Wonderful Jesus!

Blessed People Love the Word!

Psalm 1:2 – “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. NKJV

If you read my previous blog, you will remember that I have already looked at the first verse of this psalm that refers to the things that a blessed man shouldn’t be associated with. In this blog, I want to continue looking at the qualities of a blessed man.

Verse two is a continuation of the thought from verse one. The psalmist told us that a blessed man doesn’t seek counsel from the ungodly, doesn’t hinder the sinner, and doesn’t look at people with contempt. In this verse, the psalmist basically compares the godly to the ungodly! Now, we want to look at what the psalmist has to say that the blessed man will do!

First, his delight is in the law of the Lord. To delight in the law is to be happy about it, to get excited about it; whether you are reading, studying, or hearing someone expound on it! This scripture let’s us know that when you delight in the law, God calls you blessed! Blessed people, fulfilled people, delight in the word of God!

I’ve been reading the Word of God for decades. I wish I could say to you that as a daily reader of the Word, I have memorized the Bible; but I cannot, because I have not! However, I love God’s word! There are times when I approach it with more excitement than other times, but I hold it in high esteem. The New Testament is my favorite part of the Bible, but I have learned to truly love the Old Testament! I’m still working on the books with all of the tribes, laws, and rituals; yet the more I read them, the more I am able to see some special things about God.

For example, during the earlier part of the pandemic, I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, in about three months. During that reading, I was just amazed at the God who thinks in such detail. When I read about the tabernacle and how the tribes were to surround the tabernacle at rest, I saw some things I hadn’t seen before. God thinks of everything! He is such a detail oriented God, that it should bring us great peace to realize He knows the details of our life! Sometimes it takes us a while to appreciate certain portions of the word, but stick with it, because it will begin to open up to you!

In Psalm 119, the Word is mentioned frequently by many terms: statues, commandments, law, testimonies, precepts, and judgments. The psalmist obviously loved the word, as this psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible, and it is about the word!

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. Psalm 119:14 – NKJV

Can you imagine being more excited about God’s word than about riches? Somebody is probably saying, “I haven’t got there yet!” When I have to teach or preach, I have to tell the Holy Spirit that I need to go to sleep. The Word can have me so excited that I have difficulty settling down. Scriptures are floating through my mind, as the Spirit brings points, thoughts, and illustrations that will help me to make the word plain!

I can spend hours studying the word, and I can honestly say that I delight in the Word! There are other times, when I read something in the word, and I have to talk about it to everyone who will listen! That’s why blogging is so perfect for me. I get to talk about the word, and share what the Holy Spirit says to me, without apology!

I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:16 – NKJV

I heard that Jewish boys are taught the Law, verbatim. I’m impressed! My secret prayer to the Lord has been that I would be given a photographic memory that I might know the word. Years ago, someone said to me that they could quote more of the Word than I could. My response was, but can you live it? I’m not going to tell you about how much of the Word you should put to your memory, just that memorizing scripture is important. As a matter of fact, I think the psalmist is saying that he delights in the Word, and as he goes about his day, he won’t forget what the word said! Which may have nothing to do with memorizing scripture! I think it more accurately means that when you delight in the word, there’s no forgetting it. It becomes so important to you that you find yourself thinking about it at “odd” times, because you enjoy it so much!

This leads us to the next point! Not only does the blessed man delights in the Word of God, but he meditates in it day and night! I wish the psalmist hadn’t said day and night! I wish he had said day or night, because the night time is my favorite time to get in the Word.

God told Joshua:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 – NKJV

I believe Joshua followed God’s command to him! And here’s the thing that I want to point out to you: meditating on the word of God, is really meditating on God! As we think about Him day and night, and night and day, we can’t help but be blessed!

I think of all the years I wasted worrying over the fear of backsliding. Once I asked the Lord if so-and-so backslid, how could I make it? He said the devil seeks whom he can to devour, just don’t be the one! As I began to meditate on God, the fear of backsliding left me. Am I perfect? Certainly not! However, my meditation is on the Word, on God, and not on failing! I think that is an important key!

When we think of being blessed, we think in terms of material things. And that’s okay! However, it is an absolute blessing to know God, and delighting in His word, means you are delighting in Him. Meditating on His Word, means you are meditating on Him! This is an amazing opportunity for every believer to be blessed. It is something that we can all do! You don’t need an invitation, a degree, or even the right connections! All you need is a copy of the Word of God and a desire!

I encourage you today, to see the word differently. I challenge you to ask God to open His word to you, and to help you to delight in it! You won’t be sorry! He’s worth the time, and so is His Word! Wonderful Jesus!

You May Not be Blessed!

Psalm 1:1-2 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. NKJV

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Sometimes we get a little confused about God’s idea of a blessed person. I have always loved the psalms, as most of us probably do, and Psalm chapter 1 is no exception! What is your idea of being blessed? Is it having a lot of money? Is it having favor with the people around you? Or is it when you are feeling good and everything is going well? Today, I want to look at what God’s word has to say about being blessed!

The psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly”. God called us blessed when we don’t seek ungodly advice. When you are having issues with your spouse, don’t ask an unsaved person what to do. It’s not that they can’t give good advice, but we are to seek godly advice, and not just good advice. Chances are, if you ask an ungodly person for advice in your marriage, you could end up divorced. I was talking with a young lady, new in the Lord, who was also newly married. Her husband had cheated on her, and her ungodly friends told her the best way to handle it was to get back at him, by doing the same thing. Seriously? That’s not advice for repairing a marriage, or handling a problem; that’s advice for sure destruction of a marriage! God said that we are blessed when we don’t seek the counsel of the world.

There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 -NKJV

Your unsaved friends and family members, don’t know how God operate, and can’t give you godly advice. Only a person who loves God and understands the importance of His word can share His heart! Their advice is bound to get you off God’s path for your life, and that is why you won’t be blessed!

The psalmist also wrote that blessed is the man who stands not in the way of sinners. God forbid that we are hindering people from knowing the Lord because of our lifestyle. It should be disturbing, but not unforgivable, when we see a brother or sister in the Lord who is talking the talk, they are not walking! Sinners don’t need a lot of things to discourage them from getting saved. The devil gives them plenty of reasons to resist the Holy Spirit’s tugging at their hearts. But when we participate in the hindering process, the word let’s us know that we are not blessed! Blessed people understand, recognize, and realize that their lives are to reflect the One who blessed them, and as such, they want to draw the sinner to Christ, not hinder them in coming to Him. Can I keep it real? Most sinners are looking for every opportunity to find fault with a believer, and I understand that! Just don’t give them anything that will seal their doubt!

Blessed is the person who doesn’t sit in the seat of the scornful! This one I will elaborate a little more on. Scorn is the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt. Now, we’re probably not seeing ourselves in this seat, but let’s look at it. God’s word states that when we don’t look down on people, thinking them to be worthless, or holding contempt for them, we are blessed. That leads us to believe, that if we are looking down on people, we are not blessed.

I once heard a well known pastor call the Democrats, evil Democrats. Really? Now we have become so politically embittered with one another that we are grouping all Democrats and all Republicans in the same boat? That’s contempt! That’s looking down on people! News flash! There are bad people in both political parties, and in the independents. There are good people, also. And even more shocking to some, there are godly people in both parties, irrespective to what we see. God isn’t pleased with us looking at His creation with scorn. He died for the whole world! You can be as passionate about politics as you feel you need to be, but sitting in the seat of the scornful applies to you, me, and every other believer!

I like what one pastor said, not so long ago! There is only one race of people. The human race. Therefore, we shouldn’t be looking down on anybody because of their skin color! We come in different colors, sizes, and two genders, but we are all a part of the same race. Looking down on an individual because of their color, their nationality, their gender, or their profession, is equally out of order. You may call yourself “blessed by the Best”, but He doesn’t validate scorn on any level.

One day, I went to visit a woman in the neighborhood who I thought was a friend. She was actually having a birthday party for her child. When I got there, she introduced all of her friends with their “titles”: Attorney This, and Doctor That! And then she turned to me and said, “Oh, and this is Martie!” Was that supposed to be a dig? I do believe it was! I realized she thought that she and her “professional” friends were better than me! You can well imagine that relationship was a bust! When you are the object of scorn, it doesn’t take you long to realize how hurtful that can be!

Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34 -NKJV

How about that? God scorns, looks down on and finds contemptible, the scornful! I’ll take yours over His!

Receiving ungodly counsel, causing sinners to be hindered, or looking down our nose at others, are not godly characteristics. They are of the devil! We can quote Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but if these things are a part of our lives, then we are not blessed! Not by God’s standards! And you know what, only what He thinks about us is what truly matters. Wonderful Jesus!

His Name is All That!

Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” NKJV

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Years ago, Donnie McClurkin sang a song, “I Call You Faithful”. It was a hit with the church and the world alike. In the song, he called Jesus holy, righteous, awesome, faithful, healer, and savior. And then he summed it all up by singing:

I call You All That, Your name is All That
You have been all that to me
I call You All That, Your name is All That
All that You are and all that You’ll be
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

As I was thinking of how to end this week, while staying on the same message, I thought of this song again. So I will end it with this, His Name is All That!

I’m sure I mentioned this in another blog, and it bears repeating, that names, from the biblical perspective meant something. It either disclosed something about the state of God’s people, the identity of God, or the hope for the child. In the case of Jesus, His Name not only speaks of who He is, but of God’s hope for His people, and the state of mankind. That’s truly a name that is All That!

Jesus means “to deliver, to rescue,” in the Hebrew. His name tells us that He is the deliverer, letting us know “who” He is. As deliverer, His Name tells us that God’s hope for His people is that we are delivered from the bondage of sin. His Name deliverer tells us that mankind was in a place where the Deliverer was needed to provide a rescue! Glory, Hallelujah! That’s powerful!

As Deliverer, Jesus most certainly had to be All That! In order for Him to be the deliverer for God, He had to be holy, a Lamb without blemish. His Blood was needed to settle God’s requirement for sin. No other blood would do! One song said, “His blood was not just blood of another spotless lamb, but His Blood was precious Blood, for it washed the sins of man”!

As Deliverer, Jesus not only had to be holy, but He had to be prepared to meet the needs of those who were delivered! I read Christian military fiction. Every time there is a rescue, the deliverers prepare for every contingency. They make preparations to extract the individual as efficiently as possible. They have medical supplies in case the person is sick or wounded. They have food, in case the individual has been starved. They have clothing in case the individual is not properly dressed. And lastly, they have the weaponry needed, to withstand the enemy during the extraction. In other words, they plan for the “worst case scenario” and hope for the best!

Our Deliverer is even better than that! He is the preparation for every contingency. Whatever we need, He doesn’t have to find it and bring it along, He is it! He’s efficient in what He does, because He only had to die on the cross, one time, for the sins of the entire world, from Adam til He returns. He doesn’t have to gather medical supplies because at His Word, by His Blood, through faith, we are healed! He’s not worried about food, because He can multiply whatever is around, turn water into wine, or just cause the stones to be made bread! He clothes us in righteousness, making us presentable for the Father! And lastly, He defeated the enemy, and the devil is under His feet! He is the perfect Deliverer!

You haven’t come up with a need that Jesus cannot meet. I received a comment this week calling Him, Everything! He truly is! The latest song about who He is, calls Him:

Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness,
My God! That is who you are!

This is Jesus! This is who we call Lord, Savior, Messiah, Master, King of kings, Lord of lords! This is who He is! It is an honor to know Him. An honor to be in a relationship with Him. An honor to be known by Him. He is the greatest person to ever live! He has the highest throne! He has the most followers! He answers to no other person! He doesn’t need us for anything, He just wants to love us and love on us!

No enemy can withstand Him! Not cancer, not coronavirus, not poverty, not lack, not inferiority, not superiority! Sin doesn’t overcome Him! Trouble isn’t too much for Him! Your past isn’t too much for Him! Your failures doesn’t overwhelm Him! Your challenges, don’t challenge Him! Your victories don’t outshine Him! His Name is the still the Name above every Name! He is still awesome, amazing, God!

I can’t even begin to recall all of the times Jesus has shown up for me. Maybe today you can say the same thing! The list would really be long! The most important thing I want you to think about is that, these Names have become who He is in the lives of so many people. I don’t just read about Jesus the Healer, I have experienced Him time and again. I don’t just read and dream about Jesus the Provider, I have experienced Him on many occasions. I don’t just sing about Jesus, my Deliverer, I have been delivered and kept from much!

When I was teaching the youth many years ago, I challenged them to ask Jesus to be real to them. I challenged them to experience Him for themselves so that no one need ever to convince them that He is real. They are adults today. Many of them have solid relationships with the Lord. Why? Because He walked out of the pages of the Bible and straight into their hearts. And guess what? He’ll do the same for you!

It’s time out for just singing about how wonderful Jesus is! It’s time to experience Him! It’s time out for declaring He is a healer, to embracing Him as your healer! It’s time out for religious platitudes and cliches, it’s time to know God through the Person of Jesus, the Christ! He is All That! He’s whatever you need! Wonderful Jesus!

His Name is Prince of Peace!

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On the day of His birth, the angels announced,

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14 -NKJV

The Prince of Peace had come to the earth and it was simply glorious! The angel was speaking with the shepherds, telling them of the Child that was born. The One who was named, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace had arrived! They were listening in awe and fear, when as soon as the angel told them where to find the Child, the host of heavens burst out with praise! They couldn’t hold it any longer! Peace had been deposited on earth! Not one who had peace, but One who was, and is Peace. Jesus, the Prince of Peace! If they were afraid after seeing the angel, they must have almost passed out when the hosts arrived on the scene!

He also killed the bull and the ram as sacrifices of peace offerings, which were for the people…Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:18,23-24 NKJV

In the Old Testament, God instituted the peace offerings. This peace offering was said to be for the people. The sacrifice provided the meat for a communion meal for the people, after they had performed the sin offering, and the atonement offering. It is special to note, that after we repent of our sins, and are cleansed by His Blood, we have the ability to rest in His peace and have communion with the Father! The peace offering, was in fact, representative of what the Prince of Peace came to the earth for; to restore peace between God the Father and mankind, that we might have sweet communion with Him. After this particular peace offering, the glory of God filled the place, as it did when the Prince of Peace had come! Wonderful Jesus!

The way He came, is the way He left, with an announcement of peace. Before He was crucified, He told His disciples:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 NKJV

The Prince of Peace left His peace for His disciples. He said His peace was not of this world and that we are not to allow our hearts to be troubled or to allow it to be afraid. How can we live daily, with all that goes on around us, and not be troubled, and sometimes afraid? He told us it’s possible because He is our peace!

We sing the chorus:

This peace I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
This peace I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
This peace I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away!

Yet, all too often, we do allow the world to take it away from us. Financial crisis, health crisis, pandemic, marital issues, relationship issues, work issues, and the list can go on and on. However, this simple chorus echoes Jesus message to us: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid!” Why?

For He Himself is our peace…Ephesians 2:14 – NKJV

David said,

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 – NKJV

Isn’t that something? He said that he was going to lie down in peace, and get a good night’s sleep. How? Because the Lord made him to dwell in safety, and the Lord was his peace! Oh, that we can come to such a place in Peace, that we can lay down and get some good sleep. Have you been missing out on sleep lately? Are you restless and can’t seem to enjoy life? Are you worried to the point of staying up til the wee hours of the morning? No sleep, no peace! Know Peace, know sleep!

This “mini-series” has been to remind us of who Jesus is to us! Sometimes we can get focused on all that is going on around us, and forget the awesomeness of the One we call Lord. As I sit here blogging, thinking of this verse, I rejoice in the One called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace!

I leave you with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, words:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

We can have peace, because He, Prince of Peace, is our Peace! Wonderful Jesus!

His Name is Everlasting Father!

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world!

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I learned this song in Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, as a child! If you were brought up in a Christian environment, or, are raising your children in one, you probably have learned it, also! As children we are taught of the God who loves us, and as adults, we tend to forget how very much we are loved by Him. A father’s love has the power to bring security and peace of mind, while the lack thereof can bring dysfunction, insecurities and a host of other negative things. There is one Father, who will always be available to His children, Jesus! His name is Everlasting Father!

Jesus told us that when we pray, we are to refer to God as our Father. On many occasions He called God, His Father! Now, we will look for the qualities of a Father in our Savior, understanding that He is the Everlasting Father! Pretty much, this verse in Isaiah 9:6 is saying that the Child born to us, would be God! Every aspect of God that we love and saw demonstrated in the Old Testament, has been made available to us through Jesus!

In Ephesians 1, Paul wrote that we were predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus to Himself. As we believe on Jesus, because He is God, He is also our Father! In Hebrews 2, the writer stated that the captain of our salvation (Jesus) is bringing many sons to glory! Who has sons? A Father!

My husband is an amazing dad! As I’ve watched him with our daughters, in their formative years, and even now, I can say that I envy them and their relationship. My father died early in my life, and even before he died, he had too many kids, and too many responsibilities to be much more than a provider. But my husband is such a great dad, that I have even heard my girls reference their relationship with God, to their relationship with their dad. It’s the picture God intended for them to have.

One important quality in a dad, to me, is being present. My husband was a pilot in the Navy. When he left the Navy he could’ve been a commercial pilot, as many of his friends had become. However, he chose to forego that career because he wanted to be with his family. He didn’t want to miss out on anything in their life. Jesus said to us that He would never leave us, nor would He forsake us. He promised to be with us til the ends of the world. That’s staying power! That’s being present! Not just as we are growing, but until the world ends! No other father can make that statement, but Jesus does!

My girls like to talk with their dad. They talk about politics, their jobs, and anything else that they want to, with him. He’s always listened to them. They know from years of experience that he is there for them. Jesus bids us to come and talk to Him. He said that if we are burdened, or carrying a load, to bring it to Him because He will give us rest! Day or night, we can go to Jesus! He is never too busy, or too tired; and any conversation we are willing to have with Him, He will have with us. He’s our Everlasting Father!

Another quality of a good father, is that he is wise. My husband invests, and because of that, he has counseled our daughters to be investors. Their first job saw them investing, and when they have questions about investments, they talk to their dad. When they have major decisions to make, or even minor ones, they want to know what he thinks. Jesus is filled with wisdom. He tells us how to conduct our lives. He talks to us about our relationships with others. He gives us insight into what bad choices will do for our lives. He talks to us about our future, reminding us that our past doesn’t have to define us. He gets to the heart of the matter in a conversation, and tells us what we need to hear, and not what we want to hear. Just like a father! Why? Because His name is Everlasting Father!

He is a great provider, that husband of mine. He wanted our girls to go to college without loans, or worry of how it would be financed. Each of them left undergrad debt free. We made the sacrifices for them so that they would have a healthier financial start in life. They had their own car in college so that they could come home whenever they wanted to. They even had their own room, when they asked for it, so that they would not have to worry about anything but school. They all had a part time job, and they respected and appreciated the sacrifices, but as their dad, he really wanted to do this for them.

Jesus is the same way. Even better. He is a great provider. He said that we are not to worry about what we would eat, or drink, or even wear; because our Father knows that we have need of all of these things. He just encouraged us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and He promised that these things shall be added to us. In other words, material things were a simple addition to life, when our focus was on being with Him and working in His kingdom. Every great father, welcomes His children into the family business!

Fathers can be great role models. Our children are a reflection of both of us. However, they are daddy’s girls to the max. I would even say that a lot of the love and attention that I get from him, they expect. Their daddy, to them is the measuring rod of any man looking for their attention. Jesus is an amazing example of all that is good and wholesome, and holy, and loving. We know what a Christian looks like, because we see what Jesus’ life was like. We live daily to let our lives be a reflection of Him. His example is so powerful in nature, that even people who don’t know Him try to imitate Him!

Originally, when I started this blog, I was thinking on a different plane. But recently, I had a conversation with someone who remarked on how spoiled I am; and she asked me if my husband had spoiled our daughters like he has spoiled me? As I thought of their relationship, I knew the way this blog should be written!

Did I forget to mention love! Any great dad has an uncanny ability to make each of his children feel loved and special. My husband certainly fills that role in our daughters lives. Did I mention that I am jealous? Only slightly, because the rest of me is thrilled beyond measure to see him love on our daughters. Oh how He loves you and me, this Everlasting Father of ours! His love sent Him to the cross! His love for us got Him up! His loves for us, sent us a Comforter! His love for us know no bounds! It is an unending love, that says nothing can change His love for us! What a wonderful Father He is!

Let me just say this for those who need to hear it. My husband isn’t perfect, our girls aren’t perfect, our life isn’t perfect! But we have trusted Jesus, the Everlasting Father, to lead and guide our family. He is the Head of our household and we acknowledge that with no problem. Everything I have mentioned, Jesus is that and more! His Fatherhood is forever, and we can always count on it; for us, for our children, for our children’s children. I rejoice today in my loving, Everlasting Father, Jesus the Christ! What about you? Wonderful Jesus!

His Name is Mighty God!

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It was about twenty years ago, when I had the unexpected pleasure of seeing the Hubble telescope exhibit at the Adler Planetarium, here in Chicago. I was on a field trip with one of my daughters and I wasn’t all that interested in seeing the exhibit. When the show started, what I saw was God, Mighty God. If I remember correctly, the Hubble allows scientists to see beyond our galaxy to the billions of galaxies in the universe. Not only that, it also helped them to realize that Earth is the only habitable planet in the universe. It is as He said!

In the Old Testament we see God, the Father, display His might against Pharaoh, against the Philistines, and against the many enemies of the children of Israel over and over again. In the New Testament we can also see, Mighty God Jesus, display His might over the enemies of mankind over and over again. I want to share some of my favorite displays of His might and power.

Immediately what comes to mind is the crucifixion. Don’t judge me if I am not sequential today! He demonstrated great strength, control, and dedication to His end goal of saving us. He could have called angelic hosts to deliver Him, yet He endured physical and emotional trauma to deliver us from hell’s eternal torment. And just when the devil thought he had silenced God’s Son, He rose from the dead! Jesus, Mighty God, demonstrated His power over sin and death! Mighty God demonstrated His might, with creation of the natural world, and Mighty God Jesus demonstrated His might with the new birth, or recreation of our very being!

Another favorite of mine is when He walked on water! Now that’s miraculous! Even his disciples, who were able to follow in His footsteps and do many of the things He did, was not able to walk on water. How many times do you think Jesus, Mighty God, walked on water? As many times as He needed to! This demonstrated His might over His creation. He didn’t bow to the limitations of creation, He made them bow to Him! Mighty God! God parted the waters that His people might walk on dry land, but Jesus just walked on it when He needed to get across!

He turned water into wine! Six large water pots, approximately 120 gallons of water was transformed before Him. How did He do it? What transpired to make it happen? How can it be duplicated? I’ve never heard of it being duplicated. He did the impossible! Without touching it, without praying, without speaking words over it, He caused that water to turn to wine! He said, fill the pots with water, draw some out, and take it to the master of the feast. Voila! Top quality wine was made! Might demonstrated just because! True, it was His first sign that He was God, but He could have chosen something different, more earth shaking to do that! God turned water into blood, and He turned it into wine! Mighty God! Are you seeing this? I’m getting excited just writing about it!

His authority over Satan! One of the funniest things Jesus said, in my opinion, was when He said that He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven! That is so funny to me! Satan has most of the world afraid to mention him, but Jesus let it be known that Satan was nothing to Him. He saw him fall! Every experience Jesus had with Satan, He walked away in victory. Every single one! Demons bow in His presence! When He cast them out, they asked permission of Him to go into a herd of pigs. They asked Him not to torment them before the appointed time. They were utterly afraid of Him. They understood His might!

There is no sickness, there is no disease, there is not situation, that His might cannot explode upon and bring great victory! None! The Bible only shares about 34 different miracles with us, but over and again he healed the multitudes, making it thousands upon thousands. He caused the people to marvel at Him time and again, as they watched Him operate like the God of their fathers. Whether He was calming the raging seas, or raising the dead, there was no doubt that He was and is Mighty God!

Now, having said this, what hinders us to believe? Many people confess Him as Savior and Lord, and yet, have not realized that He is still Mighty God! He didn’t stop being Mighty God because He ascended to heaven! His purpose for coming, was to redeem us, and to allow us to see the great lengths He was willing to go to in order to help us! Mighty God saved us, not just that we would miss hell, but that we would know Him and His love well enough to trust Him to show up!

Can I just say that each of our three daughters are a walking miracle? Can I just say that I am a walking miracle? Can I just say that neither of us would be here today if Mighty God, Jesus, hadn’t shown up? The miracle of my healing isn’t more spectacular to me than their healing miracles. They are all just testaments to His might! He is still the Healer!

Years ago, we were traveling from Florida to Chicago. It was during the winter and we ran into snow. Our car wasn’t suited for the snowy highway and we found ourselves slipping occasionally, as we traveled. My husband expressed his desire to get to a town where we could stop, before it got dark. He didn’t want to have to navigate through snow and darkness; but the nearest town was quite a ways away. In the name of Jesus I decreed that the One who made the sun stand still could do it again. I don’t know if it stood still for the world, but we had light for the duration of our journey until we reached a city. You don’t have to believe it! It matters not to me; because I know it’s true!

Another time, when I was a teenager, I was driving in the hills of Tennessee, when He demonstrated His might. It started to rain as the sun went down. My problem was that the car I was driving didn’t have working windshield wipers. It went from raining to torrential rain, causing my vision to be impaired. I finally said to Jesus that I could close my eyes and drive and it would be the same result. The next thing I knew, I was in my parking space in front of my apartment. Clueless as to how I got there, knowing I had experienced a miracle. Mighty God!

