Wonderful Jesus!

Is It Puzzling You?

Philippians 2:12-13-Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NKJV

I love a good puzzle! As a matter of fact, I can lose time when working on a puzzle. On occasion, we will purchase a jigsaw puzzle with one thousand pieces, which turns out to be really complicated. Those are the puzzles that take weeks to complete, because I have to walk away from them, then return with fresh eyes to try again.

This scripture has caused much debate in the body of Christ, causing many to feel puzzled by God’s word. Maybe you understood it immediately or had someone explain it to you quite thoroughly, but I know that there are others who find this verse to be quite puzzling. As I read it this week, I thought that I would take a stab at it to see if I can help make sense of it.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
Philippians 2:12 NKJV

The thing that confuses people is the part where Paul wrote, “Work out your own salvation.” The first thing we all learn about salvation is that it is the gift of God, an act of grace, and not about works:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

Paul was very clear that our works cannot save us. He argued that if it was through works, then men could boast! Someone like Bill Gates, with his financial coffers, has already done more works than I can even imagine. That would give him and other wealthy people access to salvation, leaving the rest of us hopeless! Therefore, salvation is not according to our works! Salvation has always been about the grace of God received by faith; and yet, Paul wrote that we are to work our salvation with fear and trembling.

First, let’s look at the fact that Paul started this verse with the word “therefore” and most bible scholars would tell us that we need to stop and see what it is there for! Paul had been reflecting on our Savior, Jesus! He wrote:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:8 NKJV

Paul looks at the obedience of Jesus to the Father by dying on the cross, then remarks “therefore” as they had obeyed in his presence and his absence, to work out their salvation. It’s easy to obey the word of God when the Pastor is around us, or a minister, or a Christian we highly respect; but when we obey the word of God when we are not around other believers, then it is noteworthy. Paul is making note of the fact that the Philippian Christians were walking the walk when he was around and when he wasn’t!

So, what did Paul mean when he wrote those words, “work out you salvation with fear and trembling?” I believe, as do many bible scholars, that Paul is saying that now that we have experienced so great a salvation by grace, practice it, walk it out, and live it by our obedience to God’s word! Fear and trembling is a phrase often found together in the New Testament and seems to mean with “reverence and humility.” So as we live this life before the Lord to work out our salvation, we do so with reverence and humility before God!

Let’s read verse 12 in the Amplified Bible:

So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].
Philippians 2:12 AMP

Sometimes I like to read verses in other versions to help me get a better perspective of what God is saying. In the Amplified version, words and phrases are “amplified” to help us gain insight or understanding of an otherwise challenging word. For working out our salvation, in the Amplified version, we see that we are to cultivate our salvation and bring it into full effect; actively pursuing spiritual maturity!

Our spirit man is saved by grace, but our flesh is not. And we have to have a renewed mind so that we are able to guide our flesh away from its lusts and passions that we might pursue the passions of the Holy Spirit! God won’t take the cigarettes out of our mouths, but if we trust Him in the process of walking away from it, He will enable us to do it! He won’t kick out our male or female companions, but He will give us the desire and the will to leave ungodly relationships. We have to put down the cigarettes, leave the ungodly relationships, stop the stealing or lying and trust Him as we endeavor to cultivate the truth of His word into our lives.

I bring out the point that we have to trust Him because of what Paul wrote in the next verse:

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13 NKJV

Let’s again look at the Amplified Bible for some clarity:

For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13 AMP

God’s purpose is for you to cultivate your salvation and grow towards spiritual maturity. And in the process, along the way, He is with you making it a reality in your life! He’s your strength to just say no! He’s your strength to walk away! He’s the reason we work it out in fear and trembling because we understand that without Him we cannot do it! It won’t work!

At some point in our Christian walk, we are going to have to be honest with ourselves. We are either living to be more like Jesus, or we are living to enjoy our sinful lifestyles and the pleasures it affords us; trying to see how much sin we can enjoy while claiming to know God!

I’m married. As long as I have those legal documents, I am a married woman. But it is I who have to choose to live as if I am married. Should I choose to live as if I am single, I may not be married for much longer, or it will be a miserable existence for us both! If you are a Christian, you may live like a sinner, but you are miserable! Go ahead and make the change to live the life Christ gave you! So don’t be puzzled any longer! You are definitely saved by grace, but you have to want to live as if you are saved in order to do it! Work it out, cultivate it, practice it, and enjoy it; because it is His good pleasure for your life! Wonderful Jesus!

Keep Saying It!

Psalm 35:7-Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” NKJV

Have you ever had some exciting news that you just wanted to shout out loud to everyone who passed by? Maybe you were in love, and you wanted the whole world to know! Or maybe you finally got that dream job with a nice salary, and you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs because you were more than thrilled! I remember feeling exactly like that at various times in my life! Some news is so wonderful; you just have to share your joy at the top of your lungs because you want to burst!!

That’s the feeling that David’s words evoke in my mind! He wrote:

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause;
Psalm 35:27a NKJV

The 35th Psalm covers people attacking David, even betraying him. He couldn’t understand why they were coming after him:

For without cause, they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my life.
Psalm 35:7 NKJV

What reason did they have to come against him, David asked? What did he ever do to them but bless them, pray for them, and try to help them? Have you ever felt like this? Read his words:

They reward me evil for good,
Psalm 35:12 NKJV

Been there! And,

when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart.
Psalm 35:13 NKJV

Have you prayed for people like you were praying for yourself? Has your heart ever hurt over their situation so much so, that it was as if you were going through the problem instead of them? I know David, and I aren’t the only ones to experience this!

So from David’s point of view, what could he have possibly done that would cause others to come at him in this manner? We know of a couple of times in his life when this psalm could have been constructed. He fought Saul’s battles, and Saul hunted him down to kill him. He loved Absalom, and Absalom, his son, hunted him down to overthrow his kingdom. That’s too much! He just had a hard time with other people in his life!

David wasn’t perfect, but David’s problem was that he was favored by God! He couldn’t help all of the great things that were happening to him. It wasn’t his fault that while he was tending the sheep, the lion and the bear came, and he was victorious over them. God protected him! It wasn’t his fault that he took Goliath down with a stone! God guided that stone! And it wasn’t his fault that he was a warrior, a great leader, and a great king! It was the Lord! And the favor that was on David’s life, caused others to hate him and to fear him!

But David said:

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause;
Psalm 35:27a

Everybody who is for me, who is on my side, shout for joy and be glad! David’s cause was righteous! He was doing what God told him to do! So instead of focusing on all of the things that hurt him, and he had been hurt, David knew that his cause was a righteous cause!

As the people of God, we are favored by God. Sometimes, the blessings flow in such a way that it seems almost unfair! We have difficult times, and tough situations in life like everybody else, but we know that we are blessed and favored by God! His hand is on us! We have overcome great obstacles! We have seen Him move on our behalf! He has been faithful! Because we have stayed the course, even in hard times! Our cause is His cause, a righteous cause!

Then David said:

And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 35:27b NKJV

Say it continually! Say it over and over again! Say it night and day! Whatever you do, don’t stop saying,

“Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 35:27b NKJV

God delights to bless us! He takes pleasure when we prosper! Prosperity isn’t always about money, although I believe money is included. Prosperity happens when we are healthy, or when our children are all doing well, or when our family is strong! Prosperity happens when our ministry is still going and growing, or doors of opportunities are opening up for us that we didn’t knock on! There are all kinds of ways to be prosperous, and David said that the Lord has pleasure in prospering us! And most of the time, we keep silent, but there comes a time when we have a need to shout out that He has been so good to us!!

That’s where I am at tonight! The Lord has been so absolutely, positively, good to me, that I had to take some time and shout it out! “Let the Lord be magnified because He has taken great pleasure in prospering me!”

And I have found that the more that I say it (continually), the more that He just keeps blessing me! Maybe that’s the point of the psalm! We will all have difficult days. But if in those times when we feel like we have given people our all, we have done more than should be required of us, and they are still not grateful, or worst, they attack us; it’s time to give God some praise!

Right there, in the midst of all of that, we should just keep saying, and maybe even shouting it out, that God is not only good to us, but it gives Him pleasure to be good to us! Wonderful Jesus!

Getting a Grip on Frustration!

Psalm 37:1-Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. NKJV

The Oxford dictionary defines frustration as “the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.” Frustration isn’t limited to the ungodly, the backslidden, or even the struggling Christian. Frustration happens to us all!

Frustration is the result of a variety of circumstances. People become frustrated when their dreams don’t come to pass. Frustration can be the result of feeling like things are not happening fast enough for you. Or frustration can overtake you when you have put your all into something, and it was viewed as not good enough! Yes! We have all experienced frustration on some level.

Throughout the scriptures, we have many examples of those who probably experienced their own frustrations. Noah was probably frustrated as he built the ark, and the people laughed and made fun of him. I’m sure Joseph was pretty frustrated when he told the cupbearer to remember him to Pharoah after interpreting his dreams, and the man forgot! Jeremiah was frustrated as he proclaimed God’s messages to the people, and they threw him in the dungeon. David was frustrated with Joab after he killed Abner because David had already joined forces with him.

