broken chain
“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” -Romans 5:10
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” -2 Corinthians 5:15
Our chains are gone, and we’ve been set free. We’ve been bought with a high price; That price being Christ dying on the cross, shedding His blood for us. Since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, His sacrifice is infinitely greater than any sacrifice or offering ever made. Before God, we stand redeemed, are reconciled to, and restored by God.
After all the Lord has done, our response can only be, “Thank You, Lord, for setting me free to live for You. I’m Yours, O Lord. Do with me as You will.”
Linda Agnes Knowles
Peace And Strength Are Found When Our Eyes Are Fixed Upon Him
By Linda A. Knowles
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength,” (Isaiah 26:3-4).
There is only One I know who is unfailing, and that is the LORD. The LORD is faithful, and He never breaks His promises. We, as the true children of God, can put all our hope and trust in Him who is the God who never slumbers and sleeps, the God who has ordered our steps. The LORD is our “everlasting strength.” Our strength comes from no one else and is found in no one else except the Almighty Everlasting God.
No matter what circumstances or situations we find ourselves in, God is the One who is able to carry us through. He carries us through good times and bad times, joys and sorrows. Our God is able to sustain us in times of adversity and in times of testing and temptation. He is the God who always provides a way of escape for us, helping us to stand up under any temptation that comes our way. Through our LORD, we are able to overcome the enemy of our soul. He is our Hope and our Savior. He is our Deliverer, and He is our Rock; and when you are trusting in the Eternal Rock, Our God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, then you will have peace.
Do you trust in the LORD where true peace is found or have you fixed your mind upon the things of this world? Are you elevating anything else above seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Who or what is your hope in?
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5)
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
…Always.
Remembering the death of Christ is not just for one day.
As children of the Most High God, we remember daily the death AND the resurrection of Christ. His death, burial, and resurrection are essential to the Christian faith. Through the shedding of Christ’s blood, we have have forgiveness of sin. He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for our iniquities. Because of His death, we are healed, saved, and delivered. “Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:4-5BSB).
Praise the Lord that we have been redeemed. He is our Risen Lord and Savior, and we have been made victorious.
PRAYER: Thank You, Jesus, for the cross. Thank You for dying on the cross and shedding Your blood for me. Thank You for delivering me from death, hell, and the grave. Through Your blood, I have been saved and redeemed. Lord, there is none like You for You are my Kinsman Redeemer. Through Your blood I am made more than a conqueror. Because You have overcome death and are my Risen Lord and King, I am made victorious. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and making me clean that I can come into Your presence to worship You. You alone, O God, are worthy of all praise. To You be all the glory and the power and the honor forever. Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me-the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” –Jeremiah 2:13
If we look at the first four chapters of Jeremiah, you will notice that Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry are used interchangeably. In the eyes of God, these two issues are the same issue. To commit spiritual adultery is to be unfaithful to God and to commit idolatry is to worship another god. Both require no loyalty, commitment, faithfulness, or courage to stand for what’s right.
Looking at the above verse from Jeremiah, the people of Israel were digging cracked cisterns for themselves. Cisterns hold water, but in this particular passage, the cracked cisterns were the false religious systems and their continual idolatry of false gods the pagan nations served. Whenever the Israelites turned away from God to serve the gods of pagan nations, they were building cracked cisterns that could not hold the amount of spiritual adultery, the pagan rituals they adopted along with the adoration of foreign gods. The cracked cisterns represented everything temporal which would eventually fade away or erode.
However, the Fountain of the Living Water holds Truth and Life, and the Fountain of Living Water is eternal, unbreakable, the Source of Our Hope, and the Source of Life. The people of God traded in their God, The Creator of Heavens and Earth, for gods made out of the hands of man. Note: Not even the pagan nations traded in their national gods as we can see in verses 11-12 which states, “Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay, says the Lord.”
Nowadays, we’re no different from the Israelites. We could call them foolish people, but today, we’re just as foolish as they were. We trade in the Fountain of the Living Water for cracked cisterns of our own making called money, power, wealth, prestige, religious systems, or whatever it is taking first place in our lives. First place in our lives belongs to God and Him alone. Why would we trade our glorious God for what is going to fade away? Why would we trade our glorious God for what is broken and cracked when He offers what is whole and eternal? Why should we cling to cracked cisterns when God is faithful to His promises of restoration and renewal, promises of hope?
God has shown us He does not change. He is our Constant and Assurance. He knows the motivations and intentions of the heart. God does not look at the appearance of any man or woman. He sees us digging cracked cisterns or if we are drinking from the Fountain of the Living Water.
If we have dug cracked cisterns for ourselves, then we must know we are being called back to a place of repentance. God promises restoration for those who truly have a broken spirit and contrite heart before Him and does not turn away those who are humble and broken, truly repentant before Him.
What cracked cisterns do you have? Are you truly willing to lay them down at the feet of God? No one can answer those questions for you. You must answer for yourself.
God must be First place in our life, our First Resource, not our last resort. Let us come before God to be renewed, to be restored and purified. Let us come bow our hearts before Him, seeing ourselves in light of who He is.
“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” -Psalm 51:16-17
Much Love To You All,
L.A. Knowles
Stained Glass Confessions 