Lara Love's Blog, page 226

365 BLESSINGS: Blessing #22

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

I used to think eternal life was all about being with Jesus forever in heaven. Then I learned we enter into God’s forever family – His Kingdom – as soon as we turn from our sins to Him as Lord and believe He died to pay our sin penalty and was raised from the dead. When we truly believe He died for us and was resurrected from the dead. When we truly turn our lives over to Him...

Don’t Look for What’s Easy

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33

“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27

““Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”...

Freedom’s Purpose

“Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 3So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.” Mark 1:29-31

One of my favorite Bible stories is one I don’t ever recall hearing preached. It’s so short. So simple. So seemingly insignificant. But everything in God’s Word is sig...

Don’t Stop in the Intersection

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:12-14

Can you imagine driving a car into an intersection and purposely stopping in the...

365 BLESSINGS: Blessing #21

“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.” Mt. 9:9

How simple are these words, but how powerful is the message! Jesus told a man to follow Him. The man IMMEDIATELY followed Him. Do you see the words, “So he arose”? Do you see any hesitation? There wasn’t any! What did the man do when he arose? He “followed Him.” No arguing. No debating. No reasoning. No resisting. No rebelling. No runnin...

Update & Prayer Request

A pretty wild update & prayer request from someone who for decades was so lost and broken and purposeless and useless and unable to function to any degree of normalcy or significance that it’s utterly miraculous I’m even alive let alone asking for prayer concerning this. Not to mention I’m 100% Jewish, grew up in a Jewish family that didn’t believe in God, neglected my childhood dog, and dabbled in all sorts of false religions and found myself at one point to be an atheist. So here I am on t...

Beautiful Distraction

“Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27

It can be beautiful. Pretty. Lovely. Yummy. Delicious. Comfortable. Cozy. Feel safe. Look secure. Be warm. Hug-able. Engaging. Likable. Love-able. Entertaining. Pleasurable. Look good. Sound good. Feel good. Is good. Be the perfect fit. Be popular. Acceptable. What everyone...

A Sweet Message from God

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

I was feeling a little down. I’ve faced rejection my whole life. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But almost continually. The more I’ve followed Jes...

365 Blessings: Blessing #20

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say they don’t read the Bible because they can’t concentrate, they get bored, they’re overwhelmed, they’re distracted, they feel convicted, they can’t keep their focus, they have to keep reading verses over and again to try to gain understanding, they don’t have the time, etc. I like to encourage people to read the Bible every single day no matter what – even if all they ca...

365 BLESSINGS: Blessing #19

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.” 2 Cor. 1:3-5

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who at some point in his or her life hasn’t gone through some sort of a trial, tribul...