My Delight is in Those Who Know Me and Love Me

Dearest Readers, I am writing you this note to inform you of a change that Jesus is leading me to make in the way my letters are written. I believe this is a process He is using to teach me to be a better writer and to follow where ever He leads me. You see, for a couple of months now I have been writing the first draft of these letters in first person. As I have listened to Jesus speak I then would write His Words down. Then I would change it to third person format for you to read. This was a big help for me. I was writing exactly what Jesus wanted me to write in these letters. Now Jesus is leading me to write these in a love letter format. They will be written directly from Jesus to you, from His heart to yours. I hope you enjoy these love letters from Jesus to you, the Church, and the Bride of Christ.

Blessings,

Patricia

My Precious Children, I, Jesus, hope you are doing well this week. Whether there is peace in your life, or many difficulties, know that I am always with you to comfort you and to lead you through each day in My protection and love. Seek My face in any situation before anyone else. I, your Jesus and Savior, desire to be first in your life and in your heart, you will always be first in Mine.

  The desire of My heart is for My children to truly know Me and love Me. My children get to know Me when they take time each day to spend with Me and only Me. As My children spend time with Me each day our relationship is able to grow. The time that we share can be spent journaling, reading My Word and worshiping with music. There are mysteries I desire to reveal to each of My children who love me. When My children get to know Me and My love towards them, they will learn how much they love me out of gratitude for all I have done for them and through them.

  My children, I created you for a purpose. I long to share with you what that purpose is if you will draw near to Me every day. Ask Me, and I will help you find the time that we can spend together. Whatever time we are able to spend together is good. Just like any other relationship you have, when you take the time to be with that person, your relationship will grow. I'd love for our relationship to grow.

  As we journal together, we can discuss your day, the difficulties that took place, and the joys you experienced. I can help you learn from your mistakes so you can learn to walk daily as I desire for you to. As we read My Word together, I can illumine Scripture that can help you understand what I am doing in your life. When you listen to music that glorifies Me, I enjoy hearing you sing to Me. I delight in the active worship of My children.

  There are many mysteries that I long to share with you if you will draw near to Me daily, just you and Me. I will help you understand the purposes I created you for. You will come to understand all the many ways I directed your life so you could be where you are now. As you draw near to the sound of My voice to hear what I long to tell you, you will learn how much I, Jesus, truly love you. Come and let Me love you and comfort you as no one else can. I am waiting!

  “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him.” Psalm 38:39-40

  I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me – just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father – and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15

  “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3

  My joy and desire is for all of My children to know Me and love Me with all their hearts. Then My purposes for their lives will ignite their passion for Me, and their hearts will desire to walk daily with Me to accomplish their purpose. But they must first take the time to know Me and love Me as I know them and love them.

  We will continue reading Psalm 36-40 for one more week.

Blessings,

Patricia Terrell

There Is No Fear When We Walk With Jesus Daily

 Hello Dear Friends,

  How are you this week? I hope you are having a good week and your relationship with Jesus is growing strong. If sometimes it feels like you are taking one step forward and two steps back in your walk with Him, don’t worry. Jesus has an abundant amount of grace and patience for each of us as we grow in Him. Rest in His amazing love for you and He will show you more and more of His love in truly amazing ways, as you seek His will everyday in every situation.

  Fear is a very powerful thing that can paralyze even the most righteous person who is trying to follow God. Fear can strip a person of their ability to focus on God and where He is leading them daily. Anyone who allows fear to be more powerful in their lives than God, are unable to follow Him. In God’s love, there is no fear. When God’s children trust in His sovereignty over all things, they will have no reason to fear. No matter what comes their way, God’s children can turn to Him, give Him their worries, and wait for Him to give them the perfect solution to each situation. Children of God,  walk daily in the loving protection of your good Shepherd and Savior, where there is no fear.

