Weeping Tears of Joy

By Hazel Holland

As I was painting this watercolor that is both impressionistic and abstract, these particular verses of Scripture began flooding my heart. "When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, our mouths were filled with laughter... our tongues with songs of joy...  Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." Psalm 126:1-6

Then I remembered how the Spirit had prompted me to use this particular passage of Scripture in the introduction to this book, "The Naked Truth..." that I published on Amazon three years ago.  This book deals with the spiritual healing that God wants to bring to many of us who have been unknowingly involved in an incestuous family system within a church setting.  Trying to hide the family's dirty laundry from outsiders has caused a litany of human wreckage in so many lives.

The desire of my heart is to let the Lord uncover the roots of pain and dysfunction that have entwined themselves around our hearts, and thwarted many of our attempts toward spiritual healing and a healthy intimacy with God.  Although we may have wept tears of sorrow for what seems like a night, God's promise to us in the gospel is that His tears of joy will flood our hearts in the morning! ♥

Benefits of Atonement Now

By Hazel Holland

The Scriptures clearly teach that we are entitled to the benefits of the atonement NOW, not at some future time.  Christ does not place us on probation first in order to see how well we will perform.  Salvation is by faith in His blood, not in the performance of our good works.  Listen to what the book of Hebrews teaches us.

"But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26).  When the Scripture says, "to do away with sin, or put away sin" it means in the Greek "to put away once and final."  In writing about the events leading up to the death of Jesus on the cross, the apostle John says, "When He had received the drink, Jesus cried, 'It is finished.'  With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19:30).  It is finished means that the debt of our sins has been paid in full at the cross.  It's done! 

The Scriptures nowhere indicate that Christ entered heaven after the cross in order to continue making atonement for us.  No!  It says that when "this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  That means He “rested” because His work was finished.

Our forbearers in Adventism failed to take into consideration that after Jesus' resurrection "He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made perfect" (Hebrews 10:12-14).

Clearly these Scriptures tell us that Jesus entered the very presence of God at His ascension to offer Himself to God as our substitute. The yearly Jewish Day of Atonement pointed forward to the Great Day of Atonement where “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people" (Hebrews 9:28).  He has taken care of the sin problem.  It was completed at the cross.  And when He comes again in the clouds of heaven the second time it will "not be to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him"(Hebrews 9:28).

The test is over our faith—faith in His righteousness, NOT over the performance of our good works.  For "the righteous will live by faith"—faith in Christ's finished work of grace (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4).  "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe”(Romans 3:21-22).

Since salvation is by faith in His blood, will you chose to place your faith in Christ's righteousness alone? ♥

No Fear in Love

By Hazel Holland

"He who is holy, let him be holy still."  Revelation 22:11

God has given us His Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance in Him.  He has already placed His seal of approval upon us.  Therefore, as we hear  these words, spoken with such  love and unmistakable clarity by Jesus, “Let him who is holy continue to be holy still,” we may know that the  verdict  in  the  courts of  heaven  has  already  been  decided. Those who have chosen to be  found  in Christ have already been  judged and found not guilty.  Praise God!  Our righteous Judge has already taken the penalty for our sin.

These words, spoken by the angel to John, were never designed to bring terror to our hearts as believers.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  John’s prophetic visions were designed to bring hope and encouragement  to  the  early Christians who were  suffering  severe persecution for their faith.  Not only was the book of Revelation given for their day but also its message is relevant to every generation.  It is especially applicable to our day because the end of all things is at hand... 

There was no  fear  intended  in Jesus' pronouncement: “… Let him who is holy be holy still”, because His perfect love casts out all fear...  “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (I John 4:18).  How can I fear the One who has already taken all my sins upon Himself?  Such love defies human reasoning...  He has already given me His righteousness  in exchange  for my rags!   He has already sealed me by His Spirit!  I will rejoice in my inheritance—Jesus Christ! ♥ (An excerpt from:  "The Naked Truth..." )

Art link: A Man of Sorrows
For further reading:
No Fear in Love (2)
Lamb Power 

Gently Broken