Category: Grace Insights

I Shall Not Want

God Concept, Grace Insights

In the 23rd Psalm, the Phrase, “I Shall Not Want”….. have you ever given that phrase much thought?  I must admit that I have thought about it some but maybe not to the degree that I should have.  In my study on the 23rd Psalm I have found some intriguing things that I would like to share with you.  The Lord used a great source to help me understand these things and I would highly recommend you checking it out.  It is a book by Phillip Keller entitled “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm”.  It is an excellent book and one that will grab your attention and you will not be able to put it down.  All of the posts on the 23rd Psalm will deal with information discovered by Keller in his work as a literal shepherd with sheep.

The Word “want” here actually has a broader meaning than one might imagine.  No doubt the main concept is that of not lacking but can we really know what David was referring to here as he was a shepherd of sheep for many years as well.  It was discovered here that a broader meaning is that of being utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.

We can be sure that David was not really speaking of a materialistic or financial means because we find him experiencing extreme, intense personal poverty and acute hardship and adversity at times in his life.  One would recall as David was on the run from Saul in his early years and again as being estranged and on the run from his own son Absalom.  Just recently in the Ladies Bible study that I teach on Wednesday mornings we looked at the passage in Revelation 3.  We focused in on Rev. 3:17 that states, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’  But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  Wow…there is it in Scripture that we can posses all that this world affords us physically, materialistically, socially, and relational and I can still be wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked in a spiritual sense.  When these attributes characterize my spiritual life, my fascination and excitement with these earthly things will fail me and I will not be able to find peace and contentment deep within me even though all manner of things that this world can give me are scattered about in front of me.

So what exactly does he mean here?  I think David could be saying here, “I shall not want or lack the expert care and management of my Master.”  Who is your master?  Jesus himself even said that it is impossible to serve two master’s.  We will hate one and love the other.  It is important to understand who our master is and the significance of belonging to that master or shepherd.  One is a Good Shepherd and the other is an imposter.  The imposter cares nothing for his flock.  Because he doesn’t love and care for the sheep, they are weak, thin, impoverished, malnourished and sickly.  They are riddled with ticks, parasites, disease, and filth.  The imposter abandon’s them and leaves them to fend for themselves.  The imposter that I am speaking of here is our enemy Satan.  You know you belong to either him or Christ.  We are either children of darkness or children of Light, children of a scandalous imposter or children of the King….and the only thing scandalous about our King is His great affection and love for us.  There are no boundaries that will prevent Him from being all that a Good Shepherd is for us.  The Sheep under His care and management will never want or lack any good thing.

If you and I can entrust ourselves to Christ’s control and management we will find there a radiant, serene and joyous confidence and quiet joy that surmounts all the tragedies of our time.  We will find that contentment we long so for.  Which, incidently….Contentment should be the hallmark of the man or woman who has put his or her affairs in the hands of God.  The paradox we see though in our society is the intense fever of discontent among people who are ever speaking of security.  The very thing that they pursue with all their might believing that it will be the thing that provides security for them is the very thing that can be sucked right out from underneath them in a heartbeat.  My friend, Christ – the Good Shepherd is the only sure foundation upon which to build ones life.  Spend your energies, time, and resources pursing Him and He will fill you and you will never want again.

John 4:13-14 “Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water.  But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether.  It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.” NLT

The Work of Grace

Grace Insights

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”

~Titus 2:11-12

Grace is much more than forgiveness for our sin.  It is what teaches us not to sin in the first place.  I have struggled with letting go of my incredibly legalistic way of living (my brand of flesh) because I’m afraid that if I don’t follow the rules, my life will begin to spin out of control.  I think this may be a common fear that keeps many people trapped in legalism.  We’re afraid that if we focus too much on grace, we’ll end up sinning more.  But the Truth is actually the opposite of what we think.  It’s the law that urges us to sin (Romans 7) and grace that teaches us not to.  Living by grace gets our self-effort in doing the right thing out of the way so that the Holy Spirit can produce His fruit in us–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Rebecca 🙂

The Evidence of A True Believer Part 2

Grace Insights, Identity

Well, I have had a break in posting this last week because Tony and I have been on Vacation!  We had a great time visiting with my family and enjoying a couple of days of beach time!  We had some good time to rest so I guess we are ready to get back at it.

