All I can say to this is wow good points all of them.  Your right I think
sometimes when we read something over and over we just begin to just read it
then the Lord gives us a lightning flash which doesn't kill us but instills
in us His thoughts about that passage.  Good points Vicki thanks for
sharing.

One of the sad things about things is that those who are legalistic would
tear us from that thought.


Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vicki and The Rors" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 9:08 AM
Subject: Sunday Thoughts


>I will often pass over an exceptionally familiar verse or chapter when I
> come across it in my quiet time with the Lord simply because it is so
> familiar. Perhaps I have momentary amnesia concerning the Lord's ability
> to
> use his word any way he wants to in my heart and for whatever application
> is
> necessary.  So a couple of mornings ago, I was in Romans 8.  The
> temptation
> was to skip over it, for after all, I committed that chapter to memory
> many
> years ago.  But I read it anyway, reaping a rich harvest.  As I was
> thinking, yes, I know all that, the Lord gave me a shocking revelation.
> Maybe it shouldn't have been, and it wasn't really new knowledge; just
> timeless and eternal truth, newly applied.  You who are reading this will
> probably say, "Duh, and this hasn't dawned on you yet?"
>
> In verse 35, the question is asked "who shall separate us from the love of
> Christ?" Then there are the jewels in verses 36 and 37.  But verses 38 and
> 39 go on to say, For I am persuaded that  neither death nor life, nor
> angels
> nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
> height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate
> us
> from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
>
> Those things like death, life, angels,  principalities and powers, things
> present or things to come, height, depth or any other created thing seem
> so
> general, but the principle is there.  What if we substitute words like
> loss
> of job, illness, the feelings of loneliness, the misunderstanding of
> blindness, loss of a close family member or friend, loss of a beloved
> guide
> dog or pet, mothering a child who seems to be testing every limit and
> breaking his mom and dad's heart all the while, the process of aging, a
> crumbling marriage, a mind which has been fragmented due to months or
> years
> of physical and mental abuse, deep unfulfilled personal desires and
> longings
> seldom expressed, the disappointment of unmet expectations of self or
> others, and so on .    What about those other created beings, fallen
> angels.
> Can they separate us from Jesus's love?  So by personalizing these verses,
> they might read something like:
> I am persuaded that  neither loss of job, nor physical illness, nor voice
> box that doesn't function properly, nor ears that don't hear well, the
> intense feelings of loneliness, nor misunderstanding of blindness by
> sighted
> persons, nor loss of a husband or wife, nor loss of a beloved guide dog or
> long time special pet, nor bill collectors, nor unfair treatment by
> others,
> nor parenting when parenting isn't a joy but a heart break,nor coming face
> to face with the effects of aging on body and mind, nor crumbling marriage
> shall be able to separate  me from the love of God which is in Christ
> Jesus
> our Lord.  What else do you guys want to add in here for things that would
> attempt to separate us from his love?
>
> Now just what kind of love is that which hangs on to us despite these
> circumstances and regardless of our own personal thoughts and feelings?
> It's a love found only in Jesus Christ who is supremely the Lord of our
> lives.  It's a love which is indescribable, unchangeable unshakable,
> transcending any human love we might know or experience, full of absolute
> goodness.  It sets boundaries for us, calls us his own, is nurturing and
> affirming, sacrifices and gives, hurts when we hurt, is sad with us when
> we're sad, and causes us to rejoice.  This love suffers long and is kind;
> it
> does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave
> rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not
> rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
> bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
> things.
> And, on top of everything else, it never fails.  (1 Cor. 13:5:8)
>
> Interesting that the Romans writer says he is persuaded or convinced that
> nothing can separate us from this great love, which has very personal
> application for each one of us.  Becoming persuaded requires a persuader.
> Becoming convinced requires a convincer, the power of convincers and
> persuaders, saved for part two.  There's no way we can lose connected with
> this kind of love.