2 Things...

Christ came to fulfill the demands of the law on my behalf...on your behalf.
because. we. could. not. stand. under. the weight. of. the.   l.a.w.

The whole law boils down to 2 things.
Just follow these 2 things and you have it....
Just 2 little things...
How hard can that be, right?
LOVE GOD.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

2 things.
that. is. it.

I can not fulfill that law. You can not fulfill that law.
THOSE TWO THINGS MADE JESUS GO TO THE CROSS.
I will be the first one to admit...I don't love God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength
and
I do a pretty lousy job of loving others to boot.
Oh-I give it my best shot-I clean up pretty good.
But that isn't going to cut it.
And, since we are all human-it is my guess you are in the same boat as me.

It struck me last night when Beth talked about the blessing and the cursing that God brings on a person/nation etc for obedience or the lack of it....
That Christ died for 2 things that I couldn't do.
Obey the law.
And do it perfectly.
I can't do those 2 things.
You can't do those 2 things.
No one on this planet is capable of loving God to that degree and then loving a fellow human being...PERFECTLY.
AND. GOD. KNEW. YOU. COULDN'T.
SO. HE. SENT. JESUS. TO. DO. IT. FOR. YOU.
That is why Jesus is your RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD.
That is why Jesus is your SUBSTITUTE.
That is why there is NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.

I am redeemed. You are redeemed.
" Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written,-- 'CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE'-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. "
~Galations 3:13-14

GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT IT BROUGHT HIM JOY TO BRUISE JESUS TO MAKE YOU HIS BRIDE.
I'd Need a Savior- by Among the Thirsty (click to listen)



Homework:
Read Deuteronomy Chapter 27-30
Memory Verse Options:
2 Cor. 5:21
Romans 10:4
Galations 3:13
Deut. 30:14
Deut.30:6




This is an amazing sermon that sums up so much of what we have covered in Deuteronomy. If you haven't listened to any of Matt's sermons yet---GRAB THIS ONE! It will bless you!!!
Sons and Slaves by Matt Chandler- part 9 of the Galations series (click to listen or print off the transcript. For the previous 8 sermons-click the Galations label and the blogs containing the links will pop up.)

Chosen & Loved

Remember when you were making plans for your wedding? Or dreaming of the day when that arrives?

 All of the details...mountains of details!

The day-- perfect...

your dress--PERFECT.

June 1, 1990

I remember waking up the morning of my wedding without a voice--I sounded like a bass singer...I was mortified! I sucked through what seemed like an entire pack of Halls Cherry flavored throat lozenges hoping desperately and praying to the good Lord above that I could rid my self of this plague before it came time for the vows... and that my tongue and lips would be a normal color.

My Dad walked with me. He gave me to my man.
I remember the huge case of butterflies in my stomach as I walked down that aisle.
 I was SO happy.
 I felt completely LOVED, completely CHOSEN by the best man in the whole wide world.
 There was NOTHING in the world  that could compare to that moment when I saw Scott for the first time
--WAITING FOR ME.
 The smile on his face was priceless.
 My faced ached from smiling back at him through the ceremony.

We took communion together for the first time.

We lit the unity candle.

We pledged our lives to each other.

We made a vow before God and witnesses.

We asked God to bless us so we could bless our future children

It was forever.

We were in it for the long run.

...and he kissed me.

We had no idea what was ahead of us.
I know neither of us would change a thing.
So far it has been 23 years
we have more wrinkles now
a few less hairs
  and grey is replacing the brown
we have some miles on our road
we have seen joys and sorrows
And we are still madly in love
Still in it for the long run.
Still feeling completely LOVED and CHOSEN

it was signed
sealed
delivered
finished
WE HAVE EACH OTHER
and it is beautiful.

AND SO IT IS WITH YOU SWEET ONE

You were chosen by the God of the Universe and He gave you to his Son.
He saw you for the first time

before the world began

and it made Him happy.
You were chosen to be His Joy.

He planned for the day

when you would be born into this His world

and
He smiled.
You are not ordinary.

Because He has future plans with you...

His beautiful bride.

 Completely treasured.

Completely cherished.

Jesus committed himself to you.

The vow...

The bread and the wine.

He communes with you.

He has a cloud of witnesses to cheer you on.

He wants to bless you so you can bless

others.

He is in this for eternity.

He will never leave you alone.

He is intimate.
He put His light in you.

He sent The Holy Spirit to dwell in you.

You may not know what lies ahead

but,He does

 and He is worthy of trust.

He has made provisions.

it is signed-

in His blood

sealed in heaven-

you have been delivered
Ransomed
Redeemed

it is finished.

YOU HAVE EACH OTHER

AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

" For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth."
~Isaiah 54:5

When the Hurt and the Healer Collide

Trust is the topic-and boy, it is a tough one to talk about today. Roots grow deep and the pain goes deeper. There are so many areas of mistrust...so many areas that need God's touch of healing.

Hurt me once-shame on you!
Hurt me twice-shame on me...
...and no matter what our circumstances are, we carry the shame around us like a wet heavy blanket that weighs us down and smothers the life right out of our living.

Abuse...sexual, physical, emotional.
If you were a victim-it was not your fault.
You did nothing to make it happen...no matter what anyone else said.

I worked for Children's Protective Services for 4 years...I saw it first hand. Little lives physically torn and mentally scarred. Babies physically died from sexual abuse in the county next to ours... A child in our county is physically blinded for life because of the brutality of a man. Another girl bore a child from her abuser...a boy lost all of the skin of his back because Dad got mad...that's real life. Those were the "worst" cases...there were hundreds more. Little boys and little girls...helpless.

Where is God when that happens?

My only offering...
God was there-he was weeping, too.
God was there-knowing your pain.
God was there-grieving the loss of innocence.
God was there-and his anger is kindled toward your perpetrator.
God was there-and He wants to heal your sexuality & your mind.
God was there-and He will right the wrongs that have been done.
God was there, sweet one.
God was there, holding your breaking heart.
God in his mercy saved you-brought you out of that horrible place. You are alive today and still breathing.
God in His infinite Judgment will have his vengeance on the one who did that to you.
That man...that woman...they not only offended you...they offended God.
And God is a God of Justice and his Word says that He is perfect in that Justice.
God is a defender of the weak and helpless.
And God is going to take up this fight and finish it for you.

trusting is a huge issue if you have scars from your past. Reaching out to a counselor, pastor or mentor can start the process of rebuilding trust issues.

There is a strange place...where the hurt and The Healer collide.
Learning to take every awful thing to the feet of Jesus and allowing him to heal YOU is beautifully painful. When your knees bend and the hurt from abuse is surrendered--forgiveness flows and You can be made alive...even though a part of you is broken. He is in the business of redemption..and sweet one...with God on your side you can trust again-you can live again and the shame will be erased, forgiveness flows and healing beings.The past becomes the past and not your present.

Trust the one who can make that happen for you-starting today.