  God’s children who desire to follow Him all have some form of fear. Every person is different and so their fears are different. The problem occurs when God’s children focus on their fear instead of God and His deep love for them; they will stumble and fall. When God’s children have fallen, they are unable to be used by God because they are not following Him and trusting Him daily. They are traveling down a path other than the one God has made for them. When God’s children are walking in their own strength instead of walking in God’s strength, love, and wisdom, fear will have the strength to over power them. Over time God’s children become overwhelmed by fear. Only when they are willing to give up their fears, and give them to Jesus, will they be able to walk in freedom from their fears.

  There is no fear when God’s children walk with Him daily. They know that they can put their faith and trust in His Sovereignty over all things. They can know that nothing is impossible for God, and His will be done in their lives. As God’s children understand this in their hearts, they will put their trust in Him in any situation. They will have no reason to fear because each day as fear arises, they give God their fear and they rest in His presence and love. Anytime a difficult situation comes, God’s children need to seek His will and guidance, then they wait trusting He will take care of the problem or situation. As they wait, they walk free from worry or trying to make things happen the way they think it should. God’s people are then able to be free from worry or fear, so they can step out and do God’s will when ever He calls on them. This is where true joy occurs, when God’s children are free to serve Him daily.

  In Psalm 34, David is rejoicing over the sovereign power of God in his times of fear and trouble. God delivered David and helped him in times of great turmoil, because David loved Him. David’s gratitude to God for helping him and protecting him in dangerous times was off the charts. He even says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1 If God’s children will choose to walk with Him and trust in His sovereignty, as David did, their lives will be changed forever. They will walk with the confidence of who God is, each day, and fear will have no part in their lives.

  There are some things in my life that cause me fear. They make me want to take control of the situation I am in. I then try to keep things from going wrong, but I actually make things worse. Fear causes us to let go of Jesus’ hand and run our own path that leads to nowhere. I have learned that God knows everything and every situation in my life. He knows my future and every difficulty I will encounter, and He also has a perfect solution for each one of them. When I choose to take control when something happens that causes me to fear, I am not taking advantage of God’s sovereignty in my life, and so I stumble. But when I choose to turn to God for help when difficulty and fear arises, I know He is right there working out the solution on my behalf. I know that God knows my needs, my thoughts, and my fears. He wants me to turn to Him and give them ALL to Him whenever they come. I have done this many times in many different types of situations and I have always seen the hand of God work for my good in every situation. I will always praise my God for His goodness in my life.

    “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved Him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:1-6

  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

  “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13

  “But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, you’re God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; …’” Isaiah 43: 1-3a

  God’s children who choose to walk a different way than what Jesus is leading them to are not trusting in His sovereignty over their lives, and fear will be the overwhelming force in their lives. But if God’s people will humble themselves so they can follow God everyday, all day, they will always walk in God’s love. When God’s love is complete in some ones life, there is no fear.

  We will continue reading Psalm 31 -35 for one more week.

Blessings,

Patricia Terrell

The Transforming Power of Forgiveness

Hello Beloved of God,

  I hope everyone is doing well this week and your hearts are resting in Jesus’ great and tender love for each of you. I hope you have been blessed with people around you who are able to show the love of Jesus to you through their actions. This is a great blessing and a great help as we learn how much Jesus loves us. If there is no one like this in your life, maybe Jesus wants to show His love to you Himself when you grow closer to Him as you spend time with Him daily.   God’s children, who hold onto guilt and shame because they are unwilling to confess their sins, are limiting what He can do in their lives. No matter how big or  small their offenses are, it can all be forgiven, never to be remembered again by God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that softens the heart of a person to cause them to seek forgiveness through Jesus’ work on the cross. After God’s child has repented the burden of guilt is lifted, never to return. As this process of repentance and forgiveness continues, healing of the heart and transformation of a life can occur. This work is all done through God’s endless gift of grace given to all people who love Him.

