salvation

Word Seeds

/ 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

 

IMG_2147

 

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)

 

 

Christmas Week – The Cast: JESUS

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

He was

and is

and is to come

 

Always God,

never began

 

Infinitely wise

 

He,

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

 

– One together –

chose us

 

before the beginning of the world

 

And He knew of the sacrifice

before He even made us

 

The selfless

and the painful

sacrifice

 

for we would need rescuing

before all was said and done

 

And, God,

in relationship with Himself

 

gave us His Son

and told us He would be called Jesus

 

for He would be the Salvation

everyone would need

 

He would save us all

from our sins

 

And we would not hold Him

in high esteem

 

nor love Him like we should

 

He would be introduced into this world

in the humblest way

 

for that is His nature,

humble of spirit

 

And the angels who have always known Him

marveled that He would

 

do this thing

for those such as us

 

The angels would praise

and glorify

and announce the King who was a child!

 

And prepare those closest

to this infant

 

so they would know the gravity

of the appearance of God

 

But non could have fathomed

the greatness

and boundless love

 

of this One and only God

made flesh

 

Before time, His was the earth

as His footstool

 

His was heaven beautiful

and pure

 

His was the universe

and everything in it

 

and yet…

 

He became nothing,

poured out for all

 

And so,

He is Jesus

 

The greatest of The Cast

in this true story

 

Tiny baby human

completely Divine

 

But, hear this!

 

The next cast member

is you!

 

for you are part of this story as well

the story of humanity in time

 

seen by an infinite God

 

What will you do with this Savior

of all mankind?

 

There is no neutral,

for He came for all

 

You must choose to accept

or your choice is already made

 

Choose Jesus’ love,

dear friend

 

Choose the One

who came for you

 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

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. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.

– Luke 2:1-21 (NIV)

 

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

– Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)

 

For to us a child is born,
    to us a Son is given,
    and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of His government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over His kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

– Isaiah 9:6,7 (NIV)

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

– John 3:16 (NIV)

 

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;
rather, He made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    He humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
    and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

– Philippians 2:6-11 (NIV)

 

 

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.

– Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)

 

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

– Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Refreshed

/ 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

 

 

Righteousness!

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

The UNrighteousness in our world

smothers

and sickens

and depresses

 

Everywhere

unrighteousness

 

Unholiness

 

Evil

 

 

That is why

I choose this day

 

to SHOUT in words

my adoration

of my righteous God!!

 

His righteousness

obliterates the darkness

 

In fact

His righteousness

brings out the grotesque hideousness

of evil

 

and shows it for what it is

before holy God

 

We would do well to run toward the LIGHT

and not the dark

 

But the darkness pulls at the heels

of human frailty

 

dragging away those meant to be Light-Bearers,

Divine image-bearers

 

into tunnels

and holes

desperate

and depraved

 

feeling as if hope

is not for them

 

…but it is

 

Hope was always meant

for desperate

depraved

depressed hearts

 

Righteous, beautiful God

provides that HOPE

 

I choose!

to stand with hands held high

in praise of the One and Only

righteous all-on-His-own

God Almighty!

 

His white

and His red

changed my black

to white pristine

 

My Jesus

MY Jesus

is

righteous

holy

and

perfect

 

and His justice demands

evil answers to righteousness

 

I will stand in the spotless robe

lovingly given to me

sacrificially

 

And I will shout

and whisper

and repeat

 

“I praise You righteous God,

and I will tell of Your righteousness

throughout this life

You have given to me!”

 

~  Susie Stewart

 

My tongue will tell of Your righteous acts all day long…

– Psalm 71:24 (NIV)

 

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

– 2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP)

 

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.

– Philippians 3:8,9 (NLT)

 

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness;
    I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.

– Psalm 7:17 (NIV)

 

Photo by Nicole Stewart

 

 

 

Heart <3

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Into your heart

you accepted your God

 

and with your heart

you hear His voice

 

His words are digested

with your heart

 

and He asks that you love Him

with all of your heart

 

You love people as He does

with your heart

 

and you walk in step with Him

with your heart

 

Religosity walks only

by intellect

 

But God calls us close

 

He searches intently

to see if your heart

 

is lit up

with Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

– Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.

– Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV)

 

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 (NLT)

 

 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

– Philippians 4:7 (NLT)

 

I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing Your song, High God.

– Psalm 9:1,2 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Salvation Strength

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Do you know

the strength of your salvation?

 

Do you know the power at work

in and through you?

 

You were saved for so much more

than you probably even realize

 

Jesus’ death and resurrection

broke the power of death over you

 

And you will live gloriously forever

because of the gift of your salvation

 

Your salvation brings you strong victory over sin

and you are no longer chained to it!

 

You have power in Christ

to overcome sin

to stomp on it

 

and before Christ

you were defenseless against it

 

Your salvation protects you

from the enemy who wants to take you down

 

He has no authority over you

so resist him

 

Your salvation brings you life-giving freedom

from your prison cell

 

and you have the power

to walk in that freedom

 

Your salvation brings you hope

in an uncertain world

and uncertain times

 

and this is a strong and enduring hope

 

Your salvation brings you peace

making you able to stand solid in chaos

 

Your salvation is strength

and defense

and endures forever

 

There is no need

to walk in defeat

 

– Susie Stewart

 

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News….

– Colossians 1:21-23 (NLT)

 

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)

 

“It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put Me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

– John 5:24 (MSG)

 

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)

 

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

– 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)

 

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

– John 8:36 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Does He KNOW You?

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

You know that you are going to stand before Him,

right?

 

You will stand before the God of the Universe,

alone

 

And the eyes you look into

will either hold joy

or sorrow

 

And the just Judge

will know

if you’ve known Him

 

He will know if you chose Him

and His grace

 

Or if you chose the world

and your sin

 

And I can’t emphasize enough

the importance of knowing Him NOW

 

For when you stand before Him,

and you will,

He will either welcome you into His Kingdom of Life

 

or He won’t

 

And when you realize that all you had to do

here on earth

was accept grace and love

 

You will forever be in regret

 

that you didn’t know Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

– Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

 

Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with Me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what My Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use Me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress Me one bit. You’re out of here.

– Matthew 7:21-23 (MSG)

 

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, His choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

– 2 Peter 1:10,11 (MSG)

 

This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

– John 3:16-18 (MSG)

 

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by My Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink, I was homeless and you gave Me a room, I was shivering and you gave Me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to Me.’

– Matthew 25:35-36 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

The Sound

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Have you heard the sound?

 

The thunderous, ear-splitting, mighty

sound?

 

It’s the sound of enormous Jericho walls

tumbling to the dust

 

The sound of heavy prison gates

clashing to the stone floor

 

The sound of mighty Red Sea waters

piling high

 

The sound of two million of God’s people

running through the desert away from Egypt

 

The sound of a giant of a man

crashing down under the blow of one small stone

 

The sound of solid rock tons

rolled away from the deathly tomb

 

It’s the power

the glorious power

of God Almighty!

 

Who longs to bring the thunderous sound

of freedom and power

to you

 

 

Have you heard the sound?

 

The sound of a tear

falling to the earth

as Love gave His life

for you?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

…The Lord sets prisoners free.

– Psalm 146:7 (GW)

 

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

– Ephesians 1:19-21 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Dark to Light

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What is your Dark?

 

What eats at you

grieves you

overwhelms you

discourages you

tears at you?

 

Bring that dark

and expose it to Light

 

Lay it down

before He who illuminates

even the deepest black

 

Bask in the light

of who He is

and the glory of His Words

 

He can

and He will

bring light

to your Dark

 

Let Him

be Him

for You

– Susie Stewart

 

Only words of Light can drive out worlds of dark.
Only deeds of Light can drive out depths of dark.
Only lives of Light can drive out lies of dark.

Darkness can never travel as fast as Light. No matter how bad things get, no matter how black the dark seeps in, no matter the depths of the night — the dark can never travel as fast as Light. The Light is always there first, waiting to shatter the dark.

You can always hold His Word like a ball of light right there your hand, right up there next to your warming heart.

You can always count on it: Jesus is bendable Light, warmth around every unexpected corner.

– Ann Voskamp

 

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

– John 8:12 (NLT)

 

A light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazes through murky bottoms. It cannot and will not be quenched.

– John 1:5 (VOICE)

 

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

– Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)  

 

The deepest darkness of all is separation from God because of sin.  You are in need of a savior and He will be that for you.  Accept Him today as the only One able to cleanse you of ALL unrighteousness.  His light will penetrate your darkness and change your life!  Only let Him in.  Humble yourself and accept His free gift of salvation.   ~Susie

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

His Words, My Delight

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Does the Bible, this ancient document, thrill you?

Do you know that it is timeless?

 

Do you understand the treasures

that await your heart

if you will only commit to pick it up

and read it?

 

Do you know that true peace is possible

found in His Words?

 

What a loving, amazing God we have

that He would share His heart

and His truth

with us, His beloved.

 

Do you want to be firm and grounded

with your roots deep

in the soil of truth?

 

Do you want to be well-watered, growing, thriving

and not hopelessly withering?

 

Open this ancient,

timeless,

God-inspired book.

 

Find Eternal God in the pages.

Find salvation for your hurting soul.

Find hope forever.

 

– Susie Stewart

 

* There are many translations of the Bible.  I grew up using both the KJV (King James Version) and NIV (New International Version) of the Bible.  I tend mostly toward the NIV and NLT (New Living Translation) these days, although I look into many different translations online at Biblegateway.com.  The MSG (Message) version is a modern paraphrase that can word God’s truth in a way that is closest to how I talk.  I take it as a paraphrase and not a literal translation, much like a pastor would paraphrase a portion of Scripture he reads.  Whatever your translation, make sure that it is accurate and not a skewed version (i.e. – Mormon version of the Bible).  Online Bible tools are very helpful.  Websites like Biblegateway.com and YouVersion.com give you access to so many tools and searches. I utilize them a lot when writing my blogs.

Regardless of how you get into the Word, get into it!  And stay in it!  The Lord blesses those who delight in His Word.

Find your salvation in Jesus, trusting Him to save you from your sins, paying for all of them on the cross, conquering sin and death.  You can have new life in Him!  Ask for His forgiveness of your sins and accept His free gift of eternal life.  The Scriptures will open up to you in a new and powerful way.  A.W. Tozer says, “The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.”  God’s Spirit must help you understand and soak up Scripture.

Let me know if you have any questions.  I’d be glad to communicate with you about salvation, God, the Bible…

Read and mediate on the Bible’s life-giving words!    ~Susie

 

Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

– Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)

 

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)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart