Wonderful Jesus!

Category: God’s Blessings

• A Forever Promise!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 27, 2021

  Psalm 89:34-37- My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah NKJV

  

  Most people enjoy a great love story. Or at the very least, most women do! One of my favorites is the movie, “Ever After” with Drew Barrymore as Danielle, and Dougray Scott as Prince Henry. It’s another spin on the story of Cinderella, and it’s a joy to watch. In this version, the mean stepmother gets her just rewards, and Danielle gets her Prince Henry in a way that is entertaining and heartwarming. If it’s not a classic, it should be!

  Forever after seems to truly be a storybook fantasy in many of our lives. On my second date with my husband, he asked me if I knew of any marriages that had lasted. Sadly to say, at that time, the pickings were really slim. Today, however, I know many couples who have been together for decades, and seem to truly be on the road to their personal forever after! We’re included in that number having celebrated 34 years this month! Here’s a place for a “Wonderful Jesus” shout!

  God is a forever God! There’s nothing temporary or flaky about Him, or what He says, or what He does. His promises are sure and they are true!

  David was minding his own business when he was called to dinner with Samuel and his family. Unbeknown to him, they were waiting for the next king of Israel. Or so we think! Could it be that while David was watching sheep, fighting off the bear, and ripping the lion apart that God had already spoken to him about being king? Is it possible that he had already received the promise? I don’t know, but I know this, God made Him a forever promise.

  From that day, David was the king of Israel. He was favored of God, a warrior who won many battles for the Lord. He took back territory from the Philistines, established worship in the temple, united the kingdom, and won the respect of those near and far. But one day, he wanted to build a house for the Lord. It was not to be because God said that David had too much blood on his hands. But then God said this to David:

  “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”’ ”. 2 Samuel 7:12-13,16 – NKJV

  David was so delighted. He just wanted to build a place for God. He wasn’t looking for anything in return. God had been so good to him already that he just wanted to do something to show God how much He meant to him. But you can never repay the generosity of the Father. David responded to the Lord by saying:

  “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.” 2 Samuel 7:28-29 – NKJV

  David knew the integrity of God’s promises. When he was anointed king that day, he returned to the sheep, not to the palace. As a matter of fact his journey to the palace was a long and arduous one. He went from the one who was heralded as a hero after killing Goliath, to the one who hid in the cave of Adullam, and was found weeping at Ziklag, and finally to kingship. But through it all, God was faithful to David, and gave him exactly what He had promised him.

  We see David later in years, about to transition to glory, as he turns the kingdom over to Solomon. We see a man who slept with another man’s wife, and had the man killed. We see a man who ran from his son who took the kingdom from him. We see a man who had children killing each other. A hard and often difficult life. But God had blessed David richly and said He would have given him more if he would have just asked. This David! The one who seemed to have lost his way! This David, was promised a forever kingdom!

  Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore. Psalm 18:50 – NKJV

  Not only did God promise David a forever kingdom, but He also promised David and his descendants great deliverance and mercy forever! Isn’t that something? Well, that’s just like God. He didn’t change His promise based on David’s actions, but He kept His promise based on His word.

  Let’s return to our text.

  My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah NKJV

  God promised that He would not break or alter the word that had gone out of His lips to David. He even said that He would not lie to David! (Do you want to know something else, God isn’t lying to us!). God promised that David’s seed would endure forever and that is so through Jesus, and also through many in the nation of Israel who trace their ancestry to David. God said that his throne would be established forever, and again, this was made a reality through the throne of Jesus! God made a forever promise to David, and He kept His word!

  This week I have an objective, if you haven’t noticed. Two in fact. The first is to remind us of the surety of the promises of God. The second is to remind us of the faithfulness of God to His word. Scripture lets us know that He watches over it to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)

  As we journey through 2021, let’s do so, learning to trust in His promises like never before. Let’s set our face to know what those promises are and learn how to receive them in our lives. Let us determine that we will say like the song of old:

  Standing, standing
  Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior,
  Standing, standing
  Standing on the promises of God!

  Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, God’s Blessings, Jesus, Promises of God | 2 Comments | Tagged blessings, David, Deliverance, descendants, faithfulness, favor, God, hard times, Jesus, kingdom, Marriage, promise, trust in God, word of God

• The Changeless Promise!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 25, 2021

  Galatians 3:18 – For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. NKJV

  

  the-changeless-promise_.mp3

  Most people have a childhood memory of pinky promises. Promises to be best friends forever. Promises to keep each other secrets no matter what. Promises to never date someone who your friend is interested. Promises and more promises. Yet, I can’t remember any of the promises or people I made pinky promises with. I just remember doing it.

  As humans, we can be a little sloppy with our words, making promises that we have no intentions of keeping. Or making promises we are incapable of keeping. We’ve all experienced the disappointments of broken promises. And we know all too well that the best promise from some people is no promise at all!

  I think that is why living together, without the benefit of marriage, may have come into place. It gives you that sense of, not making a forever promise, so you don’t have to worry about it when the other person leaves. I’m just guessing here, but that’s fear. Fear of being hurt, disappointed, abandoned, and no longer wanted or needed. I get it!

  The thing that has me blogging tonight is this: because our word can be so weak, and our promises even weaker, we have a tendency to think God is the same way. Thinking like this, is what causes us to live beneath our privilege in Christ; and weakens our ability to live to our fullest in Him!

  I can give you example upon example of people not keeping their word. Children go to bed hurt at night because of the parent who didn’t come by to see them or pick them up like it was promised. Spouses cry themselves to sleep because of the other one, who walked away without looking back, although they promised a forever after. Bosses promise promotion that never happens, or raises that never seem to materialize. Companies makes promises with their products that we keep buying, even when we don’t get what they promised. Politicians who run campaigns on promises that they know are unrealistic, unattainable! Don’t you just get tired of it all! And so I get how difficult it may be to trust God at His word! God has this to say about Himself in the word:

  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?Numbers 23:19 – NKJV

  We learn about Abraham in Genesis. Abraham was brought up in a polytheistic, multiple gods, culture. He didn’t know who the one true God was, but he must have been interested in Him. One day God called out to him and made him a promise:

  Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” -Genesis 12:1-3 – NKJV

  And yet, in Galatians, Paul is still referring to the promise that God made to Abraham. Not weeks later! Not centuries later! But millennials later! Paul reminds us of the promise God made to Abraham, that we are partakers of! Everything God promised to Abraham happened. Abraham not only became a great nation, but two nations. His name is known, even today, worldwide. Today, all the families of the earth is being blessed because of the promise made to Abraham.

  God was so serious about this promise to Abraham, that it was said:

  For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” Hebrews 6:13-14 – NKJV

  That’s a strong promise! A promise made to Abraham in Genesis 22:16, when Abraham did not withhold Isaac from God on the mount. It was then that God swore by Himself saying that He would surely bless Abraham!

  Our text for today, references the inheritance that was promised to Abraham. The Greek word “kleronomia” means the actual enjoyment of the benefits already promised under the will. That’s powerful all by itself!

  Most people understand the concept of a will. Someone dies and leaves us an inheritance. We all wish we were related to people who are really wealthy, so we can get just a slice of the pie! But the King of Glory, God of the Universe has decreed that we are heirs (kleronomos) with Abraham! And that doesn’t excite most people! Well, it should! I’m getting stirred as I write!

  If you follow Abraham’s life, everything wasn’t easy. As a matter of fact, he didn’t get to see all of what God had promised to him and his descendants while on earth. The reason being, the promise is still being fulfilled. Even though Abraham is no longer on the earth, God’s promise set things in motion for him and He hasn’t changed His mind about that promise. Because Abraham isn’t around to partake of it, his descendants get to enjoy the benefits of this changeless promise.

  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29 – NKJV

  Let’s stop and think about the word promise. In the Greek it is “epangelia”. In the Vine’s dictionary we learn that:

  It frequently stands for the thing “promised,” and so signifies a gift graciously bestowed, not a pledge secured by negotiation…”

  Abraham’s only contribution to receiving this promise was to obey God’s command to leave and to go where he was led. As he did this, he demonstrated his willingness to place his trust in God. Then God blessed Abraham as he promised, and never stopped blessing him. God bestowed favor on Abraham. God bestowed riches on Abraham. God provided protection to Abraham. Every where Abraham turned, he was blessed or getting blessed. Even in his mess ups, they were turned around for his good. Because the blessing from God was upon his life!

  God’s promises to Abraham are just as available as they have always been, to the descendants of Abraham. Our part is the same as Abraham’s part was: we simply believe. We don’t have to negotiate with God, or even look for a better promise. Everything that God promised to Abraham is obtained through Christ! And those promises, called great and precious promises, better promises. are waiting for us today!

  Look at how faithful God was to His promise to Abraham. There was just no stopping that blessing from happening once it was set in motion by God’s decree. God has made some pretty amazing promises to us in His word. It’s up to us to decide if we can trust His word or not! I will trust God and His unchanging promise! What about you? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Blessing of Abraham, God’s Blessings, inheritance, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Abraham, blessings, Christ, Faith, faithfulness, favor, God, God’s word, Grace, heirs, inheritance, obedience, promise, trust in God, unchanging

• Anticipate Your Miracle!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 6, 2021

  Luke 4:25-27 – But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” NKJV

  

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  It’s really interesting to read the Bible and have something shout out to you. That’s what happened when I read this passage of scripture. I think I totally missed that it was Elijah with the widow and Elisha with Naaman. It happens! But what stood out to me the most was that they were Gentiles and that God orchestrated these encounters.

  In my previous post, we learned about the widow of Zarephath, who Elijah the prophet was sent to during the drought. Today, we will learn about Naaman, the leper, who also “caught” God’s attention! We will find this astonishing miracle in 2 Kings 5.

  Naaman, was a Syrian commander, whom God had used to bring victory to the Syrian army, according to the author of Kings. The Bible states that he was an honorable man and a mighty man of valor. However, he had one little problem; he was a leper.

  In the Old Testament, lepers were considered to be unclean, and as such, could not even be amongst the children of Israel. They had a special place outside the city where they lived until they either were healed or died. The disease had a horrendous affect on the bodies of those it ravished.

  Naaman, went on a raid, maybe against Israel, and captured a young Jewish girl who became a servant to his wife. One day the girl said to her mistress that if Naaman was to meet the prophet in Israel, he would be healed. When Naaman’s wife shared this with him, he went to his king and requested time to go and see the prophet.

  For Naaman, this had to be a dream come true. To be free of the diabolical disease that had the potential to eat away at his flesh causing parts of his body to someday begin to fall off? Imagine his hope and excitement at the chance to be whole! Such was his anticipation at being healed, that he took with him much silver and gold, and changes of clothing. He was going to Israel to be healed!

  Naaman arrived in Israel with a letter from his king, to the king of Israel, that stated the purpose of Naaman’s visit: to be healed of his leprosy. The king of Israel’s response was not a happy dance, but a fear that he was being trapped. When the prophet heard what was happening, he instructed the king to send Naaman to him.

  Yes! The excitement of Naaman and his entourage. I’m sure that there was much conversation and wonderment over how this miracle would happen. Naaman even shared that he thought the prophet would come out to him and do his thing!

  2 Kings 5:11 – “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ NKJV

  But the prophet didn’t even stick his head out of the door. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman and told him to go and wash seven times in the Jordan and his flesh would be restored and he would be clean. This is why Naaman was furious. After his long journey and all of his dreams, nothing was happening as he thought. Not only that, he was being told to go and wash in the muddy waters of the Jordan. What Naaman did not know or understand was that the prophet could not come out to him without becoming unclean himself. Elisha wasn’t just being rude!

  Jesus tells us in our text that many men were lepers in Israel. Yet, they were not healed by the prophet. But there was a man in Syria who heard about a prophet who could get him healed; and he was willing to do whatever he had to do, to obtain his miracle. Maybe that is what was missing in Israel, people who still believed!

  After Naaman finished his tirade about the ridiculousness of washing in the Jordan, his servants had a conversation with him. They knew of his desire to be healed. They had probably heard countless stories on the journey of how much he wanted to be free of leprosy and all that it would enable him to do. So they got some backbone and talked with him. (Thank God for the people in our lives who will brave our anger and tell us the truth)! They told Naaman that if the prophet had told him to do some mighty act, he would have done it, so why not go and wash?

  The path to a miracle doesn’t always make sense! It’s not always going to make us feel strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Sometimes it might make us feel ridiculous, maybe even humble us. Such was the case with Naaman! But he quickly got over himself and walked into the water!

  He washed as Elisha instructed him and he was made whole! Yes! It happened as the prophet said! He was clean! The young maiden had told him the truth! But he almost missed it. He almost allowed his pride and his offended spirit to cause him to miss out on his life changing miracle. How grateful he must have felt towards his servants for speaking to him! How grateful he must have felt for being able to listen to them!

  God had seen Naaman. Jesus implies this in our text! He saw his heart, and heard his cry to be healed. He saw that even though Naaman was a Syrian warrior, he was honorable. Maybe Naaman even treated his Jewish captives with respect. Whatever the case, God saw Him and God offered him an opportunity to be made whole. But obtaining the miracle was totally up to Naaman.

  Naaman’s response to his miracle when he returned to the prophet’s door:

  2 Kings 5:15 -And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel…” NKJV

  He finally gets his audience with the prophet, because now he is clean!

  Naaman exercised great faith in his preparation for the journey. We see this in the fact that he didn’t sneak over to Israel, he requested to go and was upfront about why he wanted to go. He prepared to give a substantial gift for his healing, it meant that much. He went with the expectation to receive. And although he almost missed the most important part, he even yielded and obeyed the words of the prophet. By his works, he demonstrated his faith in what he heard in Syria and then in Israel.

  There was just something about these two Gentile individuals, who had no known relationship or access to God. Something was happening in their hearts or around them that caused them to be open to the true and living God. That something got His attention and caused Him to get His prophets involved in a miracle.

  What about us? What are doing to show that we are expecting God to move in a miraculous way in our lives? Are we anticipating His divine intervention or are we rationalizing why it could never happen? Are we willing to do whatever it takes, or are we just sitting around hoping one will fall from heaven into our laps? This is a new year. Last year we saw things we could not have imagined happen in the natural world. I think this is a great year to see things we could have never imagine from God.

  1 Corinthians 2:9 – “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” NKJV

  Go ahead! Anticipate your miracle! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God’s Blessings, Heroes of Faith, Hope in God, Jesus, miracle | 0 Comments | Tagged anticipation, Faith, God, hope, intervention, Jesus, king, miracle, miraculous, Naaman the leper, supernatural, widow of Zarephath

• Planted By Rivers of Waters

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 9, 2020

  Psalm 1:3 – “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” NKJV

  

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  When I saw this picture, it certainly reminded me of our text for today! Waters flowing, greenery on both sides of the river, and a call to the soul of anyone who loves the great outdoors! Unfortunately, that isn’t me! I can enjoy a beautiful scenery like this, or in a movie; but when it comes to this type of nature, let’s just say, I’ll pass! Having said that, I can see the imagery that the psalmist was painting when he said that a blessed man shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

  I pick up with verse 3 today, but I must revisit verse 2. We’ve already discussed that a blessed man loves God’s law. In our case, that would be the Bible. A godly man, who loves the Word, is a man who is planted, rooted and grounded in the Word. He draws his spiritual strength and nourishment from God’s word, much as a tree draws water and nutrients from a river, which is necessary for sustaining life and growth!

  The prophet Jeremiah, used similar words to describe the man who is blessed:

  Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord . For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” NKJV

  Jeremiah confirms that a man who is blessed, is a man with roots! Roots are important to the tree, but they are also important to the soil. Roots give stability to the tree and provide it with nutrients, but it also keeps the soil from eroding. Stable people have a way of keeping those around them, from falling apart. Their strength is easily transferable to those who may be in need, being a blessing because they are blessed.

  The psalmist tells us three important things about this tree that is planted, which we understand symbolizes a blessed man:

  First, it brings forth its fruit in its season. This sounds a lot like dependability. As a kid I ate a lot of fruit from the trees in the neighborhood: pears, plums, and figs, to name a few. We knew in the summer that we would be able to play outside all day without the need to go in for lunch, because we were surrounded by fruit bearing trees. Some neighbors would ask us to help them harvest the trees and would allow us to have access to them when we wanted them. And honestly, sometimes we would just go and take what we wanted! We depended on those trees in the summer time. When Jesus went to the fig tree and found no fruit, I can well imagine His disappointment in that tree! A godly man is expected to have good fruit in his season, just as we expect fruit to be on fruit bearing trees in their season!

  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

  This blessed man, is an attractive man. I already shared my husband’s way with our girls, but let me tell you, I’m his number one girl. When we met, I saw the fruit of the spirit in his life, and was drawn to him. Are you looking for a husband? Make sure he is bearing fruit of godliness and not just talking it. Talk is real cheap, when you are thinking of committing yourself in a marital relationship! Look for the real deal!

  Second, its leaf shall not wither. Jeremiah helps us to understand this a little better. He writes that the leaf will be green and will not be anxious in a drought. He’s planted by waters. Photosynthesis is always happening within a tree that is well watered and filled with nutrients from that water. Therefore, the leaves are healthy, vibrant, and green. Even in a drought, because it doesn’t affect the tree by the waters. Blessed people are not concerned in times of famine or drought because they are planted near the flow of life; a river whose stream makes glad! The Word is a great source of nourishment in a drought. This pandemic has created a drought for many, but those planted in the Word, are still flourishing! Their leaves are still green and healthy! Does that mean that they don’t experience hardship? Not at all! But when things settle down, the blessed will be found standing!

  Lastly, whatever he does shall prosper. That’s what God told Joshua!

  Joshua 1:8 – “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.” NKJV

  The word of God causes us to prosper and to have good success! God said it several times and in several ways. The blessed man will be successful and prosperous! It doesn’t get any plainer than that! If you are a carpenter, then God will cause your carpentry to prosper and to be successful. If you are a teacher, like I am, then God can cause you to be successful and to prosper. What ever the arena, wherever you go, your way will prosper and you will have good success!

  Let me stop here and say what Jesus said many times, “Be it done to you according to your faith!” If you believe this is only about your spiritual well-being, then that’s where you will prosper and have good success. If you believer this applies to your finances and life, again, that’s what you will have. But if you believe it applies to everything that God has for you, including, “every spiritual blessing”, and every natural benefit, yep, that’s what you will receive.

