin to appear…and what we think of beauty begins to fade.

There are two exceptions.

Although our bodies may age, begin to falter and decay, our spirit or soul does not.

It grows richer and deeper as it is cared for over the years. Faith, wisdom and experience are banked up and gain much with the passing of time.

Some of the wisest people I know don’t look like much to the eyes. Unassuming, they pour their resources into others’ lives – for they know their legacy is not in money, property or stuff, but in those they can help, train and bless along the way.

What makes them so noticeable is the character that shines through. When they smile, ponder the words they share before speaking, listen without judgment, they prove their value to be more than gold, more priceless than jewels.

When they spend time with the Eternal One, whose bloom will NEVER EVER fade…they in turn radiate Him.

And that glow is more attractive than the other packaging that houses it.

The more I spend time getting to know God, the more attractive, glorious, mighty, holy, awe inspiring and loving He becomes…

and the more I want to spend more time with Him. The one who never changes. Ever.

So if you are seeing new crinkle lines by your eyes, a few hairs that have migrated from their origins, and your skin has lost some of its youthful glow, draw closer to True Beauty.

Being changed from the inside out last forever.

I would rather glow for eternity than worry about aging while I am here on earth.

Each day I celebrate I get to live another day here, and i have another day to get to know God better before we meet face to face.

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unstoppable love

Karla Lees

Do you know you are worth it?

Did you know you were in the forefront of His mind when He went to the cross?

Do you know God will never stop pursuing you?

He thinks knowing you is worth more than all the pain and anguish, and death He faced.

You are exquisitely valuable to Him and He will not stop trying to tell you that message in the way you need to hear it…ever.

Is your built in USB so crowded with crappy messages that you have no space left to hear how unstoppable His love is for you?

Its time to erase the messages that only serve to leave you hungry & thirsty, and come to the One who can satisfy down to your very soul.

His love song continues to be sung by those who know this amazing, life altering truth…. God will never stop pursuing you, because He will never ever stop loving you.

If you can listen it his song on iTunes, Google music or YouTube today, let it seep into your mind, heart and soul.

You are loved without end. Forever.
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Unstoppable Love:
Skylar & Kim Walker-Smith

Try to stop Your love and You would wage a war
Try to take the very thing You gave Your life for
You would come running 
Tear down every wall
All the while You’re shouting 
“My Love, you’re worth it all”.

God you pursue me with power and glory, Unstoppable Love that never ends. You’re unrelenting with passion and mercy, Unstoppable Love that never ends.

You broke into the silence and sang your song of hope
A melody resounding in the deep of my soul
You have come running
You tore down every wall
All the while you’re shouting, 
“My Love you’re worth it all”

God you pursue me with power and glory, Unstoppable Love that never ends. You’re unrelenting with passion and mercy, Unstoppable Love that never ends. X2

No sin, no shame, 
No past, no pain 
Can separate me from Your love
No height, no depth, 
No fear, no debt 
Can separate me from Your love
X2

Whoa
Your love, yeah

God you pursue me with power and glory, Unstoppable Love that never ends. You’re unrelenting with passion and mercy, Unstoppable Love that never ends.

Try to stop Your love and You would wage a war

What will you leave behind?

Karla Lees

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What fingerprints will you will leave behind when your time is up?

I want to leave behind hearts that have been blessed by connecting with mine.

I want my kids to be the typical healthy & well paired with their future spouses, but also able to stand in the face of adversity, knowing God is for them.

I want my family and friends to be using their gifts and talents. If God can use my encouragement and mentoring to help them do so, it is a privilege. I try to model this by using mine daily, however God leads.

I smile at the strangers I encounter, because I don’t know who may need that glimpse of kindness in order to make it through another day.

I try to be a shoulder for those who are hurting and broken, and help them to find the freedom & new life waiting for them.

I try to model, some days better than others, that the next life is where our value is truly at.

We are all visitors here on earth.

Our true legacy is how much of heaven we bring down to earth and share with those around us.

I likely won’t be leaving a lot of money to those I will be leaving behind.

I hope my legacy will be that of:
Never swerving hope
Enduring faith
Unfailing love
Sharing one’s gifts
Being a blessing to and a help to those we love & are privileged to meet.
Unshakable trust- all things will work together for my good

My words, sung and written, may linger a little longer, but Gods love through me in action is the legacy that matters in the here and now. Hearing Him say one day, “Well done, faithful servant, My beloved” when we meet face to face.

What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind?