Should We Make New Years Resolutions?

      Happy New Year!  As 2012 quickly approaches, we often think of New Years resolutions we would like to make for the coming year.   We think of things such as losing weight, begin exercising, start journaling, reading a set number of books, reading the Bible all the way through and more.  Most of us know that the problem is we don't seem to be able to follow through and after a few weeks into the new year, we begin to miss a day here and another there.  Soon we have missed a week and before we realize it, we have stopped completely.   The results are that we feel guilty, frustrated, and maybe like a failure. 

      Is there an alternative to making New Years Resolutions?  Yes!  Let me suggest a different approach.   I call them Prayer Goals.  Why not go to your Abba in prayer and ask Him what goals he wants you to pursue in 2012?  For the remainder of the week, continue to ask Him.  How will he show you these goals?   They may be new desires he puts in your heart, a sermon you hear, a suggestion from a family member, a Scripture, etc.  As these ideas come to mind, write them down and pray over each one.

     Once you have identified the goals your Abba has for you for the coming year, rather that resolving that you are going to do these through your own self-discipline and will power, you may want to pray something like this. "Father, I believe these goals are ones You have given to me for this new year yet, I know that I do not have the ability to accomplish them in my own strength. Therefore, I surrender each one of these to you asking you to accomplish these through me. Each time I begin to work towards meeting these goals, remind me to ask Jesus to live through me because Jesus says "Without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

      Finally, pray and tell God that you are taking yourself out from under any kind of self-imposed law which rises up and says to you, "I must meet these goals".  This is how we live under and by grace instead of self-effort and legalistic rules.

      As you approach these goals each day, week or month, trusting Jesus to live through you is essential.  However, that does not mean you are passive or irresponsible.   For example, if you are going to start exercising, you will need to trust Jesus living through you to prioritize your schedule, get you to the gym, do the exercises through you, and to be consistent.

     Happy New Year in Christ!  Remember, He loves us!  Live free in Christ!

How to Prepare to Be with Your Family for the Holidays

     One Christmas song invites us to go home to be with our family for Christmas because it is the best place in the world. We can't wait to get there. It goes, "There's no place like home for the holidays..."

     This idealistic phantom family lives in Christmas songs but rarely is it seen in real life. In most homes during Christmas, many have ambivalent feelings. Deep within, we want to be with family on Christmas day, but we also know this encounter has the potential for conflict, rejection and pain.

     So how do we prepare to meet our family during the holidays? First, make sure before we pack our bags for the trip, we unpack the baggage in our hearts. The best way to do that is to squarely face the hurts inflicted upon us by anyone we will encounter. To do so, go to your Abba and ask Him to remind you of all the things this person has done to you. While still in prayer, ask Him to show you how that event made you feel. Next, pray, "Father, you forgave me through your Son, Jesus Christ, when I did not deserve it. This person did __________ to me and it made me feel _________. This person does not deserve to be forgiven, but in Christ, my identity is that I am a "forgiver" and I have the Great Forgiver living in me. So, by faith I choose right now to forgive that person whether I feel like it or not." Before you leave that prayer time, take responsibility for your sin of resentment towards that person and confess it to the Lord. Jesus died for your sin of resentment so you can thank Him for forgiving you or ask Him to forgive you. Our Abba's forgiveness is one of our blessings in Christ! (Ephesians 1:7)

     The next preparation you will need to commit yourself to is to pray and tell your Father that you give up the right not to be hurt by this person again. In essence, you are telling God that you are trusting Him to be in control. We see this kind of trust in Jesus life in Phillipians 2. (If you have been abused, this does not mean God approves of that or that you should allow it again.)

     Finally, and foremost, ask Jesus Christ to live His life through you to love the people you will be around during that time. What would happen if you went to all of your holiday gatherings with the attitude that you are showing up to love these people instead of showing up to get them to love you! Jesus says to us, Without Me, you can do nothing!" John 15:5. Depend on Him to live and love through you, including those who may not seem lovable. You cannot determine how they will respond, but that is not your responsibility. However, we are responsible to love people (Romans 13:8).

     I would enjoy hearing from you if you choose to allow God to lead, live and love through you during the holidays.

Until next time remember, He loves you.

Be Free in Christ,

Mark Maulding , President and Founder 
GraceLifeInternational.com

The Devastating Failure of Performance Based Acceptance - A Real Life Story

    The real life story you are about to read is so full of the complete gospel that we share, I could not say it better myself.  I think you will actually want to pass this on to many of your family and friends.  

   "I've been saved for over 30 years (most of my life), but after discovering my identity in Christ through Grace Life's counseling and other ministries, I can say that it truly feels like I've been born again. My initial foundation in God was strong but the list of rules and religious duties deemed necessary to please God, far outweighed any explanation of my freedom in Christ. This was only compounded by the demands in my childhood home that seemed to tell me that good was not good enough and my best should have been better. I became addicted to the idol of high performance (to the point of being physically nauseous almost every day) and would do almost anything to avoid the pain of failure and experience the high of success. This need to succeed impacted me as a Christian, a wife, mom, and teacher. I believed that it was my primary means of gaining the love, approval, security, and sense of value for which I longed. I enjoyed many successes, while achieving great honors in high school, college, and in my teaching career."
   "No matter what struggles I faced, I took the attitude that I would pull myself up by the bootstraps and make things happen. After trying to hold the pieces of my life together, it all came crashing down when I faced a seemingly insurmountable personal crisis of devastation. I remember lying on my closet floor one day, and crying out, "I give up! I have no more to give!" I believe at that moment God lovingly said, 'Finally!'"
   "Not long afterwards, a short-term counselor recommended that I contact Grace Life for extended Christian counseling. So, I began one-on-one counseling and I can truly say that I will NEVER be the same. Before finishing my counseling, I was also blessed to participate in the Grace Life Conference and the Advanced Discipleship course, each having been uniquely instrumental in deepening my understanding of God's grace. What I have received has not merely been an experience but an encounter with God. Where fifteen years of counseling had miserably failed by trying to build my self-esteem, God spoke through the counselors and teachers at Grace Life to bring me to the end of my self-sufficiency and caused me to give up, so that He could show me that He had been enough all along---He is my peace, my joy, my comfort, my counselor, my husband, my life, my All... And even more, my ALL in ALL (meaning in every circumstance). He has changed my view of Him, myself, and others. (Joanne Saulsbury)
  
Until next time remember, He loves us!


Mark Maulding
President and Founder
Grace Life International
www.GraceLifeInternational.com

My Wife Hit My Car! Thank You God!

       A few years ago, God gave me a car.  Let me tell you the story. In 1997, I had been praying for a car.  Why?  Well the car I was driving had an 8 track tape player - the great grandfather of the IPod!    The real problem was that the car was just wearing out.

     I had been invited to teach a large Sunday School class at a well known church.  I joked with the class that I was glad I did not get my identity from my car because it had an 8 track tape player.  

      The next day, I received a phone call.  The person said he was in the class the previous day and told me that he felt like God wanted to him to give me his car.  I immediately, replied, "I think He does too"!  It was a used car but at least it had a cassette player!

      About two weeks later after I had picked up the car, my wife told me she needed to go on an errand.  About two minutes after she left, she came back in the house and sat down.  I asked, "what is wrong"?  She sadly replied, "I hit your car".  Though I was stunned, I told her to go ahead and go on her errand.  

     As I sat there, I prayed, "Lord, my wife hit YOUR car"!  I know that you tell us to give thanks for all things and in all things.  So I thank you that my wife hit the car".   Now I must admit, I did not feel like thanking God for this but I did it by faith.

      As we approach Thanksgiving, I realize that many events in our lives are not quite as humorous as that one.  And if I am honest, I don't always thank God during difficult or stressful times.  But usually afterward, maybe months or years afterwards, I am able to thank our Father because I see His love shining through that dark event.  I am able to do this because our identity in Christ is that we are thankful children of God.  That is who we are.

       Understanding our identity in Christ, has transformed me and every area of my life as it has all of our 32 staff members.  That is why we are so passionate about sharing this with others.

    You can help us keep sharing with the thousands of people God is sending our way by becoming a monthly financial partner.       At this time, we need 20 partners at $10 per month, 20 at $20 per month, 10 at $50 per month and 10 at $100 per month. Would you become one of those partners at one of those levels.   Click on the red "Donate Now" button above to get started. 

       Until next time remember, He loves us.  

Does Giving Make You a Giver?

   "I am what I do"!"  protested a very well known Christian in my office one day.  We were discussing what defines us as Christians.  We actually had quite a spirited debate that day.   We were not yelling at each other but it was certainly a passionate "discussion".
   Our culture communicates to us every day that what we do defines who we are.  We see it in the news, on reality shows, in popular books, and sadly in many churches.   We at Grace Life know how that belief causes great struggle and bondage for Christians.  We see it every day.
   Jesus himself challenged this belief by making it clear that it is not behavior which defines us but birth.  That is why he said in John 3 to a respected leader, "You must be born again".   Our birth is what Jesus says defines us.  Our first birth gave us the wrong identity.  Our new birth through our faith in Jesus Christ replaces that identity with the right one. 
   The person debating with me later came back and said, "I get it.  My identity is in Christ, not in what I do".
   As we think about Thanksgiving this year, let's understand that in Christ, we are Thankful People. So we give thanks.  Let's also understand that in Christ, we are already Givers.  So we give because that is simply who we are.
   As this year is winding down, we are asking Givers like you to become monthly financial supporters so we can start 2012 strong in getting the "grace" message out.
   We are asking God for 20 Givers at $10 per month, 20 Givers at $20 per month, 10 Givers at $50 per month, and 10 Givers at $100 per month.  Would you prayerfully consider joining us as one of those levels?  If so, just CLICK HERE and follow the instructions.
     Until next time remember, He loves us.  

 

Be Free in Christ, 

What is God's Dream for your Life?

  When I was entering college, my dream was to become a dentist. I tried to spiritualize this by saying that if I became a dentist, I could share the gospel with my captive patient while I was performing a dental procedure. The reality is that, I really just wanted to make a lot of money. I am so glad I did not become a dentist though I appreciate my friends who are.   Because of my height, I have been told I would have had a lot of back problems.
   People often talk about discovering and fulfilling their dreams. We have all heard singers, musicians and athletes speak passionately about their dreams for their lives. What they usually mean is that they had a goal in mind for their lives that they wanted to accomplish and have succeeded. In fulfilling their dream, they have typically become famous and wealthy.
   These few who fulfill their dreams, then tell all of us that we can fulfill our dreams too. To do so, we are exhorted to "believe in ourselves" and never give up on our dream. Yet, the reality is that most of us who have followed that line of thinking have not and never will fulfill our dreams.
   Maybe there is a much better dream we need to consider. What is God's dream for our lives? Ephesians 2:10 tells us we were born into this world according to God's plan to fulfill His dream. It states, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
   This means that God divinely designed us with specific abilities, aptitudes, desires and passions. When we come to faith in Christ, He also gives us spiritual gifts. All of these combined together uniquely equip each of us to fulfill God's dream. His dream for us was conceived before we were ever born.
   How do we discover God's dream for our lives? Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." This means that as we enjoy our God who lives in us, He will place desires in our hearts which He will fulfill through us.
   Have you ever noticed that you seem to be drawn to certain activities over and over? That is usually a good indication that you are discovering God's dream for your life. Get involved in what you are drawn to and see if your desire grows for that activity. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying every Christian is to be in full time ministry. One of my new friends is a business artist. Another is a construction worker.
   It is reported that the late R.G. LeTourneau, inventor of great earth moving equipment and servant of God said, "When I get to heaven, I hope there is some dirt to move!" Ask our Abba what His dream is for your life and watch Him unfold it for you.
   Until next time remenber, He loves us.  

Is Forgiving Yourself Biblical? (Part 2)

   When we ask God for forgiveness or thank Him for our forgiveness for a sin, we do it with confidence that Jesus already died for that sin.  You will never commit a sin Jesus did not already die for. You are not going to surprise your Father one day such that He says, "Oh no!  I forgot to put that sin on the cross!"  Many of us have received God's forgiveness and are at peace with Him. However, we may still be holding a sin against ourself.  In light of this, is forgiving yourself Biblical? 
   Yes!  The second greatest commandment is to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31).   One of your greatest acts of love is to forgive someone.  To love someone as we love ourself would mean we may, at times, need to forgive ourself.  Many people are disappointed with themselves.  Others are angry with themselves.  Some actually hate themselves. Sometimes we need to forgive ourself for a sin God has already forgiven.  Other times, we need to forgive ourself for a mistake we made, though it was not a sin like when I wrecked my car on a father/son weekend two years ago.  Forgiving ourself may be one of the most difficult things we ever do.  
    A young married man I mentored took four weeks to forgive many people from his past and present.  He forgave himself last because he noted he was the most difficult person to forgive.  Yet, he's never been the same.  I wish you could have seen the before and after expression on his face!  God has provided our complete forgiveness in Christ but have we fully forgiven ourselves where needed?  If not, our standard for forgiveness is higher than God's. Do it today!

   Until next time remenber, He loves us.  

Is Forgiving Yourself Biblical (Part 1)

 A few years ago, someone chided one of our staff for teaching
that you need to forgive yourself.  He protested that this is not a
Biblical idea. Was he right or was he wrong?  It is true that many
self help experts exhort people to forgive themselves.  One writer
exclaims, "The kindest and most compassionate thing you can do
for yourself and others is to forgive yourself ."  Forgiving yourself
without first receiving God's forgiveness is wrong because in
essence you take God's place of being God!  

   Yet, day after day, many sons and daughters of God pitch their
tents in the dark forest of guilt and shame.  The only path out into
the light is to present the specific sins before your Father which
plague your conscience and receive the full forgiveness provided
for you in Christ.  Ephesians 1:7 states, "In Him (Christ), we have
redemption, through his blood the forgiveness of our sins." God's
abundant provision provides past, present and future forgiveness.
   Remenber, He loves us. 

What is the Key to the Christian Life? (Part 2)

   We are continuing to answer this question originally posed last week. In Isaiah 40:31 we are told that living from our union with Christ enables us to "renew" or "gain new strength" which literally means to "exchange". If we live from our union with Christ, we will exchange our strength for His strength.  

          Three beautiful word pictures are given to us to help us visualize this truth. The first says, 'They will mount up with eagle's wings".  An eagle lives in high places. He unfolds his wings and flies on the strength of the wind. Daily, we are to unfold our wings of faith and ask Christ to live through us.

          The second says, "They will run and not get tired. My wife is a runner and she tells me there is something called a "runner's high" runners sometimes experience. The runner feels so strong that she believes she could run forever. As we depend on Christ in us, we will be able to run in this life and not get as tired emotionally and mentally.

          Finally, "They will walk and not become weary." There are many places we must walk every day. We need to get out of bed each day and get dressed, get the kids ready, go to our job, walk in obedience to God's Word, and love people. Only as we depend on Christ to live through us in the power of the Holy Spirit can we walk through life and not become so weary.

          I have asked a question to thousand of people through the years.  The question is "Would you be willing for the next seven days to ask Jesus to fill you with His love and live His life through you"?  I cannot guarantee that we will feel any differently, but if we will do this by faith,  I believe we will see God work in and through us in new ways.   Will you take the challenge today?   If so, why don't you tell the Lord and ask Him to remind you for the next seven days?

          Until next time, remember He loves us!

What Is the Key to The Christian Life? (Part 1)

For many years, I was convinced that living the Christian successfully was the result of reading the Bible, praying, fasting, worshipping, serving, etc. Yet, I found myself growing more and more miserable.  My remedy?  Redouble my efforts.  The results?  Mental, emotional and physical burn out. Back then, I lived from the outside in.  I thought that those “disciplines” would make me a complete Christian

Today I do those same activities but from the inside out.   Yet, they are not the key.  Then what is the key?  Isaiah 40: 31 reveals the clear answer.  “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

First, the key is for those who wait.  The word “wait” in verse 31 is interesting in the Hebrew.  It literally means to be bound together with something or someone.  In this case, we who believe in Christ are bound together with Him.  Romans 6:5a says, “For if we have become united with Him…”  You were united with Christ the day you were saved.  The key to living a successful Christian life is Jesus living in and through us every day.  Are you daily asking Him to do that whether you feel like it or not?

Until next time, remember He loves us!  

Lies Seem True the Longer We Live in Darkness

Years ago I led a mission trip to Bermuda. Yea, I know.  You are thinking a mission trip to a beautiful island? Well, people there need a relationship with Jesus, too.     One night I was walking back to the home where I was staying during the trip. There were no lights as I walked and every sound produced fearful thoughts that I was about to be jumped. Soon, I saw a dark figure headed straight for me. My thoughts raced just as fast as my heart. "Here it comes" I thought. I am definitely going to get jumped. As this island native approached, I prepared for fight or flight.   Then...he said, "Hello" and kept walking.  I had believed lies because in the darkness of the night my thoughts seemed like reality. While believing those lies, my feelings were following right along and made what I believed seem even more true.    This story illustrates our spiritual lives. The longer we live  in darkness in any area of our lives, the more the lies in our head seem true. Let me give you some examples of common lies Christians believe. "I have to obey God for Him to bless me and love me."   Not true. We obey God because we are responding to our confidence that He already loves us and has already blessed us in Christ with everything we need to live our lives.  "What I do defines who I am."  Not true. My spiritual birth defines who I am. My faith in Christ gave me a new spiritual birth. Knowing who I am in Christ will directly affect my behavior and obedience to God."  "I am sinning and disobeying God because I am not committed enough to Him."   Not true. While we certainly need to be 'submitted' to God, being more committed to God often means deciding that we will try harder to obey Him. Instead, we need to ask Christ to live His life through us so we can obey God and His Word. Jesus said in John 8:32, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free".  If His truth sets us free then what keeps us imprisoned?  Obviously lies!   Why don't we ask God to show us the lies we are believing about Him, ourselves and others so He can replace those with His truth.    Until next time remember He loves us! 

Be Free in Christ, 

Is God Really Trying to Build Character into Us? (Part 2)

   Last week, I began to challenge the idea that God is trying to build character into us.  Why?  Because we are already perfect in our identity in Christ.

   How do we unpack this in an understandable way when we all know we do not live our lives with perfect character?  In fact, we may think that our character is very poor because of the mistakes we make and the sins we still commit.  That is why our identity in Christ is so important to understand, believe and live from.  While our behavior, thoughts and motives are not perfect, our identity in Christ is perfect, complete and full.  You see, we already have in us all of the character we will ever need.

   If that is accurate, and it is, then all of the remainder of our lives is an opportunity for that character to "come out of us".   You see,  Our Father is not trying to build his character into us.  He is working in our lives to get it out!  Yes, problems, challenges, daily life, these are all opportunities for the character He placed in us to come out.  As we trust Jesus Christ to live through us more consistently, not perfectly, we mature in our expression of that character.

   Isaiah prophesied in 61:3 that those who would believe in the Messiah would be called "oaks of righteousness".  Righteousness is the perfect character of God.  When He gives us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), He gives us His perfect character minus His deity.  We don't become little gods but we do become God's children.

   I have lots of oak trees at my home.  I have noticed that when an acorn from one of those trees sprouts up from the dirt, it is an oak tree, not a palm tree nor a pine tree.   Did you know that little seedling will never be any "oakier" than it is the day it pushes up from the ground?  The rest of its life, it will simply mature into what it already is, an oak tree.

   We are complete in Christ having all of the character we will ever need in our identity in Christ.  The remainder of our lives is one opportunity after another to mature into who we already are – sons and daughters of God!   He loves us!  

Is God Really Trying to Build Character in Us? (Part 1)

      If you are like me,  all of my life I have heard that when we experience trouble in our lives, God is trying to build character into us.   The premise behind this is that though we are Christians, we are incomplete and problems are God's way of getting his character into us.

     Let me say as clearly and as loudly as I can.  "That is NOT true!  It is a gross misunderstanding of the gospel!"  The real gospel is this.  Because we have Jesus Christ in us, our Father is working to bring the character we already have out of us!  We already have everything we will ever need to live the Christian life.   Peter wrote in his second letter in 1:3.  "...His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness..."  Do you see that?  We have everything we will ever need ALREADY.    Here is another compelling truth.  Paul wrote something similar in the second chapter of his letter to the Colossians in verse 10. "...in Him you have been made complete...".   Complete is sometimes translated with the word fullness.  In either case, the idea is the same.   In Christ, we are already complete or full.   If this is not enough for you, then let's look at Hebrews 10:14.  "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified."  

     The offering i.e. the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made us perfect in our new creation identity because we were set apart by God (sanctified) when he saved us.

This does not mean we will not sin.  We will.  This is speaking to the bigger issue of us being united with Jesus from the moment we believe.

     Until next time remember He loves us!

Did Jesus Have Live by Faith Like You and Me?

Did Jesus Have Live by Faith Like You and Me?

Dear Mark,    When on this earth, Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human.  Many believe Jesus performed miracles and obeyed His Father by simply doing it as God.  People will often say, "Sure Jesus was able to obey God the Father because Jesus was God!"  That is a serious misunderstanding. Jesus lived on this earth only as a human.  Though he never ceased being God, it was as if He "stuck His deity in His back pocket for 33 years." Jesus had to live like we are asked by God to live - by faith!  That is,  He daily lived completely dependent on His Father to meet all of His needs, especially for love, and to live through Him every moment.   In John 14:10, Jesus confirms this stating, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Each day we are to ask Jesus to live His life through us.  This does not mean we will live passive lives just as Jesus did not live a passive life.  It means we will be very active as go to work, relate to our family, friends and neighbors, talk with God, read God's Word, watch TV, drive our cars, fulfill our God-given purpose, obey God and more with Jesus living through us in each of these.  Why don't we decide now that we will ask Jesus to live through us every day even if we don't feel the reality of that?  He loves us and wants to live through us!   Be Free in Christ,  Mark Maulding President and Founder  Grace Life International

Does God Cause Karma?

A young couple with a very troubled marriage came to me for counseling. She had hurt her husband very deeply through her unfaithfulness.  She readily confessed her sin and was repentant.  The husband on the other hand made a statement which I have heard frequently.  He said, "I am a good person.  I do right.  Why did God allow this to happen to me?"   I gently replied, "That kind of thinking is not Christianity. It's karma."  Karma is the false belief that doing good will return good to me. 

I have found that many of us believe God operates in the realm of karma. Like this young husband, we believe doing good insures God will reward us with good circumstances.   If we believe that, then our view of who God is will disappoint us.  Obeying God is not a guarantee of good circumstances.  Don't get me wrong, there are blessings in obeying God but that does not guarantee good circumstances from God.  The gospel of grace promises us that God loves us when things are good AND when things are bad.  Roman 8:39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from God's love which is "in Christ Jesus." Where are we who believe in Jesus?  We are "in Christ Jesus". Therefore, we are always in the middle of God's love when life is good and when life is bad whether we feel it or not.  He loves us!  Would you by faith tell Him you believe that right now?
 Be Free in Christ,                                               
Mark Maulding
President and Founder
Grace Life International

Does God Punish Us for Our Sins?

Is the God we believe in truly the real God? Through the years, I have observed many people who leave their faith in God and the church they were a part of. Yet, in many cases they are not leaving the true God but a false god they have created in their mind. There are misperceptions of who God really is. One misperception is that God punishes His children when they sin. I have heard this one many times and I used to believe it myself! Yet, our punishment was taken in full by Jesus on the cross.

In 1 John 2:2, the word "propitiation" means the wrath of God the Father towards our sin was completely satisfied in the death of Christ on the cross. Since that is true, difficult circumstances are NOT God's punishment on us. We have been forgiven for all of our sins and will not be punished for them.

Those who do not have faith in Christ will be punished for their sins after their life on this earth is over. But we are focusing on believers right now.

That does not mean that believers in Christ do not have consequences when we sin. For example, if we are a believer in Christ and we rob a bank. Jesus died for our sin of stealing. So God will not punish us but we will go to jail! A friend of mine said it this way. God does not punish us for our sins but our sins sometimes punish us.

He does discipline His children according to Hebrew 12 but this is our Father's correction to get us back on track, not to punish us. In fact, His discipline is an act of His love for us. So the next time we begin to think that God is punishing us, we need to remember that the cross of Jesus debunks that misperception of God and how He treats us. He loves us!