In part 2 of our discussion of the evidence of a true believer we left off with ending chapter one and looking at point 3 that showed us that we will have a deep sense of our own sinfulness if we are true believers.  Chapter one ends with verse 10 stating, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 

Let’s pick up with point #4 that will start us off with I John 2.

#4.  If we are true believers we will keep His commandments.  I John 2:1-2 tells of the wonderful grace that is ours through Jesus Christ being the propitiation for our sins and He is our Advocate with the Father if we sin.  How truly blessed we are in the abundance of grace that we have received.  That grace and mercy poured out on us will lead us naturally to verse 3 that says, “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”  A true believer will welcome Jesus’ teachings into their lives and they will process that teaching and make the needed adjustments.  I John 2:4-6 says, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in Him the love of God has truly been perfected.  By this we know that we are in Him:  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”  I don’t know about you but that is putting it in pretty plain language for me! 

Here are some questions to ask ourselves:

*Do I obey His commandments?

*Do I tend to continue in sin without any sense of sorrow and repentance over my choices, actions and attitudes?

*Do I welcome His teachings into my life and make the proper adjustments in my lifestyle?  If not….why?  If so….How have I done this recently?

*Is there a genuine desire to walk in the same manner as Christ walked?  You can check out Phil. 2 for an idea of the manner in which Jesus walked.

* Do you sense a true humility about yourself before the Lord?

Take time to examine yourself.  This idea that if we are truly in Christ we will obey His commandments comes up several times in I John and in other places in Scripture.  If you do know Him in a personal and intimate way, you will not be able to continue in sin.  His kindness will lead you to repentance and true lifestyle change and you will not be able to continue in your sin…..not if you truly know Him.  Do you know Him today?

Dana

Flesh Unveiled

Grace Insights

I was reading an article about listening to God this week.  It talked about a closeness, an intimacy with God that involved communicating with Him throughout the day each day.  As I thought about how I would like to experience more of this, I was reminded of two missed opportunities earlier in the week.  I thought of two separate occasions where I sensed God prompting me to spend time with Him, and I didn’t.  It was as if God said, “Rebecca, come sit with me.  I want to talk to you,” and I responded, “I can’t right now.  I’m too tired.”  I wondered why I respond this way because I do want to spend time with Him. 

Then came the insight, the unveiling of my flesh.  I was trying to control life to make it work the best way I knew how.  I thought that, because I was so tired, the only way I could make it through the evening, or through the next day, was to make sure I got some rest (which is usually by sleeping or watching TV).  What God showed me was that if I will let go of my way (I HAVE to rest!), and choose His way (go sit with Him and let Him love on me), He will give me the rest I need and so much more!

~Rebecca

Lessons Learned on the Journey to 26.2

Grace Insights

Here is one of my personal thoughts on how Marathon Running parallels our Christian Journey. First off, Paul in Hebrews 12:2 relates our Christian Journey to running when he says, “Let us RUN with perseverance the race that is set before us.” As we say here at NLD the Christian life is not hard, it is IMPOSSIBLE! We need to rest in Christ to live it through us. I no longer say that I am “living FOR God”…. but now I am “living FROM God”. See, as I set my eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of my faith I see the One who has already completed the ultimate marathon on my behalf. His journey to the cross was the ultimate sacrifice for me to share relationship with Him. So as that passage in Hebrews 12 goes on to say that as I set my eyes on Him the author and perfecter of my faith who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross scorning it’s shame and then when it was finished He sat down at the right hand of God! Hebrews then tells me to consider Him who ENDURED such opposition from sinful men so that I will not grow weary and lose heart. People…this is the reason that we must throw off EVERY hindrance….just as I got Sally to take my shirt and socks that I was carrying and we must RUN this race that is set before us with PERSEVERANCE! Now, GO and run your race!

Thanks again to Sally for providing a great illustration!

Dana

Could You Be A Legalist? – Take The Quiz!

Grace Insights, Prayer & Praise

Hello Everyone…..I hope the title there got your attention!  Many of us who have come to embrace God’s grace and exchanging our lives for Christ life have come out of a very legalistic way of thinking.  You may have only wadded knee deep in it or if you are like me you have had periods of your life where you swam in it!  To be honest, I had no idea how legalistic my thinking had become.  I was shocked and quite frankly appalled at some of the beliefs that I held on to when God allowed my legalistic rules to completely unravel my life.  The quiz provided below is a way to help you discern legalistic thoughts and the resulting emotions and behaviors.  So I challenge you to take the quiz, laugh a little at yourself but on a serious note take stock of your beliefs and values and make sure they are Biblical and balanced full of Grace & Truth.

The Quiz!

1.  God’s degree of love for me depends on what I do.

2.  Meeting the expectations of others, especially those in my congregation or in positions of authority, are paramount.

3.  Moral and ethical questions are usually black and white and only made into fuzzy shades of gray by hand-wringing, bleeding-heart types.

4.  I try hard to obey God and it irritates me that others think they can get away with avoiding the same level of dedication.

5.  I fall short because I don’t have enough faith, or because I haven’t prayed enough, or because i just need to be a better peron.

6.  God is predisposed to be angry with me because I am a sinner.  My main goal in life is to try to gain God’s favor by doing things that will impress Him.

7.  My sense of spiritual well-being is linked to a Christian leader or membership in my church rather than a personal relationship with God.

8.  I tell my children not to do something in chruch or around other Christian families that I allow in my home.

9.  I believe my church is God’s true church and that most other Christians may be sincere, but are sincerly wrong.

10.  The exterior choices a person makes in what they wear, hairstyle, piercings, tattoos, etc. is a clear indication of that person’s character.

11.  I sometimes worry that people might take advantage of grace if it’s preached too much-people might think they can do anything they want.

12.  After being around Christians for a while I feel drained-weary of putting up a false front.

13.  When I happen to miss a service or activity of my church I feel quilty.

14.  I will likely get into heaven, even though I’m far from perfect, because I have tried to be a basically good person and God will take that into account.

Well….how did you do?  Now, one word of caution….If you just took the quiz and are sitting there thinking, “Oh, I don’t believe any of that, I have never thought any of those things!”…..be careful…..you might be a (warning…..this could hurt) self righteous legalist.  Often times we are all quilty of covering up what is really there by having a very sujective view of ourselves.  We are constantly focused on ourselves and being significant & secure so therefore we must appear great and look like we have it all together spiritually.  That thought right there lends itself to legalistic thinking and living.    It amazes me that out of all of the clients that we see the ones who stuggle the most with the message that we share are the legalists.  I think back in my own life that God had to really humble me and bring me to the end of myself (which was quite excruciating) for me to “get it”.  I am also reminded that the only people that Jesus Christ was ever really “harsh” with were the Pharisees and yes…it was the Pharisees that missed Him.  We need to let this be a red flag for us….let’s ask God to reveal the legalistic thoughts and behaviors in our lives that we may not even be aware of.

Roll Tide!

Dana

A Love Note from Your Father, Taken from the Psalms

Grace Insights

I thought some of you out there keeping up with New Life Design might be interested in this.  I came upon this last week while working through Steve McVey’s Bible Study entitled “The Grace Walk Experience”.  I highly recommend this Bible Study if you are looking for something new and fresh to do on Grace.  Thank you Steve for allowing Christ to lead you to put this together!

A Love Note from Your Father, Taken from the Psalms….

My dear Child,

I am with you.  (46:7)  Stop striving and know that I am God.  (46:10) I have chosen your inheritance for you.  (47:4) I rule over everything.  (47:8) Remember Israel-they didn’t possess the land by their own swords.  It wasn’t their hand that saved them.  It was my right hand and my arm and the light of my presence, I favored them.  (44:3) So it is with you-I have poured out grace on your lips and will bless you forever.  (45:2)

I will always guide you, until the day you die.  (48:14) You thought I was just like you.  (50:21) But my lovingkindness endures all day long, every day.  (52:1) Know this-I am for you.  (56:9) My lovingkindness toward you is higher than the heavens.  (57:10) Stay with me and take refuge under the shelter of my wings.  (61:4)

Trust in me at all times and pour out your heart before me.  (62:8) I am the one who bears your burdens.  I am your salvation and am the God of deliverance for you.  (68:19-20) I will show Myself strong in the way I act on your behalf.  (68:28)  Just trust me and praise me more and more.  (71:14) 

Listen to what I am saying-I speak peace to you, my godly one.  (85:8) Your springs of joy are to be found in me.  (87:7) I will satisfy you every morning with my lovingkindness.  (90:14) When you find anxious thoughts multiplying in your mind, my consolation will delight your soul.  So be gald.  (94:19)

I never change.  (102:27) My sovereignty rules over all.  (103:19) Meditate on that and I’ll be pleased.  (104:34) I have sent my word and healed you and delivered you from your destructions.  (107:20) I am God.  I do whatever I please (115:3) and it pleases me to be gracious and compassionate and to preserve you.  (116:5-6) What I have said is settled in heaven.  (119:89)

I don’t count sins, or else nobody could stand.  (130:3-4) You are forgiven and my lovingkindness is everlasting.  My lovingkindness is everlasting.  My lovingkindness is everlasting!  (Psalm 136 says this 26 times.)  I iwll accomplish the things that concern you.  (138:8) I know you-when you sit down and get up, what you think.  i carefully watch over you as you move through your day and then sleep at night.  I am intimately acquainted with everything about you.  (139:1-4) I wrote the script for every day of your life before you lived a single one of them.  (139:16) I know your path and the way where you will walk.  (142:3)

And my child…I do take such pleasure in you!  (149:4)

With eternal love,

Your proud Father

Is that not just incredible!  I hope it ministers to you as it did me.  Have a great weekend and Roll Tide!

Dana

Living From God – Not For God

Grace Insights

Hello Everyone,

Have you ever said this statement or made this commitment, “I’m going to start living for God!”  If you are like me, growing up you may have heard a lot of people encouraging you to “Live for God”.  My interpretation of that was that I needed to find out what the Bible said about what God expected of a Christian and I needed to fulfill those expectations and then I would be a good christian and God would be pleased with me.  So I worked really, really hard at finding out those expectations and attempting to live up to them.  Now, don’t misunderstand…I really loved God and wanted to please Him.  So I worked really hard at this and was completly sincere in everything I did.  I loved going to church and loved my friends that I hung out with.  I believe we all had a sincere love for God and wanted to please God. 

I don’t think those that taught us to “Live for God” realized what they were saying nor did they mean to bring confusion into our lives.  Their teaching at that time accomplished God’s purposes in me and kept me out of a lot of trouble that could have reeked havoc in my life.  The trouble that I found myself in years later was that I felt like I never could measure up to God’s standards and that it was never enough.  I couldn’t understand after I had worked so hard for so long that the idea of “success” that I was looking for in my relationship with God and ministry seemed so illusive. 