  I just sensed that sometimes, we don’t feel like we are blessed because of a lack material things, or the trials we go through, or the fact that we are still single, or childless, or jobless. These things can mark the blessed person’s life. But what I wanted to help you to understand, is what God has helped me to understand: the most blessed person in the world, is the person who is living their life with God by His standards! And when you get these other things, they won’t pull you off because you know they are the benefits of you being blessed and not the things that make you blessed! Hope that makes sense! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings, Psalms, the Word of God | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, encouragement, fruit of the spirit, God, hard times, pandemic, planted, psalm, relationships, waters, word of God

• You May Not be Blessed!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 5, 2020

  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!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings, Psalms | 5 Comments | Tagged Attitude, blessed, blessings, counsel, Psalm 1, scornful, Sin, sinners, ungodly

• Happy Are the People!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 2, 2020

  Psalm 144:15 – “Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” NKJV

  

  happy-are-the-people_.mp3

  Happy people are blessed people, and blessed people are happy people! I woke up with this passage of scripture on my heart and just thought I would share it!

  We are happy when our children are doing well! David wrote the following about children:

  • That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth! In today’s vernacular this means, that our sons are doing well. They are physically healthy, they are growing into fine young men. They are morally upright and are demonstrating a sense of responsibility.
  • That our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style. No figure heads for our daughters. But still applicable in the sense that we want daughters of grace and inner beauty. Young women who are confident, vibrant, and of course, morally upright and responsible.

  We are happy when we have money in the bank, the bills are paid, and we can enjoy life and giving:

  • That our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce.
  • That our sheep may bring forth thousands in our fields. Increase in our labors. Much fruit in our jobs!
  • That our oxen may be well laden;
  • That there be no breaking in our going out- I left all of these together because they speak of prosperity. Yes, prosperity. Our finances, our business, our homes, our possessions, growing, flourishing, and overflowing to the point of being a blessing to others. That they are protected from the thief and from waste.

  We are happy when we feel safe and secure where we live:

  • That there be no outcry in our streets. We are living in such a way, that there are no protests in the streets over injustice, lack, or unfair treatment. We can go back and forth in the city without fear of being hurt, harmed, or in danger!

  How can this be? David was praying that this would be the state of the people whose God is the Lord! When we are in the kingdom of God, we should expect that every area of our lives will be touched by His goodness, filled with His blessings! Our family, our livelihood, our cities! Nothing missing, nothing lacking! That’s actually what blessings are all about! And when we are blessed by God like this, aren’t we happy?

  Somebody is saying, just one area Lord, and I’ll be happy! That may be true, but trust Him to move in all areas; expand your heart to receive more from God! He’s not having an economic crisis, and He’s not rationing out blessings!

  I just thought I’d share what I woke up to! I pray blessings over your family, your home, your livelihood, your city, your country! As David did! So the next time someone say to you, “Be blessed,” think of all these ways in which David, and I prayed for you to be blessed! Because happy is the people whose God is the Lord! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings | 1 Comment | Tagged Attitude, blessings, children, David, goodness, material blessings, provision, psalm

• How Is That Even Fair?

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 16, 2020

  Matthew 20:1-7 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ESV

  

  This is another popular parable. If you recall, in the 19th chapter of Matthew, Peter has just been told that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom. Peter then replies, that they have left all to follow Jesus and wants to know, “Therefore, what shall we have?” In the Message Bible his question is rendered, “What do we get out of it?”

  The Lord tells the disciples of the rewards that they will receive: they will rule with Him, everything given up will be restored 100 fold, and of course, eternal life. Then He shares that the last will be first, and the first will be last. But He doesn’t stop there. He then shares with them what the kingdom will be like, using the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

  The master goes out to find workers for his vineyard. He hires workers at 6 am, goes again and hires more at 9 am, then noon, and finally at the 11th hour, which is 5 pm. The work day ends at 6 pm. He agrees to pay the first workers a denarius for a full day’s work. Then, subsequently, he offers the same pay to the others, even those who work for only an hour.

  When the day ends, the master has the foreman call over the workers, and since they start with the last one hired and gives him a denarius, those who worked all day, thought they would received more. When they also receive a denarius, they become angry with the owner. He replies that he can do what he wants with that which is his; and that they received the payment that was agreed upon. Basically, they were asking, “How is this even fair? We worked all day long in your vineyard, even at its hottest point; and you make them equal to us. That just isn’t fair!” Well, whether it was fair or not, it was right; because it was his money, and therefore his decision.

  I have heard the phrase, “That isn’t fair,” more times than I can remember. As a matter of fact, I wish I could’ve placed a jar in my classroom to collect a dollar every time it was said! I got to the place where I stopped defending if something was fair or not, and started saying, “It may not seem fair to you, but it’s the right thing to do!” Then I’d keep it moving!

  The situation in the vineyard is exactly like the kingdom, some people will get saved as kids, others as teens, and still others as young adults, and they will serve God faithfully all of their lives. They’ll start churches, go on mission fields, feed the poor, teach Sunday School, and a host of other things before they die. Then there will be those who get saved and not serve Him for any real length of time, or not at all. Well, when they get to heaven, all of them will receive the gift of eternal life. There are no degrees of eternal life. It’s the same for us all! Your works may determine your rewards in heaven, but we all get the same pay, eternal life!

  Then there is the attitudes of the first workers, like some in the kingdom. Instead of them realizing the good heart of the one who hired them, they were complaining because they felt cheated. Most of us probably feel that it really wasn’t fair! None of us would “really” be happy to find out that we worked all day long and got the same pay that someone, who only worked an hour, received. Let’s keep it real! I can understand where they were at. However, they were more interested in how it wasn’t fair to them, and they couldn’t see the blessing that the master was to the last workers. In a very real sense, those families could have gone hungry that night had the master not shown compassion on them. If the first workers would’ve have been the last hired, it would have been the favor of God, and we all know that favor ain’t fair. But because they watched it happen to the other workers, the thought the master had treated them unfairly!

  Can you relate? How many times have you complained to God because of something He did for someone else? Especially a new believer? Your marriage is going through and you’ve been praying for years. Someone gets saved, their marriage is a disaster, but within a few months, their marriage is restored. How is that even fair? Well, since I don’t know all of the details, I just have to say, God knows what He is doing. His compassion knows no limit! Maybe less complaining will get you the same results.

  Another point is the character of the master. He had a heart of compassion for those workers who wanted to work but couldn’t find a means to provide for their families. They had been overlooked, maybe rejected, but the master of the vineyard hired them. Just like in the kingdom. All of us are important to God. It doesn’t matter when we cry out to and make ourselves available to Him, He accepts us! So how is that even fair? It is if you are the recipient! God says your heart is evil if you feel this way about how He runs the kingdom. I don’t know about you, but I want my heart to be right before the Master.

  Lastly, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The kingdom message was given first to the Jews and lastly to the Gentiles. But today, the Gentiles carry the message of the kingdom and the Jews are catching on. In which case, they are last! How’s that even fair? They did reject Him as a nation, and the Gentiles accepted Him. Now they have to get in line to receive their Messiah! There may be more to that, but that’s all I have for now. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God’s Blessings, Kingdom of God, Parable of Jesus | 1 Comment | Tagged Attitude, complaining, favor, Jesus, Kingdom of God, parable, provision, vineyard, workers in vineyard

• Don’t Settle For Less

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 7, 2020

  Genesis 17:17-18 – “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? ” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” NKJV

  Everyone wants a word from the Lord! And when we get a word from the Lord we get so excited. I know Abram got excited when God told him that he would not only have a son, but that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the sky! The Bible tells us that Abram believed God. And believed God. And believed God. Especially since he was 75 years old when the promise was made and 100 when it was fulfilled. I know that he had to have been excited when he told Sarai. They probably thought at first that the baby would be born within the year, but he wasn’t. And for years they kept believing that the baby would come, but it didn’t come. And so their faith began to wane.

  Many people know how Abram and Sarai felt. I know I do! God gives an exciting word to us which will give us the desire of our heart. You will be healed! Your debts will be forgiven! I’ve called you to preach the gospel. Go ahead, and put the word He has given you in the list. And you light upon that word, rehearse that word, confess that word and that word is yet to be fulfilled in your life. Well, Abram and Sarai took matters into their own hands to “help” God fulfill His promise to them.

  One day Sarai suggested to Abram that he take Hagar to have a baby with. And Abram did. And he had Ishmael. He was 86 years old! What a joy Ishmael was to Abram, but not to Sarai. Even though it was her suggestion, she and Hagar didn’t appear to be on the same page with Ishmael. I don’t know many women who would have handled the situation much better. But Abram was a dad! And he was so excited about it! He had what he wanted! A son!

  But Abram didn’t have what God wanted for him. In chapter 17, God visits Abram again and changes his name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. Abraham would be the father of many nations and Sarah would be the mother of many nations, and out of her kings would come. Well, by now, Abraham is laughing at this word from God. It’s more impossible now than it was at 75. And since he wanted a son, and he had Ishmael, he felt God had kept His word and all was well. Except, all wasn’t well!

  Sometimes when we are believing God for something we don’t hold out for God’s best. We settle for anything that looks like what He said and go on through life as if it’s okay. You’re not healed, but you feel better, so much better and stop believing for complete and total healing in your body. Your house isn’t paid off yet, but you have the money to pay your mortgage, or whatever bill, and you are just happy that you have the money needed, and it’s ok that your debt isn’t forgiven because it’s manageable. And the list can go on and on…

  Abram wanted a baby with Sarai. He loved her and wanted their posterity to continue, but they got tired of waiting and decided to settle for the next best thing. Ishmael. As a matter of fact, when God told Abraham about Sarah having a baby he reminded God of how old they both were, said that it was okay that he had Ishmael, and asked God to allow Ishmael to live before Him. But that wasn’t what God had planned for Abraham when He spoke to him, and therefore, it was not His will for Abraham’s life!

  God wants us to feel better, but more importantly, He wants us whole! He wants us to pay our bills, but He wants us debt free. He wants us to work in ministry, and adopt kids, and be satisfied and single, but He often has so much more for us than we receive because we are often willing to settle for that which He doesn’t have planned for us.

  I remember years ago, when I was a single woman, I was often teased by my seemingly high standards for the man I wanted to married. Once I was told that I acted like I was waiting for Jesus to come back and marry me. I replied that if He came back and married me I would accept. I did get engaged to a nice young man, but I knew I was settling. Fortunately I got out of that before I had made a big mistake. He wasn’t God’s best for me. Then I was told I would have to change my personality because men would be put off by it. I responded that I wasn’t changing to get a man, because I was better off single if I had to be somebody other than myself. Well, I eventually met the man of my dreams who loved me the way I was. I’ve changed over the years, but I didn’t have to change to get him or to keep him. I changed because of the power of the Spirit working in my life while the word transformed it!

  Now I’m in that place where I am believing God for ministry opportunities. I am so excited about blogging. This blog is being read by people in 44 different countries of the world. That’s amazing to me and I am so grateful to God for that exposure. I’ve already surpassed last year’s totals in views. (Not that they were so numerous, but they were my best at that time). And I found myself getting into that settling mode. I was getting satisfied with the blog and thinking, okay, this may be what the Lord had in mind for me. But today I was challenged by the word to not settle. God has great things in store for me, for you! He isn’t calling us to settle. Yes, be thankful, be content! But don’t become satisfied with today’s success when tomorrow hasn’t even gotten here yet and you don’t know what it holds! It may be many tomorrows as it has already been, as Abraham and Sarah experienced, but if it was a word from God, you can bank on it! It will surely come to pass! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God’s Blessings, God’s faithfulness, Promises of God | 3 Comments | Tagged Abraham, blessings, encouragement, Faith, Healing, Sarah, trust in God, will of God, word from God

• Even When You Don’t See It!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 14, 2020

  Numbers 23:11 – Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!” NIV

  If you read my blogs on a regular basis, then you know that I have started working on reading the Bible to see how fast I can read it. I heard one woman say that she took some time off to spend with the Lord and I believe she said she read it in a week. That’s amazing! I’m not quite that dedicated to getting through it, but I am making progress and in the last last two weeks I have been on a steady path and have just completed the book of Numbers.

  Another thing you might remember me mentioning is that I have started viewing the Bible project on YouTube which one of my followers suggested to me. I had seen it before, but had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and now I watch it before I begin every new book of the Bible. It really helps to set the tone and increases my understanding.

  The Bible project brought out a point about Balak’s attempt to curse Israel, and I decided to look at it again and then to blog about it.

  The song, “Waymaker” written and sung by Sinach, has become a favorite for many, especially me. Michael W. Smith also sings this song and he sings an additional part to the song:

  Even when I can’t see it, You’re working,
  Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working,
  You never stop, You never stop working!
  You never stop, You never stop working!

  If you have not heard either version, they are both wonderful. You should check the out!

  In Numbers chapter 22, we find Balak, king of Moab stirred up over the children of Israel passing through his land. He gets the bright idea to send for Balaam to curse the children of Israel that he might be able to overtake them in war and stop their progression to the promised land.

  What Moab didn’t know, or didn’t hold much credence to is that God had already blessed Israel and promised them the land. He had already given them instructions to wipe out the inhabitants of the land, so there was really nothing that Balak could do to stop it.

  Balak sent for Balaam. Balaam was obviously known to bless or curse people. In my readings, I have found comments stating Balaam was a prophet of God, wanting only to do his will, and other side, Balaam was crooked and kept saying he would only do His will to up the monetary gifts, thus his value. Balak, in the meanwhile, has allied himself with the Midianites with the goal of stopping the Israelites, and he doesn’t care about any of that, he just wants Israel cursed.

  As Balaam heads to meet with Balak, he encounters God. This has always been a little puzzling to me. God gives him permission to go, then God says He’s going to kill him for going. According to a commentator on the matter, it was to demonstrate that if he was such a one who could spiritually discern what God was doing, why did his donkey have to let him know that God was present to kill him? I’m not sure about this, but I do know that the donkey talks to him and reveals that God is there with a sword in his hand. According to the commentator, this is also God’s way of letting Balaam know that His word is law, and to say anything other than what he is told to say, will not end well for him. (My paraphrase!)

  Balak is so excited that Balaam has come to curse the people that he meets him at the Moabite border! He lets Balaam knows that he should’ve come at the beginning and that he will surely be rewarded if he curses this people; but Balaam reminds him that He can say no more than what he is told to say.