  The love of God extends to all people and all generations. In God through Jesus Christ is the only way to receive complete forgiveness for our sins. To God sin is sin, no matter how big or small. It doesn’t matter how horrible we think it is, God can forgive us and help us to forgive others. Each time we experience a desire to forgive or seek forgiveness, healing is allowed to happen in our hearts. The thing with healing is that there are more than one or two areas in our lives that we need to seek forgiveness for. There are many areas, and God knows each and every one of them. We don’t need to worry about getting all the work done; we just need to walk with Jesus daily. When we are ready He will bring up each area that needs His healing touch as we forgive and seek forgiveness.

  The problem occurs when we are unwilling to accept the work of the Holy Spirit to soften our hearts. Then, when God brings up an old hurt or shameful event from our past, we hinder His work of forgiveness and also our chance for healing and wholeness. God is so good, that when He works in our hearts through His Holy Spirit He doesn’t just heal our hearts, He also transforms us into the people He originally planned for us to become before sin affected our lives. We may still look the same on the outside because the transformation has occurred on the inside, in our hearts. For our hearts reflect who we are and how we live. As we live healed by God’s grace, we can then be used by God in many beautiful ways for His glory and Kingdom. The eternal glory we receive from a life lived wholly for God is beyond our ability to imagine.

  In Psalm 32, David rejoices because God is faithful to forgive all who turn from their sin and trust in Him daily. There are many stories in God’s Word that talk about how David messed up. He committed adultery with a woman and then had her husband killed to try to hide his guilt. He pridefully counted his army before a battle, even when God had commanded him not to. I am sure there were others also. The important thing that we can learn from David and all other godly people is that they all sinned against God. Then they walked in that sin until the Holy Spirit convicted them, and immediately they repented and turned back to God. When a person truly repents God is faithful to forgive their sin and remember it no more.

  When I think about the transforming power of God’s forgiveness I become overwhelmed with deep gratitude. To start with, Jesus saved me from eternity apart from Him. He did this through His Holy Spirit wooing me and loving me to Himself.  He forgave me instantly of my sins and He gave me a gift. He gave me His Holy Spirit to live in my heart to help me to be changed from the inside out so I could live for Him. As I repent, Jesus has been faithful to forgive me of each offense I do; so now I am able to forgive others who hurt me. The joy I experience in my life is nothing short of a miracle.

  “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I confess my transgression to the Lord – and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:1-5

  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Ephesians 5:32

  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

  God’s heart rejoices each time His children receive His correction, repent, seek His forgiveness and turn to Him. They will receive healing and wholeness of heart as they walk in forgiveness towards others. God’s love will shower them with blessings and gifts that only He can give. Those who resist the work of the Holy Spirit to lead them to repent and also to forgive others are not trusting in God’s gift of grace. They are unable to be used by God if they remain this way. Let us seek God today and everyday with humble hearts so that we would be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May we  respond obediently to anything He brings to our attention, whether we need to forgive someone else or seek forgiveness from God. The transformation we experience will lead us to a life of peace and wholeness we have never known before, even if the world around us is not peaceful.

  We will continue reading Psalm 31-35 for one more week.

Blessings,

Patricia Terrell

"True and Complete Security is Found in Jesus"

Hello Dear Friends,

  How was your Christmas celebration? I hope you have many beautiful and glorious memories that you can hold onto in your heart. Did you get to do some of your favorite traditions, old or new?! I hope that these traditions brought peace and comfort to your heart whether you were surrounded by all your friends and family, or if someone or many people were missing from your special celebration yesterday. No matter your situation this year, know that Jesus is everything to all people. He is constant and His love for you will always be there to cover you and comfort you.

  There is only one source of security that all people can freely receive. That security is only found in Jesus, our God, and Creator. There is no other source of complete and eternal security. If God's people will give Him our each and every day, our hearts and emotions, decisions and finances, He will show us He is faithful. He will provide all the different forms of security we need. Those of us who don’t know how to give God our worries end up carrying a heavy load we were never meant to carry. Some of us don’t understand God’s grace. Some of us have grown hard in our hearts and refuse to give our full lives to Jesus, the One who truly loves us. Jesus came to earth for this very purpose: to save the lost, set the captives free and bind up our wounds. He can only do that when we completely trust Him for our daily security.