I am learning that there is no greater relationship than the relationship I have with Jesus! It’s why I daily call Him Wonderful! It’s why I daily tell Him there is no other God like Him! I love Him for all He has done in my life, but I mostly love Him because He, Mighty God, loves me. I know that my blog isn’t read by the masses, but my heart is that everyone who does read it, will come to realize a deeper love and intimacy with the One who loves us so much! Just think of this, Mighty God loves you and has demonstrated His love in dying for you. Since He was willing to that, we ought to be able to believe that He is willing to move heaven and earth on our behalf! Won’t you trust Him today? Wonderful Jesus!

His Name is Counselor!

Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” NKJV

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Who do you turn to when you need advice? Most of us, if we’re fortunate to have a good friend will turn to our friend. Some of us will turn to a parent or parent figure, while others will turn to a pastor, sibling, or perhaps a professional counselor. Whomever you choose to seek out for advice, make sure that advice is something you can live with.

Immediately upon sitting down to write this blog I thought of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Solomon had died, and the people of Israel, along with Jeroboam, went to Rehoboam to ask him to lighten their load; and they would serve him. He asked for three days to give his decision. In the meantime, he asked his father’s advisors what he should do? They encouraged him to give the people what they asked for. He rejected that advice and asked his friends. His friends told him to do the opposite, encouraging him to be tough on Israel. It was at this point that the nation of Israel was split! What terrible advice he chose to follow!

Jesus is an amazing Counselor. He won the hearts of His followers because of it! Let’s take a quick peek at some of His counsel:

You are the salt of the earth. If salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing!
You are the light of the world. Don’t hide your light under a basket!
You have heard it said, don’t murder! I say that whoever is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of the judgment!
If you bring your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave it and first be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer it!
You were told, don’t commit adultery. I tell you that if you look after a woman to lust for her, you’ve already committed adultery!
Do to others, what you want them to do to you!
Forgive, or your Heavenly Father won’t forgive you!
Give and it will be given to you!
Pray for those who use you!
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you!
Let your yes, be yes, and your no, be no!
When you give a charitable gift, don’t let others know about it!
And the list can go on and on, for His words are still being regarded as wise counsel!

Some of the things I have sought Counselor Jesus on are:

Joining the Navy – I asked Him what to do with my life when I was about 21. He told me to join the Navy. I asked Him why? He told me, and I joined. After all the papers were signed, He told me that my husband was an officer in the Navy. I say yes to the Counselor’s advice!
Finding my husband- I specifically asked Him after meeting each man, “Lord, is this the one or should I look for another?” When I met my husband He told me to look no further. He even told me to reach out to him at his base in Florida, and directed my call to the right place. Counselor, counseled, and I listened!
Raising our kids- He told me to discipline them so that He wouldn’t have to send angels to rescue them. They are all young women, loving their Counselor!
Working on the job- He’s helped me out so much with His counsel in this area. One time I was so tired of teaching that I had decided to give my students a worksheet to keep them busy; so I could just go and sit down! We had been in testing all week. Just as I was handing out the worksheets, He told me to keep teaching. Less than five minutes went by when my principal walked in to observe me. Later, he shared with me that I was always on my job, no matter what. He observed that I was teaching while others were sitting around. The very thing that was in my heart. Counselor, counseled, I listened!

Here’s the point! The Child that was born is called Counselor, because He is full of wisdom. There is no situation that we can face today that He has not already encountered with another individual. He is not shocked by what we think, say, or do. He already knows it all. He sees our past, present, and future, and is highly qualified to give counsel for our lives. His words may appear to some to be ancient, but no wiser words have ever been spoken. If His advice is followed, we don’t have to worry about it being the wrong advice. It will prosper in our lives.

Maybe you haven’t recognized the free advice you have in the Savior. Maybe you haven’t stopped to ask His thoughts on the matters of your heart. Or maybe, like Rehoboam, you asked Him, then rejected it. Today is a great time to begin listening to the Counselor’s advice. He has your best interest at heart and knows more than any parent, friend, pastor, or human being. However, don’t be surprised if He sends you to one of them, because He can give them just the right words to say! Wonderful Jesus!

Wonderful Jesus!

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Many years ago I began answering my phone, “Wonderful Jesus”! At first, this was a shock to people’s ears, causing many to stop and ask me, what was it that I had said? Okay, in all honesty, people still do! I’m not sure at what point I started this, but I remember thinking that many people I knew answered their phone with “Praise the Lord” and I didn’t want to be a copy cat! Therefore, I had to come up with something a little more original.

One of my favorite songs as a young believer was sung by Larnelle Harris and Sandi Patti, “More Than Wonderful”. I still love this song today! Many days, while folding laundry in my basement, I would sing this song, and I guess the phrase just took root in my heart. I believe that Jesus is wonderful! On my answering service I even go so far as to say, “And He is truly wonderful”! Now, I am greeted by many people with this same phrase, because it is a true testament of how we see Him in our heart!

“And His name will be called Wonderful”! Some versions of the Bible have the comma after Counselor, as if He will be called Wonderful Counselor, but I agree with the Young’s Literal Translation that Wonderful is His Name!

I call Him Wonderful because He saved me from eternal damnation and has given me eternal life!
I call Him Wonderful because He took my grief laden heart and turned it into rejoicing!
I call Him Wonderful because He healed my body of encephalitis and gave my legs strength to walk again!
I call Him Wonderful because He kept me from so much junk!
I call Him Wonderful because He first loved me!
I call Him Wonderful because He loves me for who I am, not for who I can be, or ought to be!
I call Him Wonderful because He watches over my family!
I call Him Wonderful because He chose an amazing man for me to spend my life with!
I call Him Wonderful because my husband and our daughters call Him Lord!
I call Him Wonderful because He has healed so many people!
I call Him Wonderful because He is so good to me!
I call Him Wonderful because He is God!
I call Him Wonderful because He allowed me to partner with Him in His kingdom!
I call Him Wonderful because, because, because, because!

Every single day of my life I call Him Wonderful! However, He isn’t just Wonderful to me! He’s Wonderful to all of those who call Him Savior! Everyday people are being saved from the clutches of the devil! Isn’t that just Wonderful? Everyday people are finding the strength to overcome! He’s Wonderful! Everyday people are gaining new insight into the kingdom and understanding Him better! That’s Wonderful! And every single day He keeps loving, forgiving, teaching, nurturing, saving, healing, and delivering! It’s easy to see why He is called Wonderful!

A song I learned as a kid has these words:

Isn’t He Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful?
Isn’t Jesus, my Lord, Wonderful?
Eyes have seen, ears have heard,
It’s recorded in God’s Word,
Isn’t Jesus, my Lord, Wonderful?

Sometimes I just need to take a break from information and share a little inspiration. Take a few minutes today and think about all the times He has revealed Himself to you as, Wonderful! Then share them with Him or someone you love. It could be your psalm of praise to the One who has been Wonderful to you! Wonderful Jesus!

Change Your World!

Hebrews 11:3 -Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. KJV

* When I posted this yesterday, somehow it posted for earlier this month and I had to search for it. My apologies for the late posting!

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Have you ever had a situation in life that you didn’t understand? Well, if you haven’t, I have had enough of them to share some with you! It is doing those times of difficulties and confusion that we find it hard to believe God; however, if you remain true to Him during those times, you will find that He is truly God, and that He can change your world!

Years ago, I was reading something Rick Renner wrote in regards to this verse, that has stuck with me. Rick said that when we look at this verse, we think about creation being formed by the word of God, where He caused something to appear out of nothing. He went on to explain, and you may need to read it from him to really get it, that it means something totally different. Basically, he stated that the Hall of Faith is written about people who changed their world, by faith in the word of God. I think that is not only an interesting point of view, but a biblical sound point of view.

There was Abraham, the father of faith, and the patriarch of Israel. At God’s word, he left Ur and went into a land that he didn’t know. As he obeyed the word that God gave him, a whole nation of people were born, changing the world as he knew it. Out of a barren woman, came forth a nation that is still in existence today! Abraham chose to believe God, and the world was changed because of it.

Take Joseph. God gave Joseph two dreams. In the dreams, his family bowed to him. Even being in slavery didn’t stop Joseph from trusting God’s plan for his life. Not only did his dream come to pass, but Joseph ended up saving his family, and thus the nation of Israel. But here’s something that jumped out at me, his brothers sold him into slavery, and his brother’s families were in slavery for over 400 years! God’s word to a young man literally changed his world, causing him to be the head and not the tail, in the land of his enslavement. And it changed the world in which he lived!

My all time favorite world changer is Jesus. He’s still changing the world today! However, I will use my next favorite person to seal the deal. Paul! Paul didn’t start out with a love for Jesus, or His message. As a matter of fact, he persecuted the believers. But one day he was literally knocked to his knees by an encounter with the Savior. As a result, his world was changed, the church world was changed, and the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. God gave him a word, and that word changed everything about his life and in his life!

World changers are people who are not encumbered with their past, or their present, but only in what they believe. Here are a few people from our immediate history I am sure you remember:

George Washington Carver, born a slave, wasn’t moved by the fact that Black people were considered less than human, illiterate, and incapable of thinking for themselves. He was moved by his love for agriculture and his faith that he could help his people make a living. In the process, he changed the agricultural world. The records show that he was a man of faith who trusted God with even his scientific discoveries. Did he experience challenges and setbacks? You bet he did! But he changed his world, with a word from God!

Harriet Tubman learned to hear the voice of God. One day God told her to run! As she obeyed His voice, she found her way up North, and freedom from slavery. His same voice, led her back South, enabling her to free over 300 others, never getting caught. She changed her world, their world, and eventually the world in which she lived. How? By a word from God!

These individuals didn’t have an easy life. They didn’t have anything to start with. They didn’t even start out as world changers. They went through great challenges and setbacks, but they had a word from God. Inside each of us, is definitely the ability to change our world, and the possibility of changing the world for others. We just need a word from God.

Faith, is about trust. It isn’t blind faith, but it is faith in the character and the word of the person you have placed your trust in. You will never experience a relationship with anyone who is more faithful to his word, then God! His favor doesn’t require a payback, or a scratch on the back! He just requires that you trust Him no matter what!

I am truly training my heart and my words to understand that what I don’t understand in this life, I choose to understand by faith in a wonderful God! Faith in a loving God! Faith in a good God! I don’t know what you are going through today, or what you went through yesterday, but Jesus is the same! His promise to us remains the same, He is with us!

You may not feel like, and it may not seem like it, but you are a world changer. If not the whole world, definitely yours. All you need is a word from the word of God to hold on to, to trust in! As you face the challenges of your life, put the word on it and begin to watch your world change. It’s time for us to realize that anybody can have faith when the going is good; but having faith when the going gets tough? That’s true faith! That’s overcoming faith! That’s Hebrews 11 faith! Wonderful Jesus!

Put it to the Test!

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

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In this letter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is full of advice. In actuality, his advice is more accurately called exhortations, or words of encouragement meant to push the believer into becoming more mature. The part that I want to look at today is, “test all things”.

My husband shares the story of one of our first dates. He and I went to a pizza place to eat. When we placed our drink order, he asked for a beer. I didn’t say anything while the server was present, but afterwards I remarked on the fact that I was surprised he ordered a beer. To be perfectly honest, I told him that if a Christian friend of mine was to walk past us, I would be embarrassed. He said that he didn’t have to have the beer and that he wasn’t a drinker. Years later, when I mentioned this event, he said it was a test to see how I would respond in an uncomfortable situation. I can also honestly say that I never saw him drink beer again, so I can accept his explanation. He put me to the test, and I passed the test! One of many according to him! But I want you to know that I had some tests of my own!

In life, we will find ourselves in many situations where we will have to put something to the test. During a courtship is a perfect time for testing. Having warm fuzzy feelings for an individual is great, but I can assure you that the feelings don’t last with the wrong person. It’s easy to take people at face value, when you think you are in love, but people can be pretentious. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people got married, only to later say, “I don’t know this person”! That advice was free!

When looking into the word, there are a few things that we are to test, starting with ourselves! This test, according to the Vine’s is for the sake of “approving”. Paul is basically telling us that we get to give our approval of all things in this life. Many want us to believe that we should just take everything that happens, especially in the church, without having an opinion about them, but I don’t agree! And neither does Paul, for he said to test all things! When it comes to people, however, I think we should definitely understand what things we are testing!

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – NKJV

Isn’t it interesting that Paul encouraged us to examen ourselves so that we would know if Jesus was really in us! We all feel like we can tell if someone is saved or not. I’m certainly guilty of this opinion. Here, Paul is saying, “examine yourself”. You know if you are the real deal or not, for the proof really is in the pudding. In the faith isn’t talking about how you believe God for things, but if you are a member of His family. Put it to the test! I can tell you one thing, this pandemic is helping us to “examine” ourselves, rather we wanted to or not, to determine if we are in the faith!

Another thing we can test is our spiritual leadership! Yes we can!

But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 1 Timothy 3:10 – NKJV

In the church, almost anybody can be a deacon, it seems, today. Years ago, I was attending a church, when a deacon said from the pulpit that Mary was not a virgin. On that note, I found another place to worship. We can’t just attend church because of our soul ties and connections. If the word isn’t being preached, and the leadership isn’t living a godly life, they have failed the most important test! Put them to the test! Jesus commended one of the churches in Revelation for this very thing:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; Revelation 2:2 – NKJV

This isn’t being judgmental, it’s testing them. Not with paper and pencil! Not by being judgmental! But watch their life and listen to what they say! If that person can’t hold up to the test of the word, then you should pray about your next steps. I have been blessed through the years to have some really good pastors, but I put them to the test, without them knowing it! So don’t be ridiculous in the testing! Had the congregants tested Jim Jones and people like him, they would have been spared a horrible end!

Then there are spirits! There are so many spirits that we have to test them and see if they are from God or not!

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 – NKJV

Yes! I believe in the gift of prophecy, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t test the spirits of the “prophets” or the spirits behind situations. Try the spirits! If it’s of God, it will stand the test, and if it’s not of God, then it won’t!

God gives us permission to put Him to the test in the area of tithing:

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10 – NKJV

He is so confident in the blessing of the tithe that He said you could put Him to test with it! Go ahead and start tithing and see if He won’t bless you!

And then there is the trying of the word! Everything that we are told that the word says, doesn’t necessarily mean that the word says it. This is where studying the word comes into play, to prove if what we are being taught is so:

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11 – NKJV

Paul knew he was telling the truth, and yet he was impressed with the Bereans studying the scriptures to see if what he taught was true. I’m skeptical of people who get upset when they know people are checking out what they say in the word. One thing I love about the ministers I know, they get happy when they see or hear others studying the word. I can remember as a kid, that I saw Jim Jones throw the Bible on the floor. Ah! It’s time to leave! Why does this keep coming to my mind tonight? Is someone involved in a ministry that is questionable? If that’s you, put it to the test, and then do what God tells you to do!

I have to close, but I leave you with the words of Solomon:

All this I have proved by wisdom… Ecclesiastes 7:23 – NKJV

Proving all things involves the wisdom of God. Whether you are testing a person’s character because you want to marry them, or testing yourself, wisdom from God will be your top priority. Don’t walk around thinking that you are being used by the devil when you privately “test’ something by the Spirit of God. Notice, I said privately! And as you seek wisdom from Him, He will help you to prove all things! Wonderful Jesus!