At one point I felt successful-like everything was going well and then I arrived at a place and it was like the bottom feel out.  No matter how hard I worked I just couldn’t be successful.  I even resorted to praying harder and more often, I spent more time studing the Bible and begging God to please intervene.  I memorized more scripture, got an accountability partner and witnessed more.  At one point, I remember thinking that because I wasn’t tithing more God was punishing me.  Yet, the intervention that I prayed for never seemed to happen.  I felt abandoned and left by God.  I would pray and felt as if my prayers bounced off the ceiling and came right back and hit me in the head.  I did not know that all the while, God was there, protecting me but allowing me to go through a process called brokenness.  This process enabled me to see that all of my efforts would never be good enough and that Christ had already done all the work on the cross.  He did love me and He was pleased with me.  I could quit my striving and working hard to please Him.

Jesus did this exact same thing when He began his earthly ministry.  The religious establishment would teach their rules and regulations and Jesus would come along and raise the bar on them.  One example was when they taught about adultery and Jesus came along and said if you even looked at a women with lust in your heart then you had committed adultery with her.  Another was if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic (undershirt) then give him your coat also; or if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  Jesus caps off some of this teaching by saying, “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Now, there’s a standard to attempt to live up to!  Wow….that makes me tired just thinking about it.  What was Jesus meaning here?  I have heard many debate and try to explain away what all this means.  I myself did that many times.  FYI….a legalist will always have an explanation for these verses….excuses really, because they can’t live up to that standard and that is exactly what I think Jesus was up to here.  He wanted all of us across time to see and realize that we could never live up to this standard so we would get to the end of ourselves and quit trying.  At this point we then look to Him and see the sufficiency of the cross and realize that in Christ all of our needs are met and we can receive the beautiful gift of His love and acceptance of us.  What a precious relationhip we can then experience with Father!  I call it “Living Loved”.  I am full, complete, satisfied, valued and worth everything to my Father in heaven who made the ultimate sacrifice for me.  He literally put my needs before Himself and made it possible for me to be crucified with Him and receive His life inside of me.  I am now a new creation in Him.  I don’t have to work hard or earn anything.  It is all a free gift that I can rest in and experience on a daily bases. 

Do I serve the Lord now, you may ask?  Yes!  But with a whole new perspective.  I don’t live FOR God anymore…I live FROM God now.  Meaning, I allow Christ, who is my very life to express Himself in and through me.  I live out of Christ strength not my own.  As Paul said in Gal. 2:20,“I am curcified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  This life that I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  The old Dana is now dead and now Christ is living through me. 

Think about these verses from the Message out of Galatians 3, “Let me put this question to you:  How did your new life begin?  Was it by working your heads off to please God?  Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you?  Are you going to continue this craziness?  For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.  If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?  Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?  It is not yet a total loss, but it certaintly will be if you keep this up!  Answer this question:  Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them in you?  Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham?  He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.

Later in the chapter Paul says, “And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure.” 

And later he says, “The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way.  The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him.  Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.”

Well, I guess that about sums up this one!  Rest….and live FROM Him and not FOR Him!

Dana

Today Is My Mother In Law’s Birthday

Grace Insights, Identity, Trials & Adversity

Grace has so many facets…..so many gifts for us….so much to offer us!  Grace allows us the freedom to be real, authentic, and vulnerable.  When we understand more of who we are in Christ and His enormous love for us, it becomes easier for us to be real with each other-and that is when true relationship takes place.  We spend so much time, energy, and effort trying to “keep up our image”, trying maintain control of our circumstances and those around us and that is exhausting; not to mention impossible to accomplish! 

What does all this have to do with my mother in law and her birthday….well, she is one who is real, vulnerable, and authentic.  Today is her birthday and she is having a tough day and it has nothing to do with being a year older because, quite honestly….I think she really, truly is “over all that” nonsense.  There were bigger issues on her mind.  As she ate lunch with us she was free to be herself, free to not have to act like a super, spiritual giant that has everything under control.  That freed her up to “loosen up”, laugh with her family and allow her own children to encourage her to help her get through the day.  She may have some tough circumstances right now, but she knows her God, she knows who she is, and who she belongs to and that is enough for her.  She knows Grace Himself intimately…..she loves Grace and Grace knows and loves her.  She knows she is secure in Grace and knows that Grace will provide for her.  She knows that Grace is in control of her circumstances and the people around her.  She even knows that Grace will thoroughly work all things together for her good and His Glory. 