What frustrates you today? What is going on in your life, or the world around you that you feel you have no control or little control over, and it annoys you? What is causing you to become so frustrated that underneath it all, there is a slow burn leading to anger or bitterness? Whatever it is, the psalmist noted that if you continue allowing it to have free reign in your emotions, it will cause you harm:

do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm
Psalm 37b-38 NKJV

As I mentioned already, David understood frustration! After all, he had been anointed king of Israel, yet he was running for his life from the ousted king, King Saul. He had saved Saul and the kingdom from the Philistines by killing Goliath, and Saul wanted him dead. Frustrated! As he was running for his life, he ended up in one situation after another. There was Nabal the fool, who refused to feed him and his men, although they had protected him. Frustrated! While he and his men were out to battle, his town was overrun, their families were taken, and they wanted to kill David! Frustrating!

But David had some advice for those of us who experience frustration because they were things he learned along the way. He said:

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:2 NKJV

Trust in the Lord, David said! Give that stuff over to the only One who can change it, or change you! He is faithful, and that is what we should be focusing on, not on the things, or people, that frustrate us! I’m talking to myself right now! God is so faithful, and the things that frustrate us are not greater than the One who loves us! We need to learn that as we trust Him, He will give us the desire of our hearts!

Do you desire to be free of the feelings of frustrations that are trying to cripple, immobilize, and cause you to give up? Then those are desires He can most certainly supply! No one wants to see you free of those frustrations more than He does!

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:3 NKJV

There are some things that are going to have to be entrusted to the Lord! I can’t control other people’s actions, but I can control how I respond to them. I can’t control how the economy is going, or the high prices for goods and services, but I can control my spending and saving. I am going to have to trust those things that I can’t control to the Lord! David continued his thought by saying,

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him
Psalm 37:7a NKJV

How do we get a grip on frustration? David encouraged us to rest in the Lord and to wait patiently for Him. It may seem like things are never going to change, or they will never get better! But this is when we rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him! It may seem like it is taking too long for God to move on your behalf, but rest in Him and wait patiently for Him! Frustrations come to us all, but we must get a grip on them, and place them in the hand of God! I’m talking to myself today! Wonderful Jesus!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Hebrews 12:22-24-But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

What an amazing truth! He is alive! Wonderful Jesus!

A Time of Betrayal! Repost!

Matthew 10:4 -… Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. NKJV

Are you ready for today’s post? It’s nothing pretty! But then, betrayal isn’t a pretty picture! Is there anyone reading this blog today who knows what I am talking about? I believe there are quite a few of you!

In January of this year, a news report was aired that stated the person who betrayed Anne Frank and her family was finally discovered. Maybe you read the Diary of Anne Frank when you were in school, or you saw the movie. Maybe you are one of those people who heard the name but can’t remember what happened. In any case, Anne Frank was a Jewish teenager who went into hiding with her family in 1942 to avoid the Nazis. She kept a diary of her experiences. After two years of hiding out, her family was discovered and sent to concentration camps. Only her father survived and it was him who had the diary published. If the news is true, a leader within a Jewish organization was responsible for revealing their hiding place. In exchange for the freedom of his family, he turned over the addresses of Jews who had gone into hiding.

If you have had a friend reveal your most private concerns to others, you understand betrayal. If you have had someone you love throw your love back in your face for another, you can relate. Well, you are in good company because Jesus, our Savior was betrayed by someone He loved, poured His life into, and trusted. He knows your pain!

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.
Mark 14:10-11 NKJV

What happened in those months leading up to the biggest betrayal in history that could possibly justify what Judas did? The Bible doesn’t tell us! Maybe with good reason!

In the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, the author shared the theory that Judas was upset when he found out that Jesus was not there to establish an earthly kingdom. Supposedly, he was so upset that this caused him to betray Jesus. Another theory mentioned that Judas was trying to push Jesus into establishing His kingdom by having Him arrested, to move things along, and that’s why he betrayed Him. Most people believe that Judas was just a greedy, selfish individual and thus, He betrayed the Savior.

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
Psalm 41:9 NKJV

Judas hung out with Jesus. He kept the money that they were given. (For those who think Jesus was a poor minister, the fact that He had a treasurer is proof that He wasn’t.) Judas saw the miraculous transpire before his very eyes. He even saw Lazarus get up out of the grave after four days of being dead. Yet, he conspired to betray the Messiah. And in doing so, he opened himself to Satan!

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
Luke 22: 3,6 NKJV

Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples. While they were still at the table, He spoke these words:

“But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
Luke 22:21-22 NKJV

The gospel of John gives us a different point of view:

“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’
John 13:18 NKJV

Peter wanted to know who was the betrayer that Jesus was talking about. He probably looked around that setting and couldn’t come up with a single name, so he asked the disciple closest to Jesus to ask Jesus to identify the person.

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
John 13:26-27 NKJV

There are some events in the Bible that absolutely captures my thinking, causing me to walk away with more questions than answers. This betrayal is one of those events. I cannot fathom what made Judas get up from that table, after Jesus identified him as the betrayer, and follow through with his plan to betray him. Maybe this is truly one of those times when sin took him farther than he imagined and kept him where he did not want to stay? Or maybe he falls in the category of those who can truly say, “The devil made me do it!” It cost him everything!

After sharing the Passover meal with the disciples, they all went to the garden of Gethsemane (featured image). That is, all except Judas. While Jesus was in that garden, He lamented. He hurt so deeply and prayed so intensely about the upcoming events that He had blood seeping through His pores. I don’t know for a fact, but I am pretty sure Judas’ was on His mind. The time for the ultimate betrayal was getting ready to happen and He felt the cut of it deeply!

Judas was not finished. Not only did He betray Jesus to the chief priests, but he also delivered Jesus into their hands!

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Luke 22:47-48 NKJV

With a kiss? A symbol of love, reverence, fellowship, and intimacy? No! A kiss of ultimate betrayal! Judas led a detachment of troops with swords to apprehend Jesus (see John 18), and he felt a need to identify Him with a kiss. First of all, didn’t they know who Jesus was? Had they just arrived in Jerusalem and therefore they had no idea about who Jesus was? I don’t think so! I just believe that this betrayal was so thorough that even embracing Him in the end with a kiss was intentional, driving home the point of the ultimate betrayal!

As I stated in the beginning, no one wants to be betrayed. It hurts, and it hurts badly. Some of us seem to never recover from the pain of betrayal. Some, like Anne Frank, never live to realize who the betrayer really was. But most of us see them, sometimes so much, it’s difficult to forget the pain.

I don’t know how your betrayal has turned out. I won’t tell you that you are better off without that person in your life, although you probably realize it yourself. What I will tell you is that you are not alone in your pain. Your Savior knows very well what you have experienced for He went through it Himself. I encourage you to really pour this out to Him. Ask Him to help you to release it and to forgive so that you can be healed. Your time of betrayal has passed, and now it’s your time to be healed! He paid for your pain with His pain. Receive your healing today! I am praying with you! Wonderful Jesus!

Happy Palm Sunday!

Luke 19:35-38-Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. ³⁶And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Cleansing of the Temple!

Matthew 21:12- Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. NKJV

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of what is known as Holy Week. As we approach this week, most Christians are encouraged to stop the busyness of their lives and to spend time fasting, praying, and reading God’s Word. Such is the encouragement from the pulpit at our church, fondly known as PBC (featured image)!

Palm Sunday was the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As He fulfilled Bible prophecy by entering the city on the colt, the people began to shout words of adoration to Him and throw palm branches in His path:

“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 21:9 NKJV

Traditionally, on Palm Sunday, we are given a sliver of a palm branch to remind us of this glorious occasion when prophecy was fulfilled, and they heralded His name! As we look forward to being in worship tomorrow, our hearts should be filled with praise for the One who gave all, so that we could know God! Truly, He was and is the only One able to redeem us from darkness so that we might have fellowship with God Almighty! He is worthy of praise!

All four gospels record the triumphal entry, but only Matthew and Luke speak of the cleansing of the temple happening immediately following it, on Palm Sunday! For this blog, I will speak of it in relation to Palm Sunday!

Jesus went into the temple and saw what He had seen before, buying and selling of doves. On this occasion, it infuriated Him:

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
Matthew 21:12 NKJV

Have you ever seen a depiction of this in a movie? In one movie, Jesus turns over the money changers’ tables, lets the animals go free, and then starts whipping the merchants. The place is in total chaos! I don’t know if this is a true depiction of what happened, but for Him to start turning over tables, He had to be pretty mad. Nowhere else in scripture is there so much emotion, until He starts to cleanse the temple of the ungodly activity that day!

As we approach Palm Sunday in a few hours, I believe it is a great time to ask God to cleanse our temples. Paul wrote:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV

On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus cleansed the physical temple of worship in Jerusalem. Since then, He has been cleansing our temples of sin, sickness, and disease. But after our initial cleansing of salvation, we are bound to get dirty again. It is up to us to make sure that the temple remains clean and fit for the Master’s use. We do that through fasting and praying. Therefore, at this time of year, in many churches, time is set aside to fast and pray!

What are some things we need to ask God, in prayer, to cleanse us from? David gives us some insight:

Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion.
Psalm 19:12-13 CSB

David asks the question: Who can know his unintentional sins? What unintentional sins do you have? You may not know, but God knows! And as you fast and pray, He can reveal those things that are hidden faults, willful sins, and blatant rebellion. Because even a believer can be guilty of these things. If He doesn’t reveal anything, keep it moving!

Yes, we all sin! But we are not all hiding from our sins! Some of us go through life sinning and wait until we are caught in our sin to confess it. While others don’t go through a day without confessing their sin. There’s a place in the middle. We shouldn’t be overly sin conscience, while at the same time, we shouldn’t ignore the truth that we can still sin while in these fleshly bodies. As you spend time before the Lord, what He reveals, deal with it. Obedience is key!

After Jesus threw them out of the temple, He made a profound statement:

And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Matthew 21:13 NKJV

The physical house of God, the church, is to be called a house of prayer. If you can’t find prayer anywhere else, you should be able to find it in the house of God. However, the focus of this temple wasn’t prayer, but making money!

Let me remind us, that we are the temple of God. Our focus should not be on making money, taking advantage of an opportunity to procure a favor, or forgetting what we have been called to do. We are to be people of prayer.

If we were to read through the gospels, we would find that Jesus was always praying. He said that men should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1)! At another time, He said, “when you pray,” not if you pray (Matthew 6:5)! Jesus believed so much in prayer that He modeled it for us in His own life. Prayer was His connection to God, and it serves as our connection to Him, also! So if we are seeking to be cleansed, it will happen when we pray!

Just know that you cannot cleanse yourself. Planning to stop committing a sin is a great thing, but allowing Jesus to cleanse you gives more power to the decision! A leper once said to Jesus:

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Luke 5:12 NKJV

Jesus’ response to the leper was to tell him that He was willing to cleanse Him. If you ask Jesus to cleanse you, He will also cleanse you! He’s still willing.

As we prepare to enjoy the activities of Holy Week, we should want to do so, cleansed and ready to celebrate our Savior in spirit and in truth! Spend some time over the next seven days to fast and pray, allowing His Spirit the opportunity to bring cleansing into your temple. Not in anger, because you wouldn’t keep it undefiled, but in love, to make you ready for what He has in store for you! Happy Palm Sunday to you and yours! Wonderful Jesus!

What Are You Doing Here?

Isaiah 53:1-Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? NKJV

If you have lived for any length of time, you have been the recipient of bad news. It comes to all of us! Whether you receive news that you have failed a test, been rejected for a job, have a serious disease, or have lost a relationship, you have had to handle the emotions that follow bad news. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t deal with these negative feelings very well because of past experiences or their current state of mind. However, as believers, we have to decide that no matter what news we receive, good or bad, if it is contrary to God’s word, we are not going to trust it!

Isaiah wrote:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Isaiah 53:1 NKJV

Whenever I read these words, it pricks my heart. Who has believed our report? It is as if God looked over at Jesus and the Holy Spirit and asked the question! I can imagine them watching another “believer” as they receive a negative report and start to fall apart and say, “Does anyone truly believe what we have to say about this situation?” If you have failed to believe God at the onset of bad news, you are not alone! We have all failed to do so! But that’s not a badge of honor!

The Bible is filled with just such instances! Cain didn’t believe God!

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord…And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:3-5 NKJV

Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God, and God rejected Cain’s offering. I can imagine the pain of this rejection because we should all want to please God. Instead of placating Cain, God gave him some advice:

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Genesis 4:6-7 NKJV

After God rejected Cain’s offering, Cain got angry. God asked him why was he pouting, knowing the answer, but trying to get him to take a look at himself. Then God told Cain, if you do the right thing, you will be accepted, but if you don’t, sin lies at the door waiting to take over. Cain, if you are not careful, you will allow it to have dominion over you when in actuality, you should have dominion over it!

Well, we all know what Cain’s decision was. He did not believe the report of the Lord! Therefore, he killed his brother! That is not the way to handle bad news. How many mass shootings and school shootings have we heard about lately because someone was rejected, bullied, or even abused by a system or individual and didn’t handle it well?

When Ishmael was “rejected,” God found him in the wilderness. As he and Hagar cried, God heard his tears and said to Hagar,

“What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
Genesis 21:17-18 NKJV

They didn’t make plans to go back and get Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah to make them pay! They chose to believe what God said, and His arm was revealed to them! In the Hebrew language, the word zerôwa is translated to arm in the NKJV Bible. However, it also means power, help, mighty, and strength! Because Hagar and Ishmael chose to believe God’s report over their circumstance and feelings, they were able to trust that He would truly help them! And he did!

Elijah was a different person altogether. God had chosen him, and he accomplished some great things for God. He even prayed that there would be no rain in the land, and the rain stopped for three and a half years. One day he had it out with prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. They had a “let the real God show up” contest, and his God, our God, won! God showed up so magnificently that His fire licked up the water that Elijah had excessively poured on the altar and burned the sacrifice! What a glorious day! Then the rain fell! Pretty impressive that a man can be used so mightily by God! It was a good day with the Lord!

Then Ahab went home and told Jezebel that Elijah had killed all of her prophets. Jezebel was livid, and she sent Elijah a message:

“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
1 Kings 19:2 NKJV

Elijah didn’t receive this death threat too well! As a matter of fact, you can hardly recognize the great prophet of God and this Elijah as being the same people! But they were! And how did he handle this news! He ran! Not only did he run, but he told God he was ready to die!

And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
1 Kings 19:4 NKJV

Elijah was weary from the battle! Not just the exhibition on Mount Carmel, but the whole thing called ministry. So when he heard the words of Jezebel, his first reaction was to just run away from it all! (That’s a whole different topic)!

I know that’s not us! We would never run away! Or would we? I say we do! We may not physically run away, but we run away in our hearts, or in our minds. We may not say we want to die, but we start thinking negatively about ourselves, feeling as if God has abandoned us!

There have been times when I told God I didn’t have it in me to fight another battle right now! Or I have said that I was exhausted and tired of always fighting! It happens! And it happened to Elijah! The beautiful thing about this situation is that God saw where Elijah was mentally and met him there, and ministered to him. Then God straightened out his thinking!

Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:13b NKJV

Didn’t God know why Elijah was in this place? Yes, He did! Just like God knew why Cain was angry, He knew why Elijah was on the run and at the cave! God wasn’t asking Elijah about his physical location, but his spiritual or emotional location! What are you doing in this place where you have lost trust in Me and in what I have to say about what is going on? How did you get here, Elijah? How did you get to where you are not trusting God and what He says about your circumstances? (Again, that’s a conversation for another day)!

I wish I could elaborate on this in greater detail, but suffice it to say, Elijah felt all alone and abandoned. He said he was the only one serving God, doing the right thing! God initially doesn’t respond to Elijah’s litany of all he had done for Him and how he was the only one still serving God. In fact, God gave him some assignments! Then God said to Elijah:

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
1 Kings 19:18 NKJV

In other words, God told Elijah that he was not the only one serving Him. There were seven thousand other people who hadn’t compromised themselves with Baal, and God was going to reserve, or protect them, from the wars to come. One of those assignments God gave to him was that Elijah was being replaced with Elisha, and Elijah had to go and anoint him as a prophet in his place. Do you want to get to that position where God just decides to replace you with someone else, and you have to mentor them? I don’t!

I have to rush and close, but I just want to remind us that we can’t stop bad news from coming to us. We can’t even control how much of it we will get. But we can control whether we will believe the report of the Lord and trust Him for help, or whether we will give up! Just something I wanted to share with you this week. Be blessed, and hold on to the truth that He loves you! Wonderful Jesus!

In the Midst of the Tempest!

Psalm 55:6-8-And horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. Selah! I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” NKJV

Photo by Ralph W. lambrecht on Pexels.com

It’s difficult to believe that God is working on our behalf during those tough times in life. When we get the doctor’s report that says we have a disease that is untreatable or life-threatening, it’s a shock to our system. Or when the bills are coming in faster than the money, and making ends meet seems to be a pipe dream, it can be a little much. That’s when our key text becomes a reality in our lives, and we can identify with the psalmist:

My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55:4 NKJV

The psalmist described his pain as a twirling or dancing of his emotions, spinning or writhing in pain. Things were out of control, and fear of death troubled his soul. He went on to say that he was full of fear, and trembling overtook him! He experienced horrors so great the darkness of his situation was like garments that clothed him. He was going through!

David was a warrior! He stood up against Goliath and slew him in the name of the Lord! He wasn’t a weakling or one who ran from trouble! He killed a lion and a bear who tried to take his sheep! But on this day, at this time in his life, he was struggling with a constant barrage of trouble that was coming at him! He was so sick and tired of it all that he said:

“Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.
Psalm 55:6-7 NKJV

Did you get that? David wanted out of his situation! He said that he wished he had wings so that he could fly away like a dove! Or maybe, he would just wander in the wilderness away from everybody and stay there for a while! This is not a psalm that points us to a particular time in David’s life. We don’t know when this happened, but we do know how he felt!

Can you relate to this? I know that I have had a few times in my life when I felt like I just wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, where I could get away from it all! Guess what? This is so normal, it’s not even funny! Everybody has troubles, and as long as we are living, we are going to have some more troubles! Quitting, giving up, and walking away from a tough situation have been the modus operandi of too many believers! But God has not called us to quit in the middle of the storm!

I know it’s tough to stay strong in the midst of the tempest! David said,

I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
Psalm 55:8 NKJV

Had you talked with David at the time, you would’ve been shocked to hear him say all of this! He said he’d get away from his storm as quickly as he could because he had had enough of his troubles! But again, this was not unusual during David’s life, and it’s not unusual in our lives. All of us have times when we are strong and other times when our troubles have sucked the life out of us!

Unfortunately, too many people find all kinds of ways to avoid dealing with the storm. Unhealthy ways! They use drugs, drown their sorrows in alcohol, resort to sexual indiscretions, or even leave their families! But none of that is the answer! Or shall I say it is certainly not God’s answer!

There’s a huge difference between wanting to fly away from your troubles, and actually flying away from them! As I said, it is unclear as to when David felt like this, but I remember his time at Ziklag!

So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters.
1 Samuel 30:3-6 NKJV

I’m sure David wanted to escape this situation. His city had been burned to the ground, and his wives had been taken captive along with the other women and children. And if that wasn’t bad enough, his men wanted to stone him to death, because they blamed him for their losses! (Did David send a messenger to the Amalekites, letting them know it was a good time to invade Ziklag? I don’t think so!) This was a terrible day in the life of David, just as it was in the lives of his men! So yes, he may have felt like throwing in towel, or wishing he had wings like a dove to fly away, or even wandering in the wilderness where he could be alone with no return on his mind, but he didn’t act on his feelings! The Bible tells us that David encouraged himself in the Lord!

When we face our greatest trials, we feel like we want to walk away from it all! I know it’s the truth because I have seen it happen more times than I care to admit! Go ahead and reflect over the years, because you have seen it, or done it! My brother-in-law used to say:

You’re either in a storm, just coming out of a storm, or you getting ready to go through a storm!
Pastor Eric Susberry, Victory in Christ Kingdom Church, Senior Pastor

I used to cringe when he said these words because I didn’t want to be reminded that even though things were going okay today, a storm was on the way! Some circumstances are like a tsunami when they arrive, and you can’t outrun it, so it overruns you! That’s okay! Instead of fainting or giving in to weakness, fear, despondency, disappointment, and tribulations, you are going to have to find some strength in the midst of your storm.

We have a plethora of resources at our fingertips! We have our written bibles, online bibles, online sermons, blogs, and podcasts. But most importantly, we have the ability to go to church and hear the preached word of God! God has this amazing ability to have his ministers share truths from the word that will meet us right where we are. I know what you are thinking! I can listen online! True! But will you have someone available to wrap their arms around you and love on you and tell you that God is faithful? That’s the kind of stuff that happens in church! Not online!

It’s in the midst of the storm that we need to search for the peace of God. It’s in the midst of the storm that we need to hold fast to what we believe about God! It’s in the midst of the storm that we need to understand that no weapon formed against us shall prosper! And it’s in the midst of the storm that we need to understand that God is faithful! He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us! Don’t lose heart in the midst of the storm! Trust that God will speak to your storm and bring you out of it with a great deliverance! Be encouraged today! Wonderful Jesus!

When Eyes Are Opened!

2 Kings 6:17-And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. NKJV

Fear is a weapon the devil has been using for a long time against the people of God. It doesn’t matter that God has encouraged, even commanded, us not to be afraid. Somehow, fear still wages war against us.

Such was the case with the servant of Elisha. Syria decided to go to war against Israel. Every time the king of Syria came up with a strategy to trap the armies of Israel, Elisha would find out from God and tell the king of Israel. Then one day, the king of Syria heard that Elisha was telling his plans to the king of Israel and prepared to destroy him.

The king of Syria sent an army with horses and chariots to surround the city, and when Elisha’s servant spotted them, he said:

“Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
2 Kings 6:15 NKJV

Elisha’s servant had been privy to the fact that God was with Elisha. He was already aware of at least 12 miracles that God had done through Elisha, and yet, he looked at the army surrounding the city and asked Elisha what they were going to do!

Before we criticize him, we need to stop and think about all the things that we have heard about God: the miracles of healing, protection, and provision! And all the things that we have seen Him do, and yet, when we see a difficult situation, fear tries to grip us and paralyze us!

Elisha didn’t blink! He told his servant that there were more with them than were against them!

“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
2 Kings 6:16 NKJV

Then Elisha said something that is the point of my blog today!

And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:17 NKJV

Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened by the Lord so that he could see that God had already sent protection for them. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha! Did Elisha see this angelic host of protection, or did he just trust that they were there? I don’t know! But when God opened his servant’s eyes, he was able to see the plan that God had in place for their deliverance!

This was not the first time that God opened someone’s eyes to see something that they were missing! Remember when Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away?

So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:14 NKJV

Hagar and Ishmael had nowhere to go after they left the company of Abraham and Sarah. They wandered in the wilderness until their provisions came to an end:

And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
Genesis 21:15-16 NKJV

Hagar and Ishmael were in a desperate situation. I can imagine the fear Hagar felt at having once lived a life of nomadic luxury, to now be an outcast with no provisions and no way of obtaining help. But God was with them, and they didn’t even know it! As a matter of fact, God spoke to Hagar and told her to not be afraid:

“What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
Genesis 21:17-18 NKJV

God knew what was wrong with her, yet He asked her what was her problem? He told her that He had heard Ishmael’s prayers and had a plan for her son, to make a great nation of him. Then something amazing happened! God opened her eyes:

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Genesis 21:19-20 NKJV

Fear caused her to throw the towel in. Her plan was to accept the death that seemed imminent. But then God opened her eyes, and she spotted a well that provided the water they needed to survive in the desert. Not only that, God was with Ishmael! He grew up in the wilderness and became an archer. Later, becoming the father of twelve sons who were the forefathers of a great nation.

One of the psalmists understood the benefit of having God open his eyes because he prayed:

Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.
Psalm 119:18 NKJV

We may not experience the jaw-dropping events that Hagar and Elisha’s servant experienced, but we can experience what happens when God opens our eyes. Fear blinds us to the possibilities of trusting God, but when we stop in the midst of our fears and ask Him to open our eyes, anything can happen!

If you have been walking with God for any length of time, I am sure you can remember a time when God opened your eyes to see wonderful things in His word. I have had to teach the word on numerous occasions, and sometimes I have been given topics that I was unfamiliar with. But as I studied, I asked God to open my eyes to see what He was saying in His word, and He would speak to me! There have been personal times of direction, comfort, and encouragement as I have prayed for my eyes to see what was hidden in His word, but there were also times of fear, when He opened my eyes to His truth!

I clearly remember when God opened my eyes to see the truth of His word regarding healing. It happened after my second daughter was born with physical issues that the doctor said could kill her. I asked the Lord if He healed when we prayed or if it was more of a “que será, será” type of thing with Him? God helped me to see through the counsel of His word that He is the Healer! It matters if we pray because whatever we can believe is possible in Him! We learned to put our children’s welfare in the hands of the Lord!

People are still trying to figure out if tithing is for the believer today! When God opened my eyes to tithing, it was a settled matter, and I have never hesitated to tithe! We even taught our children to tithe!

The word of God is filled with wonderful truths! Would I rather have a visitation from an angel or hear donkeys talk, or see the waters part? Who wouldn’t! But I have learned when trials and tribulations come knocking at my door, that’s the time to stop and pray, “Lord, open my eyes so that I can see what your word is saying or what is happening around me.” Because when God opens the eyes of His children, great things happen on their behalf!

Don’t allow fear to overwhelm you! Don’t become paralyzed, incapable of moving forward because of a situation that has the potential to destroy you. Stop, and ask God to open your eyes, or the eyes of anyone else, so that you can experience His protection, provision, or deliverance!

Remember that army that surrounded Elisha? Well, Elisha prayed for them to be made blind, took them to the king of Israel, and then prayed for their eyes to be opened. Yes, He can open our eyes, but He can open the eyes of others who are not seeing correctly. Next time you can’t see what is going on in a situation, have no fear, the One who sees can help you to see, because things begin to happen when God opens our eyes! Wonderful Jesus!