He is Love

Catherine Brown:
"A VISION OF JESUS

"The only way we can go beyond the confines of our humanity,
is when we overflow in and with Jesus' love"

DEARLY LOVED CHILDREN:

Occasionally the Lord "interrupts" us with delightful moments of joy at unexpected times and in unpredictable ways. Recently, I had a beautiful vision in which the Lord was laughing and playing with a little child. On Jesus' robe was inscribed the word "Father." In the vision, the Lord looked at me and said, "I and the Father are one. Precious daughter, when my children understand this theirs is the fullness of joy."

I nodded in total agreement with the Lord, and before I could blink an eye, I found myself lifted up in the Spirit, and being held in the arms of Christ laughing as He tickled me! Jesus held me close as a Father would. There were no words exchanged at that moment, just the comfort of love eternal and inexpressible joy in the presence of the Lord. Our Lord loves to draw near to His children and lavish them with His love.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

NO JOY?
Prior to this experience, my heart had been heavy as I pondered and prayed over a letter I received from a believer in Germany. The lady had written to me to say how sad she was that she never seemed to experience the joy of the Lord. She was struggling to discover joy in her heart even as she worshipped Jesus.

At times, she felt too wiped out to even reach out to Christ, let alone reach out to others in His love. How my heart ached for her, and how the Father longs to lift the weary and oppressed, and give them a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness and despair. As I prayed for this lady, the lovely vision of the Lord unfolded.

OVERFLOW IN LOVE
The only way we can go beyond the confines of our humanity, is when we overflow in and with Jesus' love--as we enjoy relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus said to His disciples, "Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me" John 14:11. He went on to say to His disciples in verse 12, that "anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing," demonstrating to us that as we embrace the reality of our relationship with Him, we are enabled to reach out to others in His love.

With all my heart, I believe that fruitfulness flows from intimacy with the Lord. We produce nothing; the Lord permits His compassion, peace, love, joy, and power to flow through our surrendered hearts in covenant relationship with Him.

RUNNING ON EMPTY?
"As we believe and receive divine love, we find rest for our souls and are refreshed and restored."

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you" John 15:9. This is not an empty cliché, but a beautiful covenant promise for every child of God. Sometimes we can become weary in life, worn down or exhausted by difficult situations, relationships, and circumstances. Christians are not exempt from such life challenges, and it is during times of struggle that Jesus longs to be our buffer and strengthen the foundation of our faith by lavishing us with the Father's love.

The vision portrays a child in the arms of her Father. In perfect unity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desires that we accept and embrace the truth of God's unconditional love for His children. As we believe and receive divine love, we find rest for our souls and are refreshed, restored, and revived to be used for the Father's glory. The Bible teaches us that as we live a lifestyle of holy love, our joy is made complete!

Father, in the name of Your precious Son Yeshua, I ask You to pour out a soft breeze of Your Spirit upon every hungry, hurting, and heavy soul. Lift off the weariness, heal the wounds, and refresh each precious heart with Your love and joy.

Your sister and friend in Messiah,
Catherine Brown