Now that’s my mother in law.  Just by being in her presence, she makes me want to be better – to be the best person that I can be – to desire to be all that God intends for me to be.  Yes, I know some of you may be flipping out that someone can actually say they have a mother in law like that.  Well, you see, I prayed for a long time for a “wonderful, spirit filled mother in LOVE” and she was worth the wait!  Even when I struggle and fall back in my legalistic ideas of living, she speaks grace to me and loves me just the way that I am and accepts me as one of her own – no rules, no expectations (maybe except to love her son-ha-ha), no requirements.  She just loves.

You may be wondering who my mother in law is.  Well, because of who she is and her humility she would not want her name mentioned in something like this.  If you know her you would agree with me.  She would only want your prayers and for you to come and get to know this man who changed her life – Grace Himself – Jesus Christ.  She would tell you that when you experience Him and hear what He has to say about you – you would fall in love with Him immediately.  So, what are you waiting for….”Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

So….to a wonderful, spirit filled “Mother In Love”…..Happy Birthday!  If I could turn out to be just half of what you and my own mother are like…..wow…..that would be awesome!  I am so blessed!

Dana

Freedom, One of the Many Benefits of Grace

Grace Insights

We have such freedom and adventure in God’s Grace.  We are safe with grace even though it is unpredictable.  Jesus seemed unpredictable to those around Him but He was just living out of obedience to His Father’s directions.  If you read the gospels carefully, you will see that His unpredictable behavior drove the Pharisees crazy! 

Grace allows “out of the box” living.  If you are like me and you have spent the majority of your life up until this point living from a law based mentality, grace may seem a little scary.  In reality, we have nothing to fear as I John 4 reminds us that perfect love drives out all fear.  So with grace it might seem a bit “risky” if you know what I mean.  Living by the law was so “cut and dried”.  Dry….now there is a good word for it.  Grace is alive, organic and relational. 

Was the law bad?  No way!  It accomplished it’s purpose in revealing my sin and my need for a Savior.  I realized very quickly that I could not keep the letter of the law 24/7 so I needed what Christ provided on the cross.  I needed life, forgiveness, peace and relationship!  Christ on the cross was grace providing all that I needed.  Now, I walk in, abide in, make myself at home in His wonderful, matchless grace! 

Through this grace, I can give up my performance based behaving and trying to be perfect.  I have a net below to catch me if I fail.  That net is called Grace.  Let me share with you an illustration that I found rather enlightening from Juan Carlos Ortiz.  I read this in the book entitled “Rest Assured” by Bill Ewing.  Mr. Ortiz once recalled a circus attendee who had the privilege of talking to a performer after a show.  He commented on how the net saved the trapeze artists’ life.  The performer looked a bit humored.  Still struck with awe the guest exclaimed, “That net saved your life!”  In broken English, the artist expressed that this was indeed true, but then tried to explain the net’s further purpose. “Yes, the net saves us,”  he said in a heavy French accent, “but its most important purpose is to allow us to get better.  With it stretching below we can try and fail without fear, becoming the very best we could ever be.” 

Wow!  God’s grace allows us to try and fail without fear while we stretch and grow.  Now there is a new spin on failure!  With this point of view there is no reason to fear failure.  Again, as I said in a previous blog – for us a Christians, there is room for failure and when we do, it is a forward motion – a failing forward as I call it.  This is how we learn and grow and become all that God has planned for us to be (Eph. 2:10).

Galatians 2:19-20 The Message – “What actually took place is this:  I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work.  So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man.  Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.  I identified myself completely with him.  Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.  My ego is no longer central.  It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God.  Christ lives in me.”

May you grow more and more in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ – our Abba Father – our Daddy – our Papa!

Dana