Freely Receive

Watch the video: Free Hugs  before reading the blog for full effect.



I love this song. i love many different covers of this song, including my daughter Bethany's cover (funny story behind that,) but the only images the song has ever managed to deposit in my minds eye, are scenes of the major accounts of falling from grace, until i watched this powerful video. 

The video tells a different story altogether. It's a parallel plot line that runs consecutively with the stories of major moral and spiritual failure and their consequent separation from the God whose laws were broken. Presenting a different picture all together, this video tells a story of uninhibited, unleashed, pure, unadulterated, open, offering, no holds barred acceptance. (This is not a question of repentance...repentance comes after one receives grace)  New perspective: Failure of human kind is the reason why grace is needed and how freely the father allows the Holy Spirit to lavish that love and forgiveness upon us.

A young man i care about, told me at length, why he would not go to church or seek out the God of the bible, but my niece came to town and he followed her to church one day. That day, from the beginning of the service, through the worship, sermon and alter time..every reason he cited was hit upon. I covertly shifted my eyes down the row to peak at the young man, and though i was not surprised, he had tears streaming down his face through most of the service. Love wrapped itself around him freely. Not after he changed his mind. Not after he changed his ways... In fact, not long after that, he went to his dad. For some years they had been estranged. He said " Dad, I'm sorry we have been apart for so long, i want that to change."  The dad told my young friend, "Son, I never moved, I've been right here the whole time"  And he hugged him tightly.

It happens that, the young man had been subject to his parents divorce at a young age. It had left him confused, hurt and embittered.  In his misunderstanding and pain, he rejected his dad. Not just the discipline, wisdom and  instruction of his dad, which a young man needs fiercely. What created a chasm, was the young man's resistance to his father's love, acceptance and affection, first and foremost: his fellowship, relationship.

Early circumstances that plagued this family, mainly,  the failure of the marriage had reverberating affects.  We all have something that keeps us out of fellowship with one person or another. Things we let hinder our abilities to give, love, connect, stay connected and in  fellowship.

Grace is never ending, never wavering, never wandering. It is always right where you left it.

Someone owes you? Someone shorted you, offended you?  You know what it feels like to shun, to turn your back on, to dismiss and not deal with anymore... But grace is not familiar with this action of denial.  

"We love Him, because He first (1st) loved us!" 

Accept his grace today. It is liberating, soothing, healing, and most of all it costs you nothing. Which of you has ever been diminished by a hug? Which of you has ever lost a cent, by letting go of resentment and pain?

Which of you has spent too much time citing the reasons why you cannot embrace God? Embrace your place in his arms. Embrace your destiny?   You've sinned, fallen, made mistakes, lost your witness, feel you have no testimony?

Grace is the only testimony that matters. On that day, He said He will say, "Did you know my son?"
That means: Did you know it was your sin that He died for.

You bring that sin to the alter. You don't stash it or hide it so you can come to him. You lay it at his feet: failure, confusion, bitterness, pain, pride.  All of us, in order to accept the son's work, must first see ourselves as being in need of the work. Sin separates us from God. The son's work reconciles us back to God. The holy spirit comes to freely offer the fathers love.

Accept grace today. It doesn't matter where you've been. It matters where you are going.  All of humanity yearns for the touch of Love.   Others witnessing the grace, may also receive: Revelation says: "And they were won by the word of their testimony"

Grace, What's so amazing about grace? "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now i see"
You don't save you, fix you, reconcile you. Grace does all of that. Jesus took care of all of that. He finished the job.   Now the comforter has come. Receive grace as my young friend was able to and it turned his little heart of stone to a heart of flesh.

Watch the video again and ask the holy spirit to release your heart to understand, receive and give grace.

Grace is not about how many times you've fallen, it's about the getting back up. Grace, by definition only exists if their is a failure. Grace is forgiveness. Grace is the washing away of the filth. Grace is the Paid in Full receipt. Grace is the expunge-ment.

Live free, hug freely, remember whose you are, and not who you were. Children of the king. Children of almighty God, Master, Creator of the universe. You are  loved without reservation, forgiven, cleansed, brand spankin' new!!! ..Live new, Live loved,  Live freely!!