Month: June 2012

Love Parable

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Love Parable

By Erin Lamb ©, all rights reserved.

I love that Jesus told stories. Stories seem to stay with us. Instead of dumping facts on us, they makes us think and dig deeper.

The Rich Mansion Owner:

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

There was an extremely wealthy man who had a multi-billion dollar home. Oh, did I mention it overlooked the beach, miles and miles of beaches. There were tennis courts, basketball courts, feasts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were heated pools and every luxury imaginable. He provided everything. He made sure the home was clean, spotless even. He asks you to accept his invitation to be with him and be a part of his family. Yes, there were some house rules but he offered to be the one to help you keep them. He asked that he was called if there were any problems. There were to be no worries about things getting broken or messed up; he would clean it up.

It was the most beautiful mansion in the neighborhood. The house was filled with laughter, joy, peace, and sometimes dancing. It was almost effortless to live with him because he was good, kind, loving, affectionate, considerate, and compassionate. Every day the man would prepare a favorite meal and spend time preparing something special for every person in the house. He asked that you live there with him as family and not behave as a guest. It was your house too. Everything in the house belonged to you. You had full access to the fridge, the activities, and whatever the man did, you could do. He even gave you access to his bank account. All his money was yours too. He let you carry his credit cards and everyone in the town was to know you were his beloved. He smiled at you daily and encouraged you to be the best you, you could be. He loved spending time with you, sharing his thoughts and wanting to hear yours. If you made a mistake, he quickly forgave you and kept loving you.

One day a stranger shows up at the door. He’s a nice looking guy. He tells you, “You should leave this house. This man (home owner) is trying to keep good things from you.” The stranger says, “He doesn’t love you. He just wants to control you. I mean why do you need to stay on this property when you can strike it out on your own. Wouldn’t it be nice to do your own thing? Wouldn’t it be nice to not be under the watchful eye of this man.”

You think about what the stranger says. You begin to wonder what else is out there.  Can you really trust the man who opened the door to his mansion. Does he really love you? You start to think, “I can do life on my own. There has to be something better out there.”  You leave with the stranger. As the stranger drives away you recognize that the beauty of home is fading behind you.

The stranger takes you to a shack on the edge of town. It is run down and polluted. It stinks. It’s dark. There are other people chained inside. He throws you in a room, locks you in, and laughs at you. He spends day and night telling you how awful you are and how stupid you are for leaving paradise. Day and night you are tormented because this isn’t home. You find yourself alone and hopeless.

Meanwhile the owner of the mansion is looking for you. He can’t live happily without you. He loves you. He drives and drives until he pulls up to the shack. He calls your name. “Come to me,” he yells. “I want you back. I love you,” he exclaims. The stranger doesn’t want to let you go, but he has no power stronger than love. As you realize what you had and how much you’re loved, the shackles release you. The door opens, and you run into the arms of the one who loves you. He loved you before and he loves you now. He rejoices because his beloved is coming home. You see, he wasn’t withholding something from you, he was protecting you.

God loves you. Anytime God says no to something it’s because of love. He always has something better in mind. Anytime God convicts of sin or tells us to repent it’s because He loves us. He loves us. Let that sink in. What God has for us is far greater than anything we can give ourselves or what anyone else can do for us.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God, it comes through faith and acceptance of His Son Jesus. Jesus died for all our sins, so we could be reconciled with the Father. We believe, we confess our sins and need for a Savior, and we invite God into our lives. If you don’t know Him, your missing out on the most amazing relationship you’ll ever have. He is amazing.

Photos from Microsoft Clip art

I Stand Before You (God’s Message of Love)

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I Stand Before You (God’s Message of Love)

Written by Erin Lamb © Copyright 2011

I stand before you;

My arms are open wide,

wanting to embrace you,

wanting to bring to health to you,

and wanting to re-establish you.

Reach out your arms to Me,

for My love for you

won’t end

and won’t fail.

Though the thunderstorms rage, the seas of turmoil turn,

and the waves crash over your fragile heart;

I am still standing here,

standing strong for you.

I have a heartbeat

that beats just for you;

it beats to the rhythm of your name.

Can you hear My heart cry out,

for more time with you

and more intimacy with you?

Tenderly,

I unveil more of Myself to you.

I am the One who longs for you.

Let go.

Let go of all the preconceived notions

that I cannot meet your every longing.