   God’s desire is that all people would come to know Him intimately. In our love for Jesus, we will come to realize in our hearts that true and lasting security is only found in God through Jesus Christ. No matter where else we look, there is no lasting security that will be found. When we turn everything over to Jesus, we will know eternal security now for everyday. God desires that everyone would give Him every part of their past, present and future for we know Jesus will take care of our lives. Submission to Jesus means giving Him everything; our every day, our heart, our emotions, our decisions, and finances. When we give Jesus everything, we can rest in Him and Him alone. Then Jesus will bless our lives according to His will and purposes.

   God's people who know Him, but are not experiencing daily His peace and security, are those who have not given Him everything.  They are still hanging onto somethings. They don't realize that they are carrying a load around everyday that they were never meant to carry. If they will humble ourselves and seek Jesus’ face, they will see that He is able to handle all of their worries, fears and every other part of their lives. Jesus longs to provide His perfect security to all who seek Him with all their hearts. In His perfect timing He will set us free from our oppression, strongholds, and bondages. When we allow this to happen, He is able to heal our hearts of wounds from our past. The person who walks in this kind of freedom is truly free to live for Jesus as they walk trusting in His love and security.

  There is hope and security in David’s thoughts toward God in Psalm 30. David has experienced many great trials and turmoil. In each instance, God has rescued and healed David. David has every reason to be completely secure because God has been faithful to provide everything he needs to walk free, to love and serve Him.

  Throughout my life with Jesus there have been many instances when He has proven His great love for me. Jesus has done this by causing bad or scary situations to become smooth, allowing me to come out of it safe and secure. I praise Jesus every time He rescues me. Jesus has proven to me that He desires the very best for me. When I remain walking with Him daily in obedience, I find that my life is greatly blessed by Him alone. If I make mistakes and sin against God, I am quick to repent and turn to Jesus to be forgiven. Then He restores my walk in His love and freedom. Jesus has given me security in Him by healing the past wounds and strongholds in my life so that they can no longer hold me down and disable me from walking with Jesus the way He desires me to.

  Dear children of God,  whoever desires to walk daily in His security must seek His face. Then as they follow Him, they will become free to give Him the worries and troubles in their life. When we are free from the burdens of our lives, we are free to listen to Jesus’ guidance, knowing He will never fail us. This kind of trust and security is only found in Jesus. God's children who are unwilling to trust Jesus to heal and free them from whatever binds them are not secure in Jesus. Their hearts are unable to receive His guidance and peace so they can rest in Him each day.

   Do you desire in your heart to walk in true peace and security in Jesus? I want to encourage you to turn over your whole life to Him, because He can and will take care of all your needs. Then walk in obedience and trust that He is holding you in the palm of His hand and He will never let you go.

  “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed’…” Luke 4:18

  “I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me… When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Psalm 30:1-2, 6, & 11-12

  “…Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves between His shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12

  “Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure; he will have no fear… Psalm 112:6-8

  Whoever desires to walk daily in God’s security must daily seek His face. As they follow Him, they will become free to give Him the worries and troubles in their life. When God’s  people are free from the burdens of their lives they are free to listen to His guidance knowing that He will never fail them. This kind of trust and security is only found in Jesus. Those who are unwilling to trust Jesus to heal and free them from whatever binds them are not experiencing His security. They’re hearts are unable to receive His guidance and peace so they can rest in Him each day. Do you desire in your heart to walk in true peace and security in Jesus? I want to encourage you to turn over your whole life to Him because He can and will take care of all your needs. Then walk in obedience and trust that He is holding you in the "palm of His hand" and He will never let you go.

We will begin reading Psalm 31-35 for two weeks.

Blessings,

Patricia Terrell