Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Believer

• The Gift of God!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 23, 2020

  Matthew 1:21 – “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” NKJV

  

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  My heart is overflowing at this moment with joy, amazement, and excitement. Jesus is so good to me and my family, on purpose! When God sent Jesus, He sent us the very heart of His love for us. Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like this? Once I was watching a Christian program as an Arab believer shared of his faith in the Lord Jesus. He said words like this: All my life I was taught that I would have to die for my god. Then I met Jesus and realized that my God died for me! Glory Hallelujah!

  Today’s blog is called the gift of God. Six times in the word of God we will find this phrase, and I thought that it would be the perfect ending to the gifts we receive from the Lord. It’s not the end, or the complete list, just the way I am choosing to end this series of blogs.

  In John, chapter 4, we find this phrase:

  John 4:10 -Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” NKJV

  In Bethlehem, over 2,000 years ago, God gave us a gift- Jesus! He is the gift of God that just keeps giving and giving and giving. He told the woman at the well, that if she knew the gift of God, she would have asked Him for living water and He would have given it to her! When we know the “the gift of God” He continuously supply us with life giving water. He is the gift above all other gifts and should treasured everyday of our lives.

  In Romans and Ephesians we also find this phrase:

  Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NKJV

  Not only is Jesus, the gift of God, but also through Him we receive another precious gift. The gift of salvation! Remember He is the gift that keeps on giving! What do I value in life more than my salvation? Only my relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. When we are born again, it is the gift of God.

  Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NKJV

  In the book of Acts:

  Acts 8:20 – “But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” NKJV

  Simon was a sorcerer in Samaria when Philip went there to minister to the people. As the message went forth, Simon believed. Then Peter and John went to see all the things that were going on in Samaria and prayed for the believers to receive the Holy Spirit. When the people were filled with God’s Spirit, Simon was so excited that he wanted to pay for that power. Then Peter told him, “your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money.” The Holy Spirit is the gift of God as much as Jesus is. He is to be treasured, not shunned. We should all desire His being poured into us as much as we desire salvation. He is from God, He is the gift of God!

  Lastly, in the book of Ecclesiastes we have this verse twice:

  Ecclesiastes 3:13 – “And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. NKJV

  Do you enjoy the benefits of your labor: bills paid, food on your table, roof over your head? It is the gift of God! You thought it was the result of your labors, but it is the gift of God that you have a house and you get to enjoy it! It is the gift of God that you bought a car, and you get to enjoy it! It is the gift of God that you can retire, and you get to enjoy it, and not someone else! You!

  Ecclesiastes 5:19 – As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. NKJV

  People complain about prosperity preachers. But did you know that having riches and wealth, and the ability to enjoy those things are the gift of God? Well, you know it now. Some might feel embarrassed to be wealthy, or even well off, but don’t be. God gave you this gift. Receive your heritage and rejoice in your labor. It is the gift of God!

  We serve such an awesome God. He shares so much of Himself with us. He wants us to be prosperous, to enjoy life, to experience Him and His salvation. It’s all available to us, as a gift. He won’t make us take any of it, but He has made it all available to us.

  This holiday season is unusual already with the COVID-19 restrictions in place. Let’s just go ahead and make it really unusual by opening our hearts to receive all the gifts that He has provided us with. On this Christmas Day when your natural gifts may be limited, know that your spiritual gifts are yours for the asking! I truly pray that you and your family will stay safe, celebrate responsibly, and enjoy each other in the Lord! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, God, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, miraculous, Peter and John, prosperity, Salvation, Simon the sorcerer, testimony, the gift of God, wealth

• The Spirit of Christmas!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 7, 2020

  Matthew 1:18 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” NKJV

  

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  As we approach the Christmas season, I decided not to focus just on the birth of Jesus, but rather, on Jesus Himself. Whether you are a participant of the holiday season or a spectator, you have to admit that there is something exciting about this time of year. As much as we look forward to Thanksgiving Day, we immediately begin thinking that the holiday season has begun, meaning the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

  People begin decorating their homes and businesses, radio stations begin playing Christmas music all day long, and everyone begins vying for our money to become their money. Even with all that, we have the attitude of B. B. King, in his hit song, “Christmastime Comes But Once a Year!” This time of the year is so different from the rest of the year, that we have even heard much talk about the Spirit of Christmas. Today, I want to talk about the true Spirit of Christmas.

  In our text for today, Matthew summarizes the birth of Jesus in a few short verses. He writes that after the betrothal of Mary and Joseph, and before the wedding night, Mary is found with child of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t elaborate on what happened, he just tells us that it happened.

  Luke on the other hand goes into more detail. He lets us in on the visitation of the angel Gabriel to both Zachariah and Mary. Both visits are life altering for the individuals involved, but only one visit would impact the world for all eternity! The angel told Mary that she was about to become pregnant and give birth to a Son. Not just any son, but the Son of the Highest. His name was to be Jesus, He was going to be great, and He would be given the throne of His father David! Wow! That’s a lot for someone take in at one time. But Mary did it!

  Here’s where things get really interesting. Mary is single but not quite. She is an upright young woman and getting ready to finalize her betrothal to Joseph with culmination of the wedding night. God interrupts their plans and their lives to bring Jesus into the natural realm. This had to be pretty unsettling. Yet, all Mary wanted to know was how would it happen? The angel said,

  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God! Luke 1:35

  The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, causing the Seed to be implanted in her womb, that she would bring forth the Son of God, in the flesh. The true Spirit of Christmas is not in the music, not in the decorations, nor in the excitement that permeates the atmosphere; it is in the Spirit of the Living God who gave life to Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit! Most men would have been outraged with the turn of these events, and Joseph was no exception! When Joseph did find out, he wanted out. But the Spirit of God was the Conductor of all that was transpiring. He knew He could trust these two young people with a difficult, never have ever happened, and never will ever happen again, event! Remember our key text, “she was found with child”. Joseph knew it wasn’t his child, and he had difficulty believing that she was pregnant by a means other than the natural channel. So much so, that he sought a private annulment of the marriage. But God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him what the Holy Spirit had done to bring this baby about, and Joseph surrendered his will and his pride to the will of the Father. That had to be tough on these two, they knew people would talk, but Joseph took Mary immediately into his home and six months later, Jesus was born. You guys know we are forever doing the math! They were worst in Joseph’s and Mary’s day! The Spirit had a hard time keeping everything a secret. He was excited about Jesus coming into the earth. He told two of His faithful followers about this exciting birth! Simeon was one of them.

  Luke 2:26 – And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. NKJV

  So on the day that Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple, the Spirit caused Simeon to go to the temple at that exact moment. He not only saw Jesus, but he took Jesus in his arms and blessed God for letting him see Jesus before he departed the earth. Then Anna came in, at just the right moment, to witness the reality of the Messiah, her Savior. He had come to set His people free! Glorious day!

  Let’s go back to Jesus. He’s all grown up now, and has had at least 30 birthdays. He is getting ready to be released into ministry to accomplish the task God has set before Him.

  In John chapter 1, John the Baptist makes this declaration:

  John 1:32 – “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” NKJV

  The Spirit of Christmas, God’s Holy Spirit, wasn’t just available to Jesus at His birth. He was available to Jesus throughout His life. After all, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Father, was Jesus’ true Father. Therefore, before Jesus began His public ministry, His Father, once again, sends His Spirit to Him. This time, the Spirit doesn’t give Him life, but He releases an anointing upon Him to fulfill His assignment. Luke writes about it in Acts:

  Acts 10:38 – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. NKJV

  All that Jesus accomplished in His physical body, He accomplished because of the Spirit of God that gave Him life, and anointed Him for ministry. His Spirit is just as active today, in His Bride, and in His Church.

  Too often when we think of Christmas, we forget or miss what God was really doing in bringing Jesus in the form of man. It was even more exciting at that time, then it is today. When Jesus was born, the angels were so excited they had to step into the earthly realm and shout,

  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:13-14 – NKJV

  The angels were excited about that first “Christmas” experience. They were excited about the greatest gift ever given, the gift of God, Jesus! They were excited from heaven’s perspective of all that He would accomplish for the Father. They were excited!

  I believe that even though Christmas has become so commercialized in our day, there is still excitement surrounding the commemoration of the birth of our Lord. It’s not His actual birth day, but it is when the Christian community and thus the world, remember it.

  As you celebrate Christmas this year, things will look different for most of us. Some of us will do what we want irrespective to what is happening with the virus. But most of us will comply, thereby, having a different kind of Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas, God’s Holy Spirit, is available to make this Christmas, one of the best, if not the best, you can imagine! Invite Him to you celebration and watch Him breathe life into your celebration! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christmas, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, birth of Jesus, Christian, coronavirus, Elizabeth, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, miraculous, Salvation, the Spirit of Christmas, Zachariah

• And They Spoke With Tongues!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 16, 2020

  Acts 2:4- “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” NKJV

  

  Photo from Unsplash

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  My last post found me with too much to say and too little space to say it in. Needless to say, this is a love topic for me. Today, I want to actually talk about speaking in tongues.

  It was the day of Pentecost. The disciples had remained in Jerusalem, as instructed by Jesus. It’s been almost 50 days since their last human contact with Him, but He was very specific to them: remain in Jerusalem until you receive power from on high. So they did.

  During this time, they chose someone to take Judas’ place, in order to have 12 apostles. They spent time in prayer and supplication. There were 120 disciples, men and women, in the place. They had a spirit of oneness among them as they sought the power the Lord had told them about. And when the power came, they knew it!

  Luke wrote, that when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were still all on one accord and in one place. Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and the whole house was filled. Many tend to think this was a little quiet prayer meeting, but last night when the wind was blowing, I thought we were in the midst of a rain storm. Wind is powerful, and I believe this rushing mighty wind, came with force, blowing things and possibly, people around.

  Luke goes on to inform us about this event by saying, that there appeared to them, divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. There were 120 people, and 120 tongues, that appeared like fire. When this happened, Luke wrote, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  We can’t stop there in the recount of what happened. Luke doesn’t! He informed us that there were all kinds of people in Jerusalem that day, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound happened, they all heard their own language. All the people in the house spoke the same natural language, yet now, they are all speaking supernaturally, all kinds of languages that they have not learned. The people who hear them are truly amazed at this strange event, wondering what did this mean?

  They didn’t have to wait long to gain insight to what was happening. Peter stood up and preached a powerful message that caused great fear to come upon every soul, resulting in many signs and wonders. They had come into contact with power from on high, just as Jesus had said. Peter’s key text, as we call it today was:

  “And it shall come to pass afterward
  That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
  Your old men shall dream dreams,
  Your young men shall see visions.
  ²⁹ And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
  I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29 NKJV

  Peter was basically saying, this day, this scripture is fulfilled in our midst!

  The fire is an important aspect of this baptism, because John the Baptist told the people that he baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire! (Matthew 3:11) On this Day of Pentecost, He did just that! The baptism was so great, that after they were heard speaking with tongues, they became a different group of disciples. After the crucifixion they were fearful. After the resurrection they had joy mixed with apprehension. But after the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with tongues of fire, they became a mighty force against the kingdom of darkness. They were transformed!

  Today, tongues have become, just that, speaking in tongues. Not many speak of the baptism with the evidence of tongues and fire. But the fire was as much a part of the baptism as the tongues.

  Tongues were mentioned by Jesus before He left. In His great commission He said:

  ¹⁵ “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18 NKJV

  Notice that He said that one of the signs that would follow those who believe is “they will speak with new tongues”.

  When Peter was sent to Cornelius’ home to share the gospel, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles as they listened to the gospel. Some argue that this baptism was only for the apostles, but not only were they not apostles, they weren’t even Jews. Yet, they heard the gospel, received it, and spoke in tongues! (Acts 10:44-46)

  There are many other examples of individuals receiving the Holy Spirit with tongues. Paul was such an individual. He even said that he not only spoke in tongues a lot, but he wished everyone spoke in tongues.

  The argument today, is that tongues has ceased. The same argument that says miracles have ceased because we are so advanced in medicine and don’t need miracles. That is a topic for another day and another blog. But just as I believe in miracles, I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, accompanied with tongues, fire, and signs and wonders!

  I am thinking that I will have to continue this in another blog. However, let me make this point: If the twelve needed this baptism, and Paul needed this baptism, then we also need it. It makes you stop and wonder if this lack of receptivity to speaking in tongues is why we have to work so hard to do the great commission? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Holy Spirit, Jesus, speaking in tongues, supernatural | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Cornelius, God, great commission, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joel 2:28, miraculous, signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, supernatural

• But You Shall Receive Power!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 14, 2020

  Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. KJV

  

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  In Luke 24:49, Jesus told His disciples:

  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

  The Holy Spirit executes the power of God. Jesus knew this! He also knew that the assignment He had given to the disciples, to preach the kingdom of God, would require that they walk in power. Therefore, His last instructions to them were to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high!

  Many people, mistakenly believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is all about speaking in tongues. Well, it isn’t! Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit, but it is not the whole picture. The whole picture is that tongues is evidence of the presence of Holy Ghost power! My wedding ring is not my marriage, but it is the evidence of my marriage! (That may be too simplistic for something so amazing!)

  In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit was released, wasn’t His introduction to the world. The Holy Spirit has been present, since Genesis, where He hovered over the waters; to produce God’s will upon the creation of the earth. The Holy Spirit was at hand when the Red Sea was parted. The Holy Spirit was present at the conception and resurrection of our Lord. And the Holy Spirit was present on the day of Pentecost. The difference being that when He came on Pentecost, He remained on earth to assist Jesus’ Church in the work of the ministry!

  This time in which we are living is the appointed time, the chairos time, of the Holy Spirit. You can live a godly life in Christ and not be filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Your life will be blessed and you will meet Jesus in eternity. I’m not one who believes less of a person because they don’t speak in tongues or more of a person, because they do. I have, unfortunately, noticed in the Body of Christ, that there are many who believe that those of us who speak in tongues are of the devil. I think that is not only wrong, but it is shameful! That’s how the Pharisees acted towards Jesus!

  In order to be a Christian, we must accept the truth of the gospel. Simply stated, we must believe that through the blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are cleansed. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, come in the flesh and that He is God. And we must believe there is no other way by which we can be saved. That’s it! Whether we speak in tongues or not, when we meet that first criteria and give our heart to the Lord, we are born again. For any Christian to look upon another Blood bought individual, and to accuse them of belonging to the devil, is pure nonsense!

  As I mentioned already, Jesus felt it necessary that the disciples, who had walked with Him, be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. If they weren’t of the devil, then neither are the people who are filled today! The disciples were told to tarry, or wait; but after that, there are no other mentions of tarrying for the Holy Spirit. Although, many have tarried and made it a requirement for receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it is not; we just receive Him by faith!

  On the day of Pentecost, which was 50 days after the resurrection of our Lord, the disciples, 120 of them, were together in the Upper Room, praying, worshipping, and waiting for power from on high! As they sat in the meeting, the Holy Spirit came in the room, upon each of them. That’s for the next blog!

  Jesus told them that when they received this power from on high, they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

  When we think of being a witness, we think of the simplicity of sharing the gospel. It is typically how this verse is read and preached, and it isn’t necessarily incorrect. It just isn’t the whole picture! When Jesus was referring to us being His witnesses, He was also referring to us expanding the kingdom in the same way that He did it, by bringing heaven to earth in the lives of the people.

  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 – NKJV

  He was a witness that God was real, and that He is the Son of God. As He went about the villages teaching, preaching, healing, casting out demons, and raising the dead, He demonstrated His power over everything in the earth realm.

  Paul said that he didn’t operate in just great preaching and being able to persuade people to his point of view, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)!

  So what witness was Jesus referring to?

  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 – NKJV

  Jesus knew that His disciples would have to operate just as He did, in order to witness to the truth that He is alive. Jesus had received the Holy Ghost on the day of His water baptism and the Holy Ghost never left Him. He was man, operating as God, by the power of the Holy Ghost! And so must we!

  The apostles couldn’t get a young man free from demons when Jesus was alive, without His authority. After the Holy Spirit came upon them, they operated in great power.

  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people…And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women… Acts 5:12-16 – NKJV

  Now that’s some power! Throughout the New Testament, tongues was understood as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it was the power that gave greater proof and great witness about Jesus!

  Since I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, it has been a great pleasure, and an honor to experience God’s power. It has been an ever greater blessing to realize that the Holy Spirit is alive and well, and is still moving through countless believers, in countless situations, to bring witness to the resurrected Savior and the kingdom of God. Next time, I’ll talk more about the actual baptism of the Holy Spirit! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Baptism, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Kingdom of God, resurrection, Salvation, Sin, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, trust in God

• His Name is Mighty God!

  Posted at 5:43 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on September 26, 2020

  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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  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!

  Posted in God, His Name, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, Deliverance, Healing, Jesus, love, Mighty God, miraculous, relationships, testimony, the devil, trust in God, victory, witness

• Put it to the Test!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 17, 2020

  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

  

  put-it-to-the-test_.mp3

  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!

  Posted in encouragement, God’s Requirements, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged bad leaders, Believer, Berea, blessings, church leaders, Dating, Marriage, Paul, prophecies, relationships, testing, Tithing, will of God, wisdom, word of God

• God’s Requirements – Part 3

  Posted at 2:03 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 5, 2020

  Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? NKJV

  

  gods-requirements-part-3.mp3

  I have truly enjoyed studying this verse. Micah is not typically a book of the Bible that I spend time “deep diving” into, but I may have to change that! Micah wrote that God has shown us what is good, letting us know that He is our example. He went on to share what God requires of us. We’ve already looked at the first two: to act justly and to love mercy. In this blog, I will address the last phrase of this verse, “and to walk humbly with your God”.

  In the Message Bible, this portion of the verse is rendered, “and don’t take yourself too seriously-take God seriously!” As I was meditating on this verse, preparing to write this last blog, God brought King Nebuchadnezzar to my mind. King Nebuchadnezzar was a king that took himself too seriously.

  In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had two dreams. In the first dream God revealed to the king that his kingdom would be a strong and prosperous kingdom. God used the imagery of a statue, and the king was represented by a golden head. Somewhere in the course of his days, he thought it a great idea to build a gold statue of himself for everyone to bow down to. When the Hebrew boys refused to bow, the king had the furnace heated up and then had them thrown into it. However, God stepped in and saved the young men, causing Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge that He is the Most High God!

  The next dream we read about, the king himself wrote, in a letter. He had a dream about a tree that reached to the heavens and covered the world. Then one day, holy beings cut the tree down, leaving a stump, while the tree turns into an animal for 7 seasons. When Daniel was called to interpret the dream, Daniel didn’t want to tell the king that this tree represented him, and that God would cut him down, he would lose his mind, and he would live like an animal for a season of times. But Daniel told him and tried to encourage him to turn from his prideful ways. However, the king did not. And so, the dream came to pass. At the end of the letter, it is obvious that the king has been restored to his right mind, and has come to understand that there is no God like the Most High God. You should read the book to understand the depth of his pride, but suffice it to say, with all that God had done for him, he thought that he had done it; and his pride got him in trouble with God.

  Nebuchadnezzar had this to say about the true and living God:

  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:37 NKJV

  When God said that He requires of us to walk humbly before Him, that’s what He meant! Unfortunately for the king, he had to lose his mind before he could truly understand that because of his pride, God had to take him down a few notches. Is that what you or I need to realize that we are to walk humbly before our God? I certainly hope not!

  In the book of psalms, it is written:

  The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. Psalm 10:4

  How plain is that? When pride enters our heart, we feel we have no need for God, His word, or His counsel. He is not a part of our thinking, even to the point that we feel above the need to have to seek Him. What a sad state of affairs for an individual to find himself in!

  A well known proverb about pride states:

  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

  Isn’t that what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar? Before his destruction, we saw his pride! First, with the golden statue and the decree to throw people in the fiery furnace if they didn’t bow at the sound of the music. And then, we saw it with the warning of the tree. Although warned to deal with the pride in his life, or face being humiliated before his people, Nebuchadnezzar hung on to his pride!

  When pride comes, then come shame… Proverbs 11:2a

  Nebuchadnezzar had to learn this lesson the hard way! But not just King Nebuchadnezzar, many men and women have to learn this lesson the hard way. My mama used to say, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall!” Isn’t that so true? The greater the power a person has, the harder their fall, the greater their humiliation! We see it on a regular basis these days. Politicians, corporate leaders, pastors, church leaders, CEOs, celebrities, principals, billionaires, millionaires, and the common person too! Success, money, and power, in every arena of life, causes that demonic spirit to rise on the attack! And if it isn’t dealt with in private, it will humiliate and bring shame in the public!

  Here’s what God has to say about the humble:

  The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:9

  It’s quite obvious that the prideful person can’t hear from God, because he doesn’t seek God. Yet, God guides the humble person in justice. He’s there to assist the humble person in “acting justly”. And He teaches the humble person how to walk and live in His way! What a comfort and a blessing to know! The word also tells us this:

  The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147:6

  We don’t have to get ahead in life by mistreating people and forgetting God. He clearly lifts up the humble person, and he clearly casts down the wicked. Someone might say, “It doesn’t look like it”! Well, as believers, we don’t walk by what we see, but by what we believe. And if we learn to trust God and His word, we will see the humble lifted, and the wicked cast down to the ground! Didn’t Jesus say that He saw Lucifer cast down from heaven? Lucifer’s pride got in his way! Didn’t the same word of God say that Jesus, who humbled Himself, was given a name above all names, and was highly exalted? We must begin to accept God’s word as the truth that it is!

  I leave you with this word, from the word:

  A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23

  It’s been a real blessing to look closely at this verse. I want to live a life that honors God, and this verse has helped to identify some ways in which I can do that! Act justly-do the right thing where people are concerned; love mercy-stop hating, forgiving one another, and demonstrate kindness to others; and walk humbly before our God-understanding that He exalts the humble and brings down the proud! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in God, God’s Requirements, Humility, Pride | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, encouragement, exalted, Forgiveness, God, Humility, Jesus, Justice, king Nebuchadnezzar, love, Mercy, miraculous, obedience, Pride, the devil, Victorious Living, word of God

• Proud to Be Bitter!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 27, 2020

  Ruth 1:19-20 – Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “ Is this Naomi?” But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” NKJV

  

  proud-to-be-bitter_-1.mp3

  In my last post, I wrote about the children of Israel stopping at a place called Marah. Today I want to continue my discussion of the sin of bitterness. I sensed a need to “update” this “series” from my first year of blogging.

  Naomi and her husband went to the land of Moab with their sons to avoid the famine in Bethlehem. After they got to Moab, her husband died. Her two sons had married Moabite women and after a time, her sons died. Around this time, Naomi hears that there is food in Bethlehem, and she decides to return to the land that she had come from. Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her; but in the end, Ruth was the only one to travel with her to Bethlehem.

  It’s been at least 10 years since Naomi and her family departed from Bethlehem, maybe longer. For some reason, the women of Bethlehem ask “Is this Naomi?” It could have been the shock of seeing her again, or of seeing her alone, or she could have changed in some way. Whatever the reason, they were unsure that it was her.

  Naomi immediately tells the women that they are not to call her Naomi, which means pleasant, but they are to call her Mara which means bitter. She continues to explain why she wants to change her name:

  • The Lord has dealt very bitterly with me, she said!

  • I went out full (with a husband and two sons).

  • And the Lord has brought me home again empty; which wasn’t completely true, because she had a daughter in Ruth!

  I’m not judging Naomi, but it’s pretty obvious here that she is making it plain that she is bitter and has a right to be bitter. She is so bitter, that she believes the Lord has dealt very bitterly with her. I can only imagine the devastating heartache that would accompany the loss of both a husband and your children. So I get that she is hurting! What I don’t understand is why she feels she has a right to be bitter!

  In Naomi telling the women, “Call me Mara” she sounds as if being bitter is a badge of honor. It is not! Then she goes on to list all of her issues as if she has earned the right to be bitter. She has not! God wasn’t responsible for the things that caused her bitterness, and He isn’t responsible for any bitterness that we may harbor in our heart.

  The Bible doesn’t elaborate on how her husband and sons perished, but whatever caused their deaths, she laid the blame at God’s door, and that’s not where it belongs!

  In Jeremiah 4:18, God shares insight into bitterness:

  “It’s the way you’ve lived that’s brought all this on you. The bitter taste is from your evil life. That’s what’s piercing your heart.” Jeremiah 4:18 MSG

  In other words, God is saying that the bitterness isn’t from His hand. He wasn’t piercing Naomi’s heart, life was! He isn’t piercing your heart, life is! Maybe not your life, but maybe the life of a loved one lived without God, and your heart is pierced. It’s not His fault! Things happen to the just and the unjust! When stuff happens to the just, we are not to react like the unjust. The unjust have no hope for they are without God; but we have the promise of deliverance, from the Great Deliverer!

  Peter, in addressing Simon the diviner realized that he was a bitter man and said this:

  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Acts 8:23 NKJV

  Bitterness is poison to the soul. It is deadly and capable of causing many physical issues in your life. It’s not worth holding on to!

  In the book of Hebrews, it is written:

  “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15 NKJV

  The writer of Hebrews encourages us to be careful unless we allow a root of bitterness to spring up and bring trouble in our lives and cause many people to be defiled. When we are bitter we have a tendency of defiling ourselves and others. Our bitterness becomes the lens in which life and relationships are processed.

  When I got married, several divorced women told me that all men were dogs. Others told me to watch out for the seven year itch. These things were said by women who had become embittered towards the institution of marriage and men. Probably with great cause! These words could have defiled me and my marriage had I listened to them! But I didn’t! I considered my source!

  James said:

  But if you have bitter, envy, and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. James 3:14 NKJV

  James is letting us know that there is nothing to boast about when we are bitter. As a matter of fact when we boast, we lie against the truth! Our situations, our pain, and eventually our bitterness makes us feel like we have a right to feel the way we feel, and say the things we say, which results in us lying against the truth of God’s word!

  In my opinion, bitterness short-circuits a heart of gratefulness. Naomi was still alive! Ruth had come with her to help provide for her and to take care of her. They had made it back to Bethlehem without any trouble. She had much to be thankful for. But she wasn’t concerned about anything except the fact that she had loss so much! Ruth was also a widow and we don’t get any vibes that she was bitter. Naomi’s bitterness was so deep that she could only see her pain and her losses, and was blind to the goodness of God. Rightly she said that she should be called bitter because she was a very bitter woman.

  But Naomi had a loving Father. One who doesn’t easily offend. One who knows we are imperfect beings. One who understands. And even though she couldn’t see Him working things out to bless her, He was doing exactly that! And thankfully, if you are born again, your Heavenly Father is wanting you free of bitterness because the poison is destroying the blessings He is bringing in your life!

  Life is tough! For some it seems to be down right unbearable. But, it is not an excuse for bitterness, or a need to boast in it! Bitterness says I will never do this, or I will never do that, because of what happened to me! Bitterness says that no one has the right to tell me how to feel until they have walked in my shoes! Bitterness says I will never trust another person as long as I live! All these emotional statements stem from a root of bitterness!

  Stop boasting in your bitterness! Get rid of it! A willing and repentant heart is all God needs to start the process of healing! Instead of blaming Him, try trusting Him! Instead of living with bitterness, try living without it! Let it go! It’s only making you sick! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Bitterness, hard times | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragemnt, freedom, hard times, Healing, Naomi, offense, Ruth, trust in God, victory

• Consider Job’s Wife

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 13, 2020

  Job 1:1-3 – “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.”

  

  consider-jobs-wife_-1.mp3

  A couple years ago I was asked to speak at a women’s fellowship and to share on the topic of difficult times. As I sought the Lord for a direction, He led me to Job’s wife. Today’s post will be a snippet of that message.

  In the text, we see that Job was a very wealthy man. He had 10 children, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen (1,000), 500 female donkeys, and a whole lot of servants. And of course, since Job had all of this, so did his wife. The Bible tells us that Job was a man who feared God and shunned evil, a man who was blameless and upright; and I am willing to bet that his wife had the same testimony.

  But in one day, Job lost all of his possessions, most of his servants, and all of his children. But so did his wife. Everything and everyone she held dear, except her husband, was gone in a single day. The Bible tells us that Job bowed and worshipped the Lord, but I believe that here is where they differed. In his difficult time he turned to the Lord, but in her difficult time, she embraced her grief and sorrow. And before we start judging her, let’s be honest and say that most of us would have followed her example and not his.

  The devil attacks Job’s body, after all of these other things, and now his wife is angry and becoming bitter. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”-Job 2:9

  It is at this point that I believe that many people give his wife a bad rap. I am not excusing her words, nor condoning them as the proper response for difficult times, for they are not. But I also don’t believe that these are words that sum up her whole life before God. They are words spoken in the midst of grief and heartache. An extremely devastating time for her, for anyone!

  I have seen wonderful men and women who love God have difficult experiences with the Lord. I have heard them make stupid remarks that was nothing more than their grief and flesh talking. I have heard care givers speak words about their loved ones and vice versa that was nothing more than fatigue and weariness expressing itself. And I sincerely believe that was the case with Job’s wife.

  And allow me to give her one more benefit of the doubt: She was not born again and she certainly didn’t have a Bible to comfort her during her hardship. She was serving God to the best of her knowledge, but when this tsunami of difficulties flooded her life, she had nothing to lean on except Job. And where was Job? He was outside dealing with his pain and sorrow the best way he knew how, while listening to well meaning friends who were “most miserable comforters”.

  Loss of children, extreme poverty after great wealth, loss of many servants (all who were a part of her household and probably her heart) loneliness, despair, a very sick husband, and a withering faith in God: this was Job’s wife. When God asked Satan if he had considered His servant Job, I believe He was including Job’s wife.  And I believe that just as He knew that Job would pass the test, He knew Job’s wife would.

  So the next time you see someone going through, and they are not behaving like you think they should, pray for them! Your prayers can be used to bring about their deliverance. This is a repost, but I couldn’t help but think that in the midst of this coronavirus, it would be timely. People are losing loved ones, finances, businesses, dreams, and hope. It is easy to judge them, but it’s harder to walk in their shoes. Let’s remember what the word teaches us about bearing one another’s burdens and ask the Lord how can we help during this time! More on Job’s wife next time. Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Discouragement, hard times, Job, Job’s wife | 6 Comments | Tagged attacks, Attitude, Believer, coronavirus, Discouragement, encouragement, Job, Job’s wife, offense

• Are You Offended With Jesus!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 11, 2020

  Matthew 11:2-3 -Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

  are-you-offended-with-jesus_-1.mp3

  This morning I was reminded of a passage in the Bible and I decided to blog about it. Generally speaking, I don’t blog until I feel I have something to say. And this morning I do!

  In the Scriptural text, John sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, “Are you the One, or look we for another?” There are some interesting dynamics going on here, but the major thing is that John is offended with Jesus!

  The word offense means “to have an annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one’s standards or principles.” I believe that John was clearly offended with Jesus. The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us the why of everything but there are some things we can infer.

  Why would John be asking Jesus is He the One? Was it not John who declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:36)?” And was it not John who declared, “ I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost?” (Mark 1:8) Yes, it is he!

  John said of himself that he was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord” and that Jesus came after him but was preferred before him. And the greatest statement John made about Jesus was, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God!” (John 1:34)

  So I return to my original statement that John was offended with Jesus because he went from “Behold the Lamb of God”….to “are you the One?” Only offense will cause us to question our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

  Let’s return to Matthew 11, where Jesus responds to John’s disciples. He tells them to report back to John what they heard and saw, but then He makes this statement in verse 6, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Why would Jesus add this to what He wanted the disciples to tell John? Obviously, John was offended!

  Why was John offended? I don’t know for sure, but scripture let’s know that John is in prison and he is about to die, so offense has come in. He had a perceived notion that he would be protected from the devil because of his service to God. He has spent his entire life preparing the way for Jesus, getting people ready to hear the Messiah and the thanks he is getting is a beheading. What’s wrong with this picture?

  You see, John had the same adversary that we have. While we are living this life in Christ, things are going to happen and the adversary will forever be there to accuse God to us! After all, he is an accuser. He accuses us to God and God to us! And so I am sure that while John was in prison, the devil was in his ear: You spent all that time working for God and now you are going to die! You thought Jesus was the Lamb of God, but if He is, then why are you in prison? Why hasn’t He delivered you! Your life has been a sham, a lie, a joke! He is not the Son of God! Admit it! Your life and ministry has been in vain!

  And so John, in desperation, frustration, aggravation, and offense, sends a message to Jesus. And Jesus, in the way only He can do, sends a message back to John that will settle things for him and bring him peace… “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the gospel preached to them…and oh yes, blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me!”

  This is one of the biggest problems in the church! Offense with Jesus! Yes, we have a problem being offended with others, but the biggest problem is offense with Jesus! We get offended when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to, or in a timely manner. We get offended when our loved ones die. We get offended when we are not healed miraculously. We get offended when our spouses desert us or our children go the way of the world. We get offended when our ministries don’t take off and we get offended when we can’t find a husband. And the list goes on and on and on. And once we get offended, we have a problem with Jesus, and if He is truly who He said He is, and can we trust Him to do what He said He would do!

  Well, I am writing today to declare to you, that He is who He says He is, and He does what He said He will do!! He has given us exceeding precious promises and will fulfill all that we can believe Him for! But in the case of John, John knew that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. We use that saying to show our humbleness, but John said it because he had already been told that he and Jesus would not share the same stage. He really had to leave this earth. It was part of his assignment!

  Jesus loved John! John was his cousin by birth, but John was truly His forerunner. Jesus eulogized John by saying that he was a prophet and more than a prophet. And Jesus validates John’s mission in life to prepare the way. Jesus was not uncaring about John, but Jesus understood that something greater was in the making! There was a bigger picture!

  Recently a church member passed. We were believing God for her miraculous healing. But she didn’t get it on this side of heaven. Generally when people I have prayed for and with pass on, I have to fight against the lies and accusations of the devil. But I just made up my mind that I wouldn’t have to this time, because I wouldn’t participate with the lies of the devil. God is a good God! Nope, He is better than good, He is great! And when we get the right heart and mind regarding Him, the devil will not be able to lead us into offense against our Saviour!

  I hadn’t realized that I had written so much, so I will end it here. If God tugged at your heart strings while you were reading this because you have become offended with Him, fix it now! Don’t let another moment go by with you being offended at the Lord! Repent and get your peace back! John did! And he died knowing that he had fulfilled all the plans and purposes of the Lord! And you can, too! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, offense, trust in God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragement, Jesus, John the Baptist, miracles of Jesus, offense, trust in God

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