I love you

with an everlasting love.

I have loved you from the beginning.

I stand before you

willing to set your heart free.

Trust in Me.

Your eyes can not see,

nor your heart comprehend,

all that I am

and all that you will be.

I stand with a love so intense and so pure;

a love that was tailored just for you.

I stand before you

prepared to fight your battles for you.

My power is limitless.

I am the God who knows no bounds.

Where you have been

is not where you will always be.

I stand before you,

interceding for you,

and desiring to give you the best of Me.

You are a child of the King,

and My Kingdom will never cease.

Can you hear the applause of heaven?

You were chosen for Me.

I looked across the earth

and delighted that into you,

life I could breathe.

I come again,

standing before you,

ready to breathe life into every area of your heart, mind, spirit, and soul.

I stand before you

with all My power and might.

Let down the drawbridges of doubt and uncertainty.

Allow Me to mend all the fractured things.

I long for you to find the meaning of life in Me.

You are My beloved,

and I will never cease to pursue you,

love you,

care for you,

and adore you.

Excerpt from, “I Thought I Knew What Love Was.”

All rights reserved. No part of the material may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, Westbow Press (www.westbowpress.com), or Author, Erin Lamb. The only exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Book available: http://www.westbowpress.com

You Were Made for Love

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Below are encouraging words God deposited into my heart. They settled in my soul, watered my heart, & delighted my spirit. I hope they do the same for you. You are deeply loved.

“You were made for love!

You are My great idea, a grand idea. I smiled from ear to ear when I thought of you. I gathered the angels for them to see, what beauty the world would behold. My heart danced. There was a sparkle in My eye. I thought to Myself, ‘What a genius I am; I will create mankind.’

I made you for Me, and I made you for love. A love that is richer, deeper, purer, and more fulfilling than any love you will ever experience in this world. I made you with a deep longing for intimacy that could only be fulfilled in Me. You won’t find a greater love anywhere. You may try to fill the void in your heart with other things, or even with people, but you will not be complete until you rest in My love. The most precious of all loves.

Your identity is rooted in Me. You won’t know fully who you are until you look into Me. Look into the depths of My heart and there you will find the key. There you will find the answer to your life’s destiny. No one can tell you who you are except for Me. I made you. I made you for Me. I made you to fit into a mold that was custom made for you. You cannot fit into anyone else’s place, nor can they take your place. You are unique, set apart, different, made from heavenly stock. You were not meant to be like anyone else. You were meant to be who I set you apart to be. Someone bold. Someone courageous. Someone who bears the image of their Father. You are an extension of Me. You are My workmanship created for My glory. When they see you, they will inquire of Me. I have placed My seal on you. I have placed My name on you. You are the child of the King. I made you to be loved, honored, cherished, and treated as the object of My love. I made you for love, to be deeply loved. So let My love come and settle in the cracks, sealing your foundation so it is unbreakable. Let My love restore all the devastation and stains left from years of disappointments. Let My love heal any place where fear has come to steal promise and destiny.

I am the One who loves you. I am the One who is for you. I am the One who heals you. I am the One who adores you. I am the One championing your dreams. I am your biggest cheerleader. I am your most loyal friend. No one can take your place in My heart. As the sun rises, so My heart rises to rejoice over you with love. I eagerly await any second I get for you to look My way, for you were made for Me. You were made for love. So, dance under the waterfall of My love. Frolic in the river of My grace. Bask in the radiance of My glory, and let Me put a smile on your face. I love you today, and I will love you always. My love is not based on what you do, what you have done, or what you will do. My love is based on who I am, and I can’t help but love you. Look not to your lack or inadequacies, they are covered by My sufficiency. I define you by who I made you to be. My opinion is not swayed by your behavior, by your weakness, nor by other’s opinions. I thought of you and said, ‘What I made is good.’

So, My child, live loved. Live cherished. I am always here with arms wide open. Nothing can separate you from My love.”

My dear sweet friends, you are deeply loved. May God saturate your hearts to overflowing with His unfailing love. A love that is rich and vast beyond measure. May He wreck the walls that separate you from receiving even more.

There is no end to His love. It’s wider, deeper, purer than any love in this world. God bless you and keep you. May His righteous face shine brightly on you. May He bless you with love, joy, peace, hope, and deeper intimacy with Him. He is the greatest lover of your soul. Have a wonderful week.