What a joy to share another monthly view with you whom God loves. One of my favorite verses is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

My life began to change in 1975, when I overheard a visitor quote John 3:16 to another prisoner. I believe this word from God will change your life, too. Here is what the Lord showed to me:

• Word of God: “God so loved the world…”
• Blood of Jesus: “…that He gave His Son…”
• Faith in the Blood: “…that whosoever believes in Him [Jesus]…”
• Everlasting Life: “…should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Holy Spirit reveals God’s love, sparks faith in the cleansing blood of Jesus, and He gives us everlasting life.

“God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” [1]

Word of God…

The bible is God’s love story, “…God so loved the world…” He loves you with an everlasting love. This is real love, unlike the love of the world that many of us were chasing for too long.

Welcome to this month's view. I'm glad to hear that you enjoy not only the views, but the entire website. As you read, I pray that God's love will be revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.1 Remember, "We love God because He first loved us."2 We are beloved by God!

KLove.com...

Do you find it hard to stay focused on your relationship with the Lord throughout the day? If so, one way to focus is by listening to contemporary Christian music on KLove.com. As you do, God's word of love and grace will renew your mind to the finished work of Jesus, producing a sense of ritheousness and perfect peace.3

"Therefore by Him [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."4

Serenity Prayer...

My mother's favorite prayer was the Serenity Prayer. Often, she would pray it out loud to overcome as things got too tough for her to handle. I recall her cry:

It is such a privilege to share this month's view with so many around the world. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."1

Bitter, Foolish, and Ignorant...

Like myself, you may recall a time when you were bitter, foolish, and ignorant. When we are bitter inside, we do many foolish and ignorant things. Listen to the Psalmist sing unto the Lord:

"Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.

I was so foolish and ignorant --
I must have seemed like a senseless
animal to You.

Welcome. It is such a privilege to encourage you, whether to be saved, or to grow as a believer in God's love.

We're all growing...

None of us have arrived at complete spiritual maturity. I find that many come to Christ, but have no idea how to grow due to lack of discipleship. The Apostle Peter writes:

"Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual
milk so that you will grow into a full experience of 
salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you
have had a taste of the Lord's kindness."1

We can live a Godly life because we have tasted of God's kindness. We have hurts, frustrations, and insecuritites that we can only overcome by growing in our experience of God's love.

Welcome to abounding love, which is an outreach from prison, where I teach a weekly class. Recently, I've been led to open the class with 2 Chronicles 16:9, which states:

"The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

When you read the above verse in context (vs. 7-10), you'll see that the prophet Hanani rebuked King Asa of Judah for depending on Syria's army, instead of trusting in God, as the King had done in earlier battles. No matter what battle you are going through today, you must learn that the eyes of the LORD are upon you for deliverance from your dependencies.

There are an array of programs and people to help us deal with our problems, but none of these are sufficient without God's help. We must put our trust in God. Many people in recovery don't want to hear about God. King Asa threw Hanani in prison, and put him in stocks. Either we humbly acknowledge our failures when someone points out a problem, or we become angry. If we do the latter, our efforts in recovery will ultimately fail.

Welcome to all. Our purpose at abounding love is to remind you that God loves you unconditionally. "...God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."1

Sinners or Saints...

Sinners are those who don't believe in God's love, that Christ died to provide the gift of righteousness, and rose again to give eternal life. "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."2

Saints are those who believe in God's love and grace. The Apostle Paul addresses many of his letters to "the saints," such as to the Ephesians: "...to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."3

As a sinner, reading the Apostle Paul's letters will be like reading someone else's mail. But when you receive God's loving grace and gift of righteousness, the Holy Spirit comes into your heart to reveal God's Word. Paul writes: "And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us."4

Welcome! "May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ."

Are You Happy?

I receive letters from those who have worked hard all their lives, and when asked if they are happy, they reluctantly say "no." They seem to think that I am happier in prison. They say, "You are freer than many I know outside." They are speaking of those bound in sin with emotional pain, living defeated lives.

For me, happiness doesn't come from the location we live, what we do, or from our possessions. These things do not define who we are. True happiness is a gift from God. It is birthed in our hearts when we receive forgiveness for sin and the gift of righteousness through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness brings happiness...

Many of us have failed miserably. I took lives which cannot be replaced, and I hurt many others. So what can we do about guilt? King David was guilty of serious sin -- adultery, deceit, and murder -- yet he acknowledged his guilt, confessed his sins to God, experienced God's forgiveness, and he found joy.

Merry Christmas! As you can see from the past couple of views, I find it impossible to love and forgive myself. Lacking the ability to love and forgive helps me to understand the inability of those I have harmed to forgive me. Jesus said:

“…With men it is impossible, but not with God: For with God all things are possible.” 1

Forgiving Others

The act of forgiveness is impossible outside the grace of God. Forgiveness takes place in our heart through the eyes of grace. Let me remind you that grace is God’s ability working in us, that is, the power of Jesus’ blood at the cross, the power of resurrection life, and the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of God makes us able to do what we cannot do in our own ability.

The apostle Paul instructs us, saying:

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” 2

One of our purposes at the Abounding Love website is to encourage you to worship God, especially during the month of December, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. After His birth in the manger, the physician Luke records:

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory
to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men.'"1

Are you at peace with God because of His love and goodwill toward you in Christ? If not, you can be at peace now.

God's goodwill...

For the first 29 years of my life, I didn't understand that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God. 2 This is the Good News, which I'm called to share with you.

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.
It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes -- Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'"3

Welcome to a new Monthly View, celebrating with thanksgiving all that Jesus Christ did for us through His finished works two thousand years ago to secure our salvation.

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens,
always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong
to Christ Jesus."1

Thank God For You...

Your e-mails and letters of encouragement, comfort, acceptance, and love means so much to me. I received a letter recently which was humbling to read, saying:

"I have read your testimony in your book "Will You Die For Me?
I wanted to tell you that your story is inspiring to all who will
listen to in the future. Stay strong in the faith for better
days are always ahead. Your brother in Christ Jesus. Aaron"

Welcome to a new monthly view. God promises to guide us on the right pathway of life if we put our trust in Him rather than try to do it ourselves. Turning your will and your life over to God will be humbling, but it is the only way to lead a life pleasing to Him. .

God's Perfect Peace

During the past 36 years, it has been my joy to spend thousands of hours renewing my mind with God's Word. One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 26:3, which states:

"You [God] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"

Welcome to aboundinglove.org. This month we are celebrating Recovery Month with the rest of the recovering addicts throughout the United States. I pray that your visits to this website will be a healing experience to be remembered forever.

Recovery Month

National Recovery Month (September) is a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a substance use or mental disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.

Each September, thousands of treatment and recovery programs and services around the country celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about recovery, how it works, for whom, and why. There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery. These successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore, Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these accomplishments.

Welcome to another monthly view reminding you that God loves you! "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's judgment."1

A New Direction

Once in awhile, I receive a letter that I must share with you so you can rejoice together with me. This young lady just lost her grandmother to cancer, and writes:

"I'm new to God. I picked up a Life Application Study Bible and I am searching around for a church. No one in my family goes to church, so I'm doing this on my own. There's only one lady at work that goes to church and none of my friends do either. But still, I'm doing it on my own. I'm easy with meeting new people.

Welcome to the abounding-love view for the month. "...God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's judgment."1

What about guilt?

Once in a while, a letter arrives that I must share. Since I know many are struggling with guilt, I share what this dear woman wrote:

"I'm twenty-five years old. I just got married, and we have a two-year old with another on the way. I am writing to you because I read that you found God and became a Christian.

First, let me tell you that I am glad to hear that. I'm sure that prison is a difficult place, and I'm sure having faith helps a great deal.

It's wonderful to have you as a visitor to this site. If you could visit me in person, you'd see that my desire is to have you feel loved by knowing and believing that God loves you. "He showed how much He loved you by sending His only Son into the world so that you might have eternal life through Him."1

Spiritual Restoration

Many people try to gain God's approval through good works. My parents strove for perfection through religious performance and legalism. Religion can't change the heart. It is man's attempt to know and please God apart from the finished work of Jesus.

But with my conviction, they found their religious works were not enough to sustain their lives due to all the pain I had caused. As a result, they turned their wills and lives over to the care of God by trusting in the work of Jesus: His death, burial, and resurrection. At last, they experienced a glorious relationship with God their Father.

What a privilege it is to bring forth another monthly view from a Biblical perspective. This perspective may be a whole new reality for you, but as you humble yourself, a new identity will spring forth, causing new boundaries to be set in your life. "The Word is a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path."1

Restorative Promise

When I reflect on the early years of my life, I have many regrets. I did things that bring deep remorse, and I regret things I didn't do. If you think and feel the same way, I have some good news for you. God promises to restore all those years, so you can live above all those regrets with victory and vision. Listen to God's promise to you spoken through the prophet Joel:

"I will restore to you the years the swarming locusts have eaten...you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the LORD your God. Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel."2

This month's view may offer a radical view of justice for some, but be assured, it is the only way to heal our broken justice system. I pray that God will open your ears to hear what He is saying through many of His servants. That if we will humble ourselves, pray, and turn to God, He will forgive, and heal our land.

Crime and Justice

The purpose of the criminal-justice system is to punish the guilty, whereas restorative justice promotes respect and restoration for victims, offenders, and their communities. The Scriptures declare:

"The authorities are established to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience."2

It is always a joy to come to you with another Monthly View. The Lord has a wonderful month of blessings in store for us by faith. "I pray that God, Who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."1

We're All Connected

A study in restorative justice must go back to the beginning of time to see how things were, in order to restore things back into a former state of righteousness. We're all connected to one another, whether you believe in the theory of evolution, or in God's creation of mankind. My faith is based on God's Word, where He says:

"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"2

It is always exciting to be used by the Lord to bring forth another monthly view. I pray that our heavenly Father will give us deep insight into true justice. Justice is "...the ability to conform to the will and standard of God -- a practical righteousness that matches one's positional righteousness in Christ," quoted from the John MacArthur Study Bible notes.1

The Foundation of Justice

Our foundation in life determines if we will stand or fall, whether built wisely upon rock or foolishly upon sand, as taught by Jesus.2 The founding fathers of the United States understood the importance of establishing the foundation of this great country upon the wisdom of God's Word, that says:

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance."3

Welcome to a new year of monthly views at the Abounding Love website. I pray this will be an exciting year as you build your trust in God. For me, I am dedicating this year to Restorative Justice, both for victims and offenders to be reconciled to God through the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Restorative Justice

If you were to Google "restorative justice," several different views would come up. For instance, one view may stress spiritual restoration more than another. Any effort is a step in the right direction, but from my experience, it is hard to see a work of "justice" without God's grace working in our hearts to restore righteousness through faith in Christ. This work provides the ability to restore damaged relationships through a divine flow of truth, justice, peace, love, mercy, compassion, and humility available only through God.

Justice has to do with what is right and fair for all mankind. In the spiritual sense, we are all guilty, have sinned against God, and done His kingdom great harm, but...

"...God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfiy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when He did not punish those who sinned in former times. And He is entirely fair and just in this present time when He declares sinners to be right in His sight because they believe in Jesus."1