Condemn Me Not (with Video by Susie)

January 25, 2018January 25, 2018 / Susie Stewart / 6 Comments

Condemnation

heavy

burden

pain

ache

weight

It is what you used to be under

but because of the weight of the cross

and the pain He endured

you no longer have to be

Condemned

And if you feel as if you are,

even though Jesus saved you

resist it!

Open your eyes to freedom

from condemnation

The enemy is a tyrant

and he will heartlessly

try to convince you

that your actions will earn you

a sneer from God

and a turning of His back,

leaving you alone

BUT

remember Truth!

Truth tells us

the love of the Lord for YOU is eternal

and there is absolutely no condemnation

for those who are in Christ Jesus

So don’t tolerate the weight of it

any longer

Confess

and turn

For every rule God put before you

is there for your good

not to harm

or stifle you

Walk in the absolutely

no strings attached

lavish grace

of the One who chose

to set you free of condemnation

– Susie Stewart

…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

– Romans 8:1,2 (NIV)

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

– Romans 8:1,2 (MSG)

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
    and I know I will not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
    Who then will bring charges against me?
    Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
    Let him confront me!
It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
    Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
    the moths will eat them up.

– Isaiah 50:7-9 (NIV)

The Lord will rescue His servants;
no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.

– Psalm 34:22 (NIV)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (NLT)

This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in Him, and He in us: He’s given us life from His life, from His very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent His Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

– 1 John 4:15-18 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Every Day

January 13, 2018 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Every

single

day

we make the choice

who we will follow

who we will serve

who, or what, we will bow low to

And we forget

that it is a daily choice

for we think

YESTERDAY I was doing so well

seeking the Lord wholeheartedly

and following His lead

But TODAY

is today

and choose you THIS DAY

whom you will serve

How your time will be spent

If you will kneel before the God of the Universe

Who will rule your day

not forgetting the swirl of enemy soldiers

all about you

distracting

and deceiving

and demoralizing

Bring your thoughts

into agreement with the One who loves you most

Serve Him

Follow Him

Bow to Him

Listen to Him

Speak of Him

Speak to Him

Nothing in all your day

is as important as this

– Susie Stewart

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

– Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

-Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.

– Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Word Seeds

January 7, 2018January 7, 2018 / Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

The Word of God

is full of seeds

to be planted

And they are initially meant

to bring salvation

to the hearer

And from there,

to cause growth

and maturity

and fruit

But often times…

When The Word is brought to someone,

salvation is presented to them

but the enemy,

the devil,

snatches it away

and the person hears,

but they are not saved

And then sometimes

someone receives the Words with joy

but no roots grow

and the saved person

is dragged away by temptation

Then other times

the seed of the Word is heard

and the person is saved

but the worries

the riches

the pleasures

of this life

choke out the Word

and maturity is wanting

These three are ~

The Word along the path

The Word on rocky ground

and

The Word among the thorns

BUT

when the seed of the Word

falls on good soil

the soil of a noble and good heart

the hearer truly listens to the words,

retains the words,

and produces a crop,

rich with fruit

The Word

Heard

Planted

Growing

Multiplying

God’s Word is alive and active

and should be treated so

let it be planted

let it grow

– Susie Stewart

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

– 2 Timothy 3:16,17 (MSG)

Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.

– Joshua 1:8 (VOICE)

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

– Matthew 4:4 (NLT)

I have hidden Your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against You.

– Psalm 119:11 (NLT)

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

– John 1:1 (AMP)

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.

– Psalm 1:2,3 (MSG)

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

– Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)

I’m Getting Old…Awesome!

January 4, 2018 / Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

I’m not one

to speak much

about getting old

to recite the aches

and pains,

tiredness and slowing

And I guess I got that

from my parents

who still act youthful

never really talking about getting old

and how things don’t work

like they used to

It’s refreshing

and it’s good to be around

elders like that

For getting older

may be tough physically

but what beauty awaits the young!

God tells us

that the longer we walk with Him,

the more rooted we become

The more we take in Him

and His Words,

the more we flourish and grow

What a profound truth!

As we get weaker,

as we bow lower,

we can be stronger

than ever before

Strengthened inwardly

standing taller

grounding deeper

in Truth

Bearing more

and more

fruit

the longer we live

And not focusing

on what is feeble

but on what is strong

and that is

our character

our hope

our perseverance

our relationship with Jesus

who walks with us

And the older we get

the wiser we get

and the closer we get

to eternity’s home

Our graduation

to bliss

and God-awareness

and pure light

Forever

So the temporary aches

and temporary slowing

is just that

temporary

But what is growing

and flourishing

inside

is Forever

Don’t listen to the world

about aging,

Listen to God

– Susie Stewart

But the godly will flourish like palm trees
    and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
    They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
    they will remain vital and green.
They will declare, “The Lord is just!
    He is my rock!
    There is no evil in Him!”

Psalm 92:12-15 (NLT)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

– 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)

The glory of young men is their [physical] strength, And the honor of aged men is their gray head [representing wisdom and experience].

– Proverbs 20:29 (AMP)

The silver-haired head is a crown of splendor and glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

– Proverbs 16:31 (AMP)

Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.

– Job 12:12 (NLT)

Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in His hand who saith, ‘A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!