  When he gets started, he instructs Balak to prepare seven altars and he steps to the side to wait on God. God does speak to him and instructs him to bless the people, but when he does it, Balak is furious! Three times, Balak asks Balaam to curse them, and three times, Balaam blesses them! Now here’s the point:

  They were on the mountains overlooking the hundreds of thousands of Israelites who were in the valley just wanting to pass through. And as they were in the valley, they had absolutely no idea that there was someone overlooking them to curse them. They couldn’t see Balak, the Moabite officials, or Balaam overhead. They didn’t realize that anything was going on, but God was working on their behalf! The enemy was trying to curse them, to bring about their demise, and God was right in the middle of the situation, working things out for their good! And guess what else? The Moabites were worried about the Israelites, when God had already given them strict orders not to touch them! Worried for no reason whatsoever! Sounds like so many of us!

  I thought this was a beautiful picture of that statement, even when you don’t see Him, He’s working. Some times we forget that our Heavenly Father is looking out for us. That when He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless my people. and I will curse those who curse them too,” that this promise is ours to accept. Even now in this pandemic, God is working! We can’t see it! It may not even feel like it! But He’s working!

  Hearing that this stay at home order is expected to last until summer may seem daunting at best, but we should not allow that to be our focus. If we do, it will overwhelm us and cause us unnecessary anxiety. That’s why it is important to know that even when things looks bad, God is working on the behalf of His people. We can’t see it! We can’t even imagine what it could be, or even how it can be, but He is! By faith I understand that is just how He works sometimes! Behind the scenes, in the midst of troubles, without us even knowing it, but before it is all over, we will know that He is still a Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, God, God’s Blessings | 1 Comment | Tagged Balaam, Balak, Believer, blessings, hard times, protection, victory

• His Ardent Desire!

  Posted at 3:50 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 1, 2020

  Psalm 27:13 – I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. NIV

  In the church we have a saying, actually an echo: “The Lord is good, all the time! And all the time, the Lord is good!” Some of us have even taken to saying, “The Lord is good on purpose, and the Lord is good to me!” At least, that’s what I have begun to say!

  David had the right attitude about God! He wasn’t waiting for the time that he would die and be with God to experience God’s goodness! He was confident that God’s goodness would be a reality in his life on the earth. As a matter of fact, he said he would have given up on life if he couldn’t expect the goodness of God to be a part of his life. That’s’ how good God was to Him!

  David was so conscious of the goodness of God that he said that God’s goodness would follow him all the days of his life. (Psalm 23)! He knew that God’s goodness went far beyond a statement or a cliche. In Psalm 33, David stated that the earth was full of the goodness of the Lord and His goodness endures forever (Psalm 52). He not only knew of God’s personal goodness to Him, but he simply believed that God was just plain ole good to everybody and that He would never stop being good!

  So what is God’s goodness? God’s goodness is His mercy, His favor, or His kindness extended to us. The Hebrew word “chacad” literally means to “bow from the neck only in courtesy to an equal”. This renders the picture of God nodding in our direction, His favor, as if we are somehow on His level! Just His nodding in our favor is enough! And in the Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon it also is noted to have a meaning of being “an eager and ardent desire by which any one is led”. So not only is God’s goodness His nod in our direction, but His heart is one of eagerness and of an ardent (passionate) desire that leads Him in how He deals with us!

  We are so unaware of just how much God wants to bestow His goodness in our lives. We go through this life thinking that anything good that happens to us is miraculous or unexpected, but we serve an amazing God who loves us and passionately desires to favor us. Can you imagine that? All of our lives we may have been taught that we have to be good, read the Bible, beg God for things, or hope for the best in life, when David discovered long ago that God’s ardent desire is to nod towards us! It’s simply how He flows!

  Tonight as I am writing this blog, I have gotten excited myself. I know of God’s favor and have experienced it a lot in my life. Some call me blessed, some call me lucky, but God the Father favors me in ways that only He can fathom. And even in that, I can easily forget how willing He is to nod towards me.

  On our wedding day, it rained cats and dogs. But God gently told me that is was just symbolic of how He would bless our marriage. And after 33 years of marriage, there is no denying that He followed through. I had to quit college for a lack of funds and it nearly broke my heart, but He spoke to me and said that I would have several degrees, and I do. He worked it out! I was upset one day because I felt like I was working hard, but I wasn’t getting a lot of money for my effort. He spoke to me and said, your check will become your tithe. And that has happened, and more than that!

  But He isn’t just good to me. He’s good to us all. Every day is a day He favors us. He wakes us in our right mind, He keeps watch over us in the night, He protects us so much we take our safety for granted, and He provides for us so well, we think we are doing it. He is passionate with His goodness to mankind, but more especially to His people. So today, or tomorrow (depending on when you read this blog), remember to thank Him for His goodness and then begin to live like you know the King of kings has nodded in your direction and the blessings are going to flow in your life like never before! He’s good on purpose and He is good to you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, God’s Blessings, Psalm 27:13 | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, blessings, David, encouragemnt, God’s goodness, Psalm 27:13, testimony

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