– Robert Browning

Photos by Susie & Arik Stewart

Grown Children

December 29, 2017December 30, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

I sit across from her

at the coffee shop

and I see a woman

but also a child

And my heart is torn,

for I want to gather her into my arms

and I want her to run away

full speed into life

And maybe you can relate

to my ponderings…

full of my three loves,

my children

For when they become adults

we want them healthy and unattached

But we can’t forget…

painful birth

infant soft

adoption waiting

final decree

first words

wobbly walking

I love yous

living room forts

training wheels

pumpkin carving

zoo trips

TV cuddles

hand-holding

Daddy’s home glee

star gazing

chaotic road trips

sweet kisses

first haircuts

messy picnics

nighttime prayers

voices small and sweet

baking cookies

sandbox buckets

swingset giggles….

and they are treasures

for the heart

I reflect for awhile

but I do not dwell too long

for NOW is my place

and the relationship is precious

at this stage as well

My eyes and my heart

gaze at the beauty before me

in that coffee shop

A place in time

to treasure with my heart

and bring out later

as I reflect on my gifts

my treasures

– Susie Stewart

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For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.

– Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT)

I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

– Isaiah 45:3 (NIV)

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

– Luke 2:16-19 (NIV)

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart.And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

– Luke 2:50-52 (NIV)

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

– James 1:17 (NLT)

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from Him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

– Pslam 127:3-5 (NLT)

Photos by Susie Stewart

Joy In The Middle Of It

December 6, 2017December 7, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

There is joy
in Your presence, God

but not always
with people…

And I don’t want
my joy stolen

by difficult people
I come into contact with

when Divine joy
is mine for the taking

So I choose this day
to find joy in YOUR presence

while in the presence
of unpleasantness
hostility
rudeness
unkindness
hatred
obnoxiousness…

And I choose to set my focus
on the beauty
and the joy
and the gift

of Your presence,

my always-there
and undeniably loving
God

Thank You
for never leaving me

to fend for myself

And by the way,
God

please help me not be the one
whose presence steals another’s joy

-Susie Stewart

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

-Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.
As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,
and I know true joy and contentment.
– Psalm 16:11 (NOICE)

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
– Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from Your Spirit!
    I can never get away from Your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, You are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there Your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
     but even in darkness I cannot hide from You.
To You the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to You.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.
How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!
– Psalm 139:7 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Refreshed

November 27, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

How refreshing

is Your forgiveness

How sweet

Your grace

How fierce

Your resolve

to save

and redeem

And how blessed am I

to receive this gift

of Light inside

my very being

where darkness

once ruled

And how blessed am I

to know

I am truly forgiven

by Perfection

and that I’m known

for the dust that I am

Yet loved beyond reason

Forgiveness takes the weight

from the accused

and Your forgiveness, Jesus,

took that burden hard

and painfully

on Your flesh back

so that I

could be refreshed

with redemption

~ Susie Stewart

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

– Acts 3:19,20 (NIV)

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will He harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on His children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him,
    and His righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep His covenant
    and remember to obey His precepts.

– Psalm 103:7-18 (NIV)

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us.God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. He destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and His will for us. Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved. Visualize this: His blood freely flowing down the cross, setting us free! We are forgiven for our sinful ways by the richness of His grace,which He has poured all over us.

– Ephesians 1:3-8 (VOICE)

Photo by Nicole Stewart

More and More and More…

November 27, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

The MORE of You

is beyond

and infinitely above

my grasp

The MORE of what You can

and will do

is immeasurable

and unimaginable

The MORE of what I

don’t expect

or don’t ask

of You

is unbelievable

To YOU

my unfathomable

beyond

and more

God,

I commit myself

to imagine

and ask

and believe

even though it is not

a speck

of enough vision

of You

and Your ways

I lean in to witness

the power of You

in me

and outside of me

for Your Divine glory

and MORE

– Susie Stewart

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

– Ephesians 3:20,21 (NIV)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

– Ephesians 3:20,21 (MSG)

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

– Ephesians 3:20,21 (AMP)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Happily Ever After

November 16, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

When you were young

did you dream

of your Happily Ever After?

Did you imagine your life

would look different

than the reality that has unfolded?

Your road has been

so much bumpier

than you wanted, hasn’t it?

And happily ever after

seems only a dream…

It is true

that in this life

you will have many troubles

You are a survivor

in a broken world

wrought with battles unseen

But, friend, your joy in between

is unmistakeable

For the beautiful parts of your life

are attributed to Him

who created that beauty

And you walk in His presence

in the midst of the turmoil

and the disappointment

You trust His promises

and you cling to His robe

for dear life

He is the Rock

the Fortress

the Shelter you need

And you know

without a shred of doubt

that your happily ever after

is coming

and it will be eternally yours

forever

and

ever

– Susie Stewart

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.

It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

– Ephesians 1:11-14 (MSG)

It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, He saved us from all that. It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

– Titus 3:3-8 (MSG)

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

– 1 Peter 1:3-7 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Completely

November 5, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Crush me, God,

with Your love

Drown me

in Your grace

Break me

with Your goodness

Smother me

in Your joy

Push me

in Your strength

Suffocate me

with Your peace

Do all this

until I am completely overwhelmed

with You

– Susie Stewart

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father. We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.

– Isaiah 64:8 (VOICE)

Power belongs to You, God,
and with You, Lord, is unfailing love.

– Psalm 62:11,12 (NIV)

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

– Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

-Ephesians 3:16-21- (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart