Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: coronavirus

• God Our Refuge!

  Posted at 4:28 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 20, 2020

  Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” KJV

  

  god-our-refuge_.mp3

  The image you are looking at is the Castillo de San Marcos, in St. Augustine, Florida. It is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. Spain built it in the late 1600s, to protect and defend the possessions, people, and city of St. Augustine. This fort was impenetrable because of the materials used to build the walls and it’s architectural layout. The soft limestone, called coquina, was composed of broken shells. It is said that this material absorbed or deflected the enemy attacks every time. The United States eventually purchased the fort from Spain, using it until the 1900s. If you visit St. Augustine, Florida, you can take some time to tour it and learn more of its history.

  The Bible tells us that God is our refuge! He is the protection of our lives, our possessions, our health, and everything that concerns us. His protection is impenetrable by the enemy when we understand that truth and allow it to give us peace in the midst of a storm. The Hebrew word for refuge is, “machăçeh”, and it means a shelter (literally or figuratively), a place of refuge, a place of hope. Throughout my life I have experienced this truth on many occasions. He is truly my refuge! Today, we the people of God, need to understand, like never before, that God is our refuge.

  The coronavirus hasn’t diminished it’s attacks on the world. The effects of the virus are worldwide and has left many grieving over the loss of loved ones, jobs, shelter, peace, and hope. Not only that, we have to still be concerned about tornadoes, earthquakes, violence, and a host of other things thrown at us in the course of living. If we are not careful, we, the Body of Christ, will find ourselves disillusioned, disappointed, and fainting, as if we don’t truly believe that God is our refuge.

  What the psalmist is really saying about God is that He is our only real security in this life, not our job, not our bank account, not our family tree, not our connections! Only God!

  I’m an educator. I haven’t been thrilled in my position for a lot of reasons, but one of the things that colored my view of education was the lack of job security. Every single year for the first four or five years, I had to find another job because my position was cut. This was very frustrating. Then I begin teaching at a school where I was able to put down some roots and feel a part of the school community. After six years, I lost my position again. This could have been another time of frustration for me had not God forewarned me of the fact, and then reassured me that He had me. He was my refuge at that time, as He has been at so many other times in my life!

  The psalmist went on to say that because God is our refuge, we will not fear! The psalm continues in this light:

  • Though the world is falling apart all around us, we will not be afraid!
  • Though the mountains crumble and fall into the sea, we will not be afraid!
  • Though the waters roar and rage and tsunamis are coming at us, we will not be afraid!
  • Though the mountains shake, and there are earthquakes all over, we will not be afraid!

  It’s an attitude of trust that knows the God, who is a refuge, is there for us and is with us, no matter what comes our way!

  There are many places in the Bible where God, as our refuge, is mentioned:

  • Psalm 9:9- God will be a refuge for the oppressed. Is there any amongst us who are oppressed today? God is our refuge!
  • Psalm 14:6-God is a refuge for the poor! Is there any amongst us who are poor? God is our refuge!
  • Psalm 59:16-God is a refuge in the day of trouble! Is there any amongst us who are having trouble? God is our refuge!
  • Isaiah 25:4-God is a refuge from the storm! Again, I say, is there any amongst us who are in the midst of a storm? God is our refuge!
  • Jeremiah 16:19-God is a refuge in the day of affliction? Is there any amongst us who are afflicted? God is our refuge!

  Here are some things that will give you confidence in God as your refuge:

  • Psalm 46:7- He is the God of the angel armies and He is with us!
  • Psalm 91:9- When we make Him our dwelling place, our shelter, He will be our refuge!
  • Psalm 14:26- As we fear Him, (reverence Him), we have a strong confidence in Him as our refuge!

  David wrote in Psalm 91,

  “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” KJV

  David continues this psalm by giving us an entire list of situations he found shelter from in God. It’s a great psalm to commit to memory and to meditate on in this time of so much uncertainty. What is certain, is that God is our refuge and He is with us! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, hard times, Refuge, trust in God | 2 Comments | Tagged attacks, Attitude, Castillo de San Marcos, coquina, coronavirus, fort, God, Healing, protection, provision, Refuge, shelter, the enemy, trust in God

• 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

• Can I Get a Witness!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 4, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 -They gained the victory over him on account of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their witness. Love for their own lives didn’t make them afraid to die. CEB

  

  can-i-get-a-witness.mp3

  I’ve been blogging on the spiritual weapons given to us to overcome the devil. This week will be my last week dealing with the subject. What I am realizing is that Jesus gave us so many ways to be victorious, that to live a life of defeat would be a slap in His face!

  Today I want to look at the phrase, “the word of their witness” as our spiritual weapon against the enemy. When I think about this phrase, it brings to mind, “what are we saying about Jesus?” Have you thought about the fact that what you say about Jesus can cause you to be either victorious or defeated?

  John wrote that they overcame the devil by the word of their testimony, or in this version, by the word of their witness. One commentator wrote that every single time we say no to sin, to temptations, to the lies of the devil, we are overcoming him! That’s what the end of this verse is reflective of when it says we overcome by the word of our testimony.

  The way we live as Christians, going back to holiness, will determine how adept we are at overcoming the devil. In the Bible we have two great men of God, who were totally different in their walk with the Lord, yet alike! Peter and Paul!

  Paul is one of my favorite people in the Bible, outside of Jesus! His life, speaks to me. He was a persecutor of the disciples of Jesus, arresting them and consenting to their deaths. Paul was zealous for the Law he had given his life to learn about, but ignorant of the God who sent His Son to die for him. I believe that every time he arrested one of the disciples their lives were a witness to him. He just couldn’t understand why they were so passionate, and some times, so willing to die for this Jesus! After watching Stephen die, I believe his life was changed. This young man had just used the very Law Paul had studied to explain his devotion to Jesus, and as Stephen dies, he cries “Lord, forgive them!” This was on his mind as he traveled on the road to Damascus. Now he was ready to encounter Jesus, and when he did, Paul recognized Him and called Him Lord. The same energy that Paul used to persecute the believers, was the same energy that he used to serve the Lord. He was strong in faith, strong in power, and strong in his teachings. There is no record of him ever straying from Jesus. He was passionate about his faith in Jesus, and he loved not his life, even to the death. Paul’s witness is an encouragement to me to live for Jesus. His life demonstrates that we can live a devoted, separated, victorious life with the Messiah.

  Peter was so enthusiastic in his service for Jesus that he sometimes got ahead of himself! When Jesus asked His disciples what were they saying about who He was, Peter spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Yet, Jesus rebuked Peter on several occasions, and Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. But Jesus saw Peter’s heart, and restored him, and Peter went on to be used mightily of God. Peter then stumbled in his relationship with the Gentiles, not wanting to eat with them when the Jews were around. It wasn’t that he was a flaky Christian, he just showed a more human side, a fear for what people thought of him. His enthusiasm and passion, sometimes got the best of him, trying to block out his godliness. Yet he still remains a powerful witness that we can all look up to! God knows we aren’t perfect, that we will stumble, and through Peter’s life we have a witness that we can overcome, even when we don’t always get it right!

  Can you imagine the impact these men lives had on the people they came into contact with? By his witness, Paul overcame the devil, and God used him to write most of the New Testament and to take the gospel to the Gentiles! By his witness, Peter impacted the Jewish community for Jesus every time he preached, winning thousands of souls to Jesus at a time. Their witness, in their life, and with their words, caused them to overcome the devil, time and time again!

  I think of the Voice of the Martyrs magazine at this time. The powerful testimonies I have read over the years of these same type of Christians who, in spite of intense persecution, continue, even in the midst of trials to deepen their relationship with Jesus. One such man comes to mind that I read about. I don’t remember his name, but I remember his witness. He was arrested for his faith in the Lord Jesus while living under a communist regime. During his arrest he would witness to the prisoners. One day, the guards took him outside in the wintry weather, naked, as a means of torturing him. However, each time he was brought back inside, he was without sickness, frost bite, or even pain. I believe I also read that the Lord clothed him in warmth while he was outside. His witness was even stronger after the intense persecution and he led many to Christ. I don’t remember the end of his life, but he overcame the devil and his attacks, with his witness!

  We won’t all be a Peter or a Paul, but we can all be a witness. The devil will constantly do things to try and tempt us from our faith in Christ Jesus, but we must be determined that nothing will separate us from God. He will lie to us about God’s character, but we must be diligent in letting our words speak of God’s faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy, and His love. Even in these challenging times with the coronavirus, we must remain true to Him, remembering always, that people are listening to our words and watching our lives.

  We overcome the devil! Jesus made it clear that we do so! He gave His Blood as an overcoming weapon. We have praise to silence the enemy. We have the word of our testimony to testify that God is good and the devil is a liar! We have our holy, consecrated lives that give no place to him. We must live free of any fear of the devil! And now, we just have to live like we know these truths, believe these truths, and operate in these truths. Can I get a witness? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, freedom, God, Jesus, king, Paul, Peter, Revelation 12:11, Satan, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness

• There’s Power in the Blood!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 28, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

  

  there-is-power-in-the-blood.mp3

  Lewis E. Jones wrote the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood” in 1899. It is still sung today. The questions he asked are:

  • Would you be free from your burdens of sin?
  • Would you, a victory over evil win?
  • Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide!
  • Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are lost in it’s life giving flow!
  • Would you do service for Jesus your King?
  • Would you live daily His praises to sing?

  Then Lewis repeatedly answers the questions by saying, “There’s power in the Blood!” I’m sure you have heard, and know this hymn, but here’s the chorus:

  There is power, power, wonder working power
  In the Blood, of the Lamb!
  There is power, power, wonder working power
  In the precious Blood of the Lamb!

  Jones understood a basic, yet profound truth, that whatever you need, there is power enough in the Blood to bring it to pass. My previous post on the first line of defense being the Blood of Jesus, through provision of salvation is where it starts, not where it ends. The Blood of Jesus will not only lift your burdens of sin, wash you whiter than snow, and destroy the bondage of passion and pride; it will also give you victory over evil, empower you to live daily for the King, and enable you to serve Him. It’s in the Blood!

  I’m re-reading a book, written by Billye Brim, “The Blood and the Glory!” It’s one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. In her book, she gives testimony after testimony of the power of the Blood for protection. She writes about the principle of applying the Blood and pleading the Blood over our lives, our families, our properties, and our businesses. Basically, over everything!

  I want to share one of her testimonies. I will generalize it so that I am not copying from her text. This happened pre-cell phone days. There was a minister who had to go to Canada to conduct some services. The power of God was moving and people were getting saved and set free. The devil spoke to him and told him that he was going to kill his children. He responded by saying, “Devil, you’re a liar! You cannot kill my children.” The devil told him that he was going to use rabid foxes to kill his children. He remembered that someone had mentioned to him, they had seen foxes on his land before he had left. So he and some friends drew a blood line of protection around his property. A week later he received a letter from his brother saying that he had found five dead foxes on the boundary of his property and they were all tested and had rabies! Now that’s power!

  She also shares testimonies from Mrs. C. Z. Nuzum’s book, “The Life of Faith”. Mrs. Nuzum was a missionary in Mexico and she trusted the Blood of Jesus would protect her from violence, from a bulldog, a raging fever as she went to help a family, a drunk man who followed her to bring her harm, and a number of other instances. There is power in the Blood!

  I’ve already talked about the protection at Passover. Today, I will remind you of Rahab, who was protected with a token of the blood. When she hid the spies, she had a conversation with them about saving her and her family. The spies told her that if she and her family stayed in the house, they would be protected, as long as she kept her end of the bargain. As she lowered them from her window, using a scarlet cord, they told her that she should tie that cord to the window, and when the Israelites came, and saw the cord, her home would receive protection. That cord was a token of the blood. It saved her entire family from destruction when the walls of Jericho fell. As a matter of fact, her walls didn’t even fall. You’ll have to go back and read the story in its entirety, but there is power even in the token of the Blood.

  What does that mean for you and I. When we are born again, we have the Blood applied to our hearts, but we can also apply it, or plead it over us and our family for protection. I have done so on numerous occasions for myself and my family, and it works! I have gotten lax, but I am thankful for this reminder, during the coronavirus outbreak that there is power in the Blood to protect us.

  Let me say this! Smith Wigglesworth, a man whose life and ministry I greatly admire, was used mightily by God to heal the sick, and to restore life and limb to individuals. But when it came to health, he did the natural things necessary to stay healthy. When it was cold outside, he wore a coat, scarf, and a hat. When it was raining, he used an umbrella. He understood the authority he had over sickness and disease, but he didn’t give place to the devil. Jesus, the Son of God, said that we are not to tempt the Lord our God. Just because God has given His angels to protect us, doesn’t mean we go about defying death. So with the coronavirus, just because we are covered in the Blood, and can apply the Blood, doesn’t mean we need to walk around like we are untouchable. We don’t operate in fear, and we don’t run from life, but we walk in faith, trusting God, not trying to prove that we are invincible.

  How does it work? You say, “In the Name of Jesus, I plead the Blood of Jesus over my body against ___________________”! This is not prayer! It’s a decree, based on the Word of God, and done in faith! You can, by faith, apply the Blood to your vehicles, to your home, over your business. You can by faith, draw a bloodline, in the same way. As you go, the Spirit of God can prompt you, or you can operate by faith! I am out of space, but for more on the Blood, check out the scriptures in the Bible related to blood, and check out those books I mentioned. When you finish them, you will be more equipped to use this weapon, and to overcome the enemy, by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus! He cannot fail! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, supernatural, the Blood of Jesus, weapons of warfare | 4 Comments | Tagged apply the blood, Believer, coronavirus, Deliverance, draw a bloodline, Faith, Family, Jesus, plead the Blood, protection, Rahab, Salvation, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, trust in God, victory

• But Then God…!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 19, 2020

  Psalm 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” NKJV

  

  The word afflictions is translated from the Hebrew word, “ra” and can be used to mean adversity, calamity, distress, harm, hurt, misery, sorrow and trouble, to name a few. What type of evangelism experience would you have if you walked up to an unsaved person and said, “Hey! I want to tell you about all the trouble, the hurt, the misery, and sorrows you are going to go through as a believer”? You will be ineffective in your attempt to win that person to the Lord! No one wants to buy into trouble. But the wonderful thing about affliction, is that the Lord delivers us out of all of them!

  Jesus said it like this, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In other words, we as Christians are inevitably going to experience some things, but the promise of God is that He has already overcome the world, and that includes its troubles!

  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; but then God gave Pharaoh a dream that only Joseph could interpret, and he was moved from the prison to second in command of Egypt. Moses’ mom had to put him in a basket in the Nile River because she couldn’t bear to see harm come to him; but then God had Pharaoh’s daughter find him, fall instantly in love with him, and she raised him as her own. The children of Israel were standing at the Red Sea, with the sea before them and the Egyptians behind them; but then God parted the sea, that they could walk over on dry land. And then God drowned the Egyptians in the sea! The children of Israel came to a place where there was no water; but then God told Moses to strike the rock and water gushed out to meet their needs.

  Job lost every thing he had except his wife and his life; but then God stepped in and blessed him with double for his trouble! The Hebrew boys were thrown in a furnace that was turned up seven times hotter; but then God stepped into the furnace and not a hair on their head was singed. Daniel was thrown in the lions’ den; but then God closed the mouths of the lions, and Daniel went to sleep. Jonah was swallowed by the large fish, but then God made the fish throw him up!

  Goliath had the Israelites shaking in their boots, but then God sent David to the camp and he killed Goliath! David was in the cave of Adullam seeking encouragement from the Lord, but then God sent him 400 men who became his mighty army! David was running from Saul for his life; but then God took care of his enemy, and gave him the kingdom.

  Five thousand people went to hear Jesus preach, and ended up staying so long they missed their dinner; but then God multiplied two loaves of bread and five fish, and fed them. Taxes came due, and Peter was concerned about how to pay them; but then God had a fish find a coin, and led that fish to Peter’s net. Saul was a persecutor of the church; but then God stopped him on his way to Damascus, and turned him into Paul the apostle. Jesus was crucified and hung on the cross; but then God raised Him from the dead, giving salvation to us all.

  You see, I can’t think of a single person who sees a trial and then shouts, “This is going to be a good one! Let me at it!” I know I don’t! But we should! The minute we see the devil prowling on the attack, we need to start looking for the “but then God” moments! It is in the midst of all of these troubles, trials, difficulties, hurts, sorrows and disappointments of life, that we see God stepping in on our behalf, bringing mighty miracles of deliverance! Andrea Crouch sang these words in a song, “If I didn’t have any problems, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them!” This is so true, and yet many of us struggle through our difficulties, barely able to believe that God could possibly loves us, since we are hurting so much! I want you to know He most certainly does!

  Am I saying that we should ask for, look for, or even desire afflictions? Absolutely not! My pastor likes to say, “You are either going through a trial, you just came out of a trial, or you are about to go in a trial!” Every time I hear it, I cringe! I don’t like trials! But I love the victories! I love the testimonies! I love the shouting and the dancing that follows every time! Guess what? You can’t have one without the other!

  This pandemic feels unreal! It’s hard to comprehend all that has happened in such a short period of time. In just a couple months there have been over 320,000 people who have died as a result of this virus, while almost 5 million have contracted it worldwide. That’s mind boggling! On top of that, millions are unemployed! Not what we were looking for in 2020! But I am confident, and I am so convinced, that there is going to be a “but then God” moment in the lives of all who can believe! Hopefully, even in the world!

  This is not panic time! It’s time to believe like never before! It’s time to trust in the faithfulness of God like you have read about in the examples above, even in God’s word! It is time to say, and continue to say, that this is a great time and place for a…but then God! Trials and tribulations that we will face may not be a wonderful place to start an evangelism opportunity, but it most certainly can be a wonderful place to end it! Whatever Satan has up his sleeve, hang in there for your “but then God”! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, hard times, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged coronavirus, Daniel, David, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Hebrew boys, Jesus, Job, miraculous, Moses, protection, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory, witness

• A Place of Refuge!

  Posted at 3:05 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 2, 2020

  1 Samuel 22:1-2 -David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. NKJV

  

  I’ve been reading through the Old Testament and am currently ending Chronicles. I find that I am always amazed at David and his warriors. Those of us familiar with the scriptures know all about David and Goliath! I get excited when David tells King Saul that he had already killed the lion and the bear, so facing this giant would be just like facing them. When David confronts Goliath and tells him that he’s going to cut off his head and give the bodies of the Philistines to the birds of the air, whew! He is the Alpha male type that romance novels, suspense thrillers, war movies are written about. And yet, one day David realized that King Saul was after his life and he ran to the cave of Adullam.

  David ended up in the cave of Adullam. If you look at the picture that I found on Pinterest you can see it wasn’t a comfortable place to find oneself. As people heard about his whereabouts, they went to David. His brothers who had taunted him at the battle against Goliath and ignored him when he was watching the sheep, along with all of his father’s household went to David. Men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented went to him. And he became captain over them.

  How would you like to start a team, a ministry, or anything with a group of people who are distressed, in debt, and discontented? Can you imagine all of the attitudes you would have to deal with? Can you just see that David had his own issues, and now everyone with an issue is coming to him? It’s a recipe for disaster, yet David turned it into a recipe for success!

  Hurting people don’t all look the same. Some are hurting and because they are so miserable in their lives, they want everyone else to hurt, so they hurt others. Then there are those hurting people who have been abused and when they find someone to see their value, they can forgive, release the hurt, and grow to their fullest potential. Then there are the hurting people who wallow in their hurts, lock themselves away, and they just give up on living altogether, they are in a perpetual pity party. These men who came to David distressed (worried, dealing with great sorrow or great pain); in debt (owing everyone, having nothing to call their own); and discontented (unhappy, not satisfied with life or the way things were going) all showed up in the cave of Adullam, looking for refuge. A weaker person would have rent his garments, put ashes on his forehead and fell on his face, but not David.

  I’ve been watching the documentary of the Bulls, “The Last Dance”. We all know that Jordan was a special player and at first they tried to make the Bulls a one man show with Michael. Then Phil Jackson comes along and teaches Michael and the others about being on a team. Once Michael got the concept down, got over having a need to be the “star” all the time, he began working with his teammates, along with Phil Jackson, to help them to be the best players they could be. The Chicago Bulls went on to win six NBA championships! There’s is something about leaders who know how to develop their people. (A later blog!)

  In the place of refuge people are seeking safety from being pursued, from danger, or from trouble. That certainly qualified for David! David was on the run for his life because of the anointing and call from God. He was smart enough to know his safety wasn’t in a locale, but in the Presence of the Lord. He wrote Psalm 142 in the cave and he penned that he cried out to the Lord who was his refuge. In another psalm David wrote that the Lord was his saving refuge. In yet another psalm he wrote that the Lord was his rock of refuge. David had already been anointed king, he had already killed the giant, he had already killed his “ten thousands” and now he’s in a cave running from Saul. And yet David did what he had done when he was watching those sheep, he went to God and found refuge in Him.

  Then the people began to come to David. Those who were worried about their future with a king who was more bent on killing David then killing the Philistines found a captain who was secure in what God had promised and was able to help them to trust that things were going to work out. Those who were in debt were promised lands and great fortune as they conquered their enemies and took back what the devil had stolen from them. And those who were discontented found something “big” to be a part, something that they could do to help David, their country, and themselves. They saw their king in the place of refuge and pledged their allegiance to him.

  If you are in a stay at home situation, you are in a place of refuge. It is not a comfortable place to be. I don’t know about you, but there are some things I really miss; going to church, going out to eat, spending time with my other family members, and I’ll possibly miss my scheduled vacation! I get it! Things like this may cause you to feel distressed, not working could be putting you in more debt, and all of it can cause you to feel discontented with your current situation, but it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Not only are there others just like you, as it was with David, but God is with you, with us through it all! You don’t have to stay the way that you are. NO! You have a captain! His name is Jesus! And He is your refuge, your help in the times of trouble. Don’t spend your time in the cave wallowing in self pity, wasting time, and giving up. Get with your captain and let Him bring healing to your hurts, hope for the future, prosperity for tomorrow. He is more than able. He’s a great leader and have led so many others to victory. I can tell you that I am personally embarrassed over the joy I am experiencing! My heart is so filled with peace, while at the same time it hurts for the loss of so many lives and even livelihoods. But I am dwelling in the truth of Psalm 91!

  When we leave the cave of Adullam, we will once again be that warrior, that conqueror, that more than a conqueror that we were before the cave. Some of us are still waging war, as David did from the cave, on our enemy! He hates those of us who are using this time to pray more, to spend more time in the word, to be strengthened by our pastors and others in the body! We will be even better, after this! Continue to allow Him to train you to stand, to fight, to win, to keep your enemy forever running from you while you are in the cave. No matter how long we are at home, it won’t be long. It shall pass! And when the church, the Bride of Christ comes out of the cave, we are going to be a mighty army for the Lord! If we trust Him to be our refuge!Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in hard times, protection, trust in God, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, coronavirus, David, debt, discontent, distress, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, hard times, Healing, Health, Prayer, protection, provision, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory

• The Choice is Yours!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 30, 2020

  Joshua 24:15 – “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .” ESV

  

  There are some verses in the Bible that are just classic! This is such a verse. If you are looking for a plaque to put on your wall to express your Christian views, this would be an easy one to find. Some people have it “posted” on the door posts of their home. Hobby Lobby has it in many formats designed to meet every personal taste. And because of its high visibility, it can often lose the potency of its truth!

  Joshua has come to the end of his life. He has fought many natural battles for the Lord and has conquered many enemies. He’s led the children of Israel into the promised land, defeated Jericho, divided the land, and at 110 years old, it’s time to say good-bye.

  You would think that this would’ve been said at the beginning of Joshua’s life, but it’s at his end. Joshua knows the flightiness of the Israelites. He knows that they are bent towards serving other gods and he takes this time to warn them. He says that if it seems evil..How can serving God seem evil? He tells them that they need to make a choice between the false gods in the land they now live and the God who gave them the land. Seems an easy choice. But then he declares that he and his household would serve the Lord!

  During this pandemic we’ve heard and seen a lot of things. We’ve had encouraging words from pastors and leaders who remind us that in the midst of this pandemic, we can choose joy over sorrow, peace over worry, health over sickness and disease. The choice is ours. But we have also had the words that remind us constantly of sickness and death, lack of goods, lack of safety equipment, and an end that seems farther out than we can truly imagine. Did you know that the choice is yours as to whose voice you will hear and whose voice you will listen to?

  After six weeks of being in the house, under the orders of our leadership we’ve become antsy, frustrated, fearful, lonely, poorer, belligerent, and our emotions have run the gamut. But what we are still not seeing, and what we still need to see is a return to the Father.

  When 9-11 happened, we stopped as a nation and we prayed. It was almost as if prayer had been reinstated in the nation’s capital. That was a momentous time for us as we pulled together to help the people of New York, to fight the war of terrorism, to flex our military muscle before our enemies. Churches were seeing more people come and many stayed. All felt as if it must be the last of the last days! And yet, here we are with over 50,000 people who have died to the virus and there has been no climate of spiritual thirst ignited in the land. We have not felt a need to repent and even if we wanted to, we are not able to fill the churches.

  I heard a pastor say that this is not right that the people of God can’t come together to worship! And I’ve seen many break the order and many more honor it. But rather we go to church, listen or watch online, or haven’t decided that doing so makes much difference, the day of reckoning comes for us all when we must decide whom we will serve and why.

  Everyone wants a life of peace. Me included. But it’s through hard times, difficult times that we reevaluate our lives and the reasons for living. During a pandemic is a great time to decide, whom you shall serve? If it seems an evil thing for you to serve the Lord, then don’t serve Him. But truly, from all us who have decided and stand with our decision to serve the Lord, we highly recommend it!

  He is the only One who can give us the peace and hope that we need to ride out the storm or to speak to the storm. He’s the only One who can give us a reason to get up in the morning, even though we can only go to another part of our home, and be thankful we are awake! He’s the only One who can bring someone to our mind to encourage, or bring us to someone’s mind that they might encourage us. He’s the Only One who can take us through this pandemic and cause it to work out for our good. It’s a good time to decide to serve the Lord.

  As a matter of fact, it’s always a good time to decide to serve Him. When my husband and I were courting, we made that decision to serve the Lord. We agreed to worship together, to model our lives after the word, to raise our family according to the word of God. We took them to church, read the Bible with them, discussed it, had them memorize the word, taught them to pray. They have now chosen to serve the Lord for themselves. It’s a beautiful thing! You and your household have the power to choose. No one can choose for you! You must make a choice! It’s one you will never regret! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Choices, hard times, Serving God, trust in God | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, encouragement, hard times, Joshua, Salvation, trust in God

• God is Awake!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 28, 2020

  Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” NKJV

  

  “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Corrie Ten Boom

  Two very powerful quotes against worrying! We know that we shouldn’t! We know it’s not good for us, yet we often find ourselves worrying.

  Recently I had a conversation with someone who told me that she was a Christian. She expressed that she knew that she shouldn’t worry or be fearful, but she was afraid of getting the coronavirus. When you look at the growing number of people who contract the virus, and the ones who pass away, you can easily see that her “concerns” aren’t far fetched. However, worrying about whether or not something is going to happen to you or is not going to happen to you, isn’t going to stop the thing from happening. So worrying is unproductive.

  Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of the Holocaust. I read her autobiography as a teenager. If ever there was an individual who had things to worry about, it was Corrie. She encouraged her family to “build” a refuge for hiding Jews and Dutch resistant fighters in their home, in her bedroom. She was later reported for saving the lives of 800 Jews and numerous Dutch resistants. In undertaking this task, she knew that she was putting her life and lives of her family members in danger; but she also knew that she couldn’t worry about that. One day, someone came to her for assistance, but that person really came to set her up. When her home was raided and her family was arrested, (and most of them died), she had people hidden in her room, but they were later freed by others in the network. I would say that she had much to worry over. But she understood that worrying about what could happen would only zap her strength from doing what needed to be done in that moment.

  The apostle Paul wrote that we are to be anxious for nothing, but to pray about everything. I am sure that Corrie, a Christian who apparently lived out her faith, knew this verse. Paul said prayer would bring about a peace that would guard our hearts and cause people to not understand it.

  I may have shared this in another post, I’m not sure. But when our middle daughter was born we had to live in this verse. We had prayed that she would be born naturally, she was not. We had prayed that she would be born healthy. She was not. We had prayed that the expenses would be minimal, they were off the charts. Nothing seemed to be as we asked. My husband said that he was reminding God about all of these prayers that hadn’t been answered when God spoke this verse into his heart. He shared that with me while I was still in the hospital and I was encouraged.

  I won’t go into all of those details, but I will bring up another point. The thing that was wrong was her larynx was damaged in the womb. My contractions were so severe for so long that she was injured. They said she might die. We took her home and she did have difficulty breathing, but we just continued to pray. One night, while listening to her breathe, I was on the point of tears when God spoke to me. He said, “Why are you awake?” And I responded that she could die while I was asleep. He said, “Your being awake can’t stop her from dying and neither can you being asleep cause it. I’m awake and there’s no point in the both of us being awake.” I went to sleep. And she was made whole!

  There was nothing to be done about the prayers about having a natural birth, or about her being born healthy. But God healed her and took care of all those bills! He’s just good like that! My point is this, worrying truly doesn’t change a thing, but it does rob us of our strength and joy for today. In the gospels, Jesus said that we are to let tomorrow take care of itself. It was my mother’s favorite saying! A reminder that is as needed today as it was when Jesus said it!

  This coronavirus is set up to be here for a while. We can’t afford to spend our time in worry. But we can spend our time in prayer and gain an assurance that God is awake and there’s no reason for us to be up worrying about anything. Even COVID-19! And as we pray, we are causing things to change in this natural world that they think is just a result of social distancing. I’m all into social distancing, but I’m placing my confidence in Jesus!Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Prayer, trust in God, Worry | 6 Comments | Tagged anxious, coronavirus, encouragement, hard times, Healing, Jesus, miraculous, Prayer, trust in God, victory, Worry

• Get a Picture!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 18, 2020

  2 Corinthians 5:7- “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

  Coronavirus is ongoing! Some have perished, and hundreds of thousands are sick with it. And there’s no cure in sight. As a matter of fact, I heard on the news that they are not expecting to have a vaccine until 2022. What are we to do? I believe that this is the time to learn to trust God like never before.

  I like to read the classics, and one of my favorite is, “Christ, the Healer” by F.F, Bosworth. In his book he wrote, “Walking by faith is walking by sight of a better kind…We see with the eye of faith the glorious things that are invisible to the natural eye. Faith is the most rational thing in the world, because it is based on the greatest of facts and realities. It sees God; it sees Calvary, where disease and sin were canceled. It sees the promises of God and His faithfulness.”

  Years ago, when I was a youth minister, one of my teens was involved in a terrible accident. Her skull was cut up to relieve swelling, and all kinds of things were going on. But when we went to visit her in the hospital, her mom had a picture of her posted to her hospital machines and she said basically, “That’s who I see. My daughter completely whole.” I want you to know, that’s what she got! Her daughter completely whole. She refused to believe what she saw in the natural as the end of her daughter’s life and embraced what she saw by faith!

  Dr. Sandra Kennedy shared a similar testimony on Sid Roth. She said her dog accidentally bit her in the face. I don’t remember all the details, but her face was not normal and her speech was impaired. She placed pictures of her smiling face every where in her house and decreed that she was completely restored. And one day she was!

  We did a similar thing in our own life. Our daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis. She was even placed in a body brace to correct it. But then we placed her X-ray on our refrigerator so that every time we say it, we would say her spine was straight, in Jesus’ name! Or we would command it to be straight. And she went for a check-up and the doctor said it was straight. Glory to God!

  These are serious times. They are challenging all of us in ways we couldnt’ imagine, but God was not caught off guard and neither is He worried! He said the just shall live by their faith! Even in a pandemic!

  I like how John Osteen explained the walk of faith. He said basically that you don’t deny the facts of what is happening because they are real. You just choose to agree with what God has to say about things. That’s walking by faith!

  I think about the woman with the issue of blood. She went to see Jesus that she might be healed. I don’t think the Bible tells us all of the details, so let me just add what I think could have happened. When she got there she saw the crowd, and actually heard Jairus ask Jesus to come and heal his little girl. He’s leaving, what will she do now! At that point she could’ve said, it is just not for me to be healed. But she didn’t. She had come to be healed and she was going to be healed. So she said within herself, if I could just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed. He doesn’t have to see me, He doesn’t have to talk to me or lay hands on me. If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed. So she pressed through the crowd until she got near enough to touch His hem, and she reached out with the hand of faith, touched it, and was made whole. She saw herself, in her mind, touching the hem of His garment and being healed. And so she was.

  Maybe it is time for you to get a picture. What are you believing God for? Is it healing, get a picture of you completely healed. Is it a spouse, get a picture of your honeymoon spot, or a wedding dress! Maybe it’s your finances-well get a picture of your bank book see a balance on it you want to see! Maybe you can’t get a physical picture, but you can see a mental picture of you working, of you pregnant, of you in your new home. Whatever it is, it’s time to look through the eyes of faith. It’s time to see God, to see His promises, to see His word come to pass in your life. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, God’s faithfulness, Healing | 1 Comment | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, encouragement, Faith, Healing, Jesus, miraculous, provision, testimony, trust in God, word of God

• His Mission in Life!

  Posted at 4:05 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 2, 2020

  Luke 19:9-10 – “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” NKJV

  If you read my blog on yesterday, you know that Jesus had much to say about who He is: teacher, prophet, Messiah, Son of God, to name a few. But today I want to share why He came. According to our verse for today, one of His primary reasons for coming was to “seek and to save” the lost. It’s one of the church’s primary mission to do the same. But in His own words, He came for so much more and I would like to share the other reasons in this blog:

  Jesus said that He came:

  • To establish His kingdom- Mark 1:14
  • To fulfill the law-Matthew 5:17
  • To forgive sins-Matthew 9:6
  • To call sinners to repentance-Matthew 9:13
  • To die on the cross-Matthew 16:21
  • To rise from the dead-Matthew 16:21
  • To bear witness to the truth-John 18:37
  • To preach the gospel to the poor-Luke 4:18
  • To heal the broken-hearted -Luke 4:18
  • To set the captive free-Luke 4:18
  • To give sight to the blind -Luke 4:18
  • To send fire on the earth-Luke 12:49
  • To bring division-Luke 12:52
  • From God-John 8:42
  • That we might have life, and that more abundantly-John 10:10

  Again, this may not be an exhaustive list. There may be other places in the gospels where Jesus talks of all He came to accomplish while in His body, but these are the ones that I found in my search.

  Why am I even blogging on who Jesus is and what He came for? During these troubled times of the world’s focus on COVID-19, I thought it would be good to take the time and focus on Jesus. Who He is to you and what He came to do in your life. When looking at Him, everything else grows dim.

  My girlfriend, and talented psalmist, wrote a song years ago: “Focus on Jesus”. In the chorus she wrote: Focus on Jesus, He’s the One who cares! No one cares for us like Jesus does. No one loves us like Jesus does. None can provide like Him. Don’t let this pandemic overtake your every thought and activity, keep your focus on Jesus!

  Some of these statements Jesus made seem to be a little hard to swallow, but that’s out of context. In context, He demonstrates over and over again that He is a loving Savior, who expresses the heart of God, through the tenderness of the Holy Spirit in all that He does.

  Years ago, I was invited to share with a group of college students during their weekly Bible study. My prayer before I went there was to show them the heart of God, the love of Jesus. As I was teaching, all I wanted was for them to fall in love with my Jesus! All I want through my blogs is for you to fall madly in love with Jesus because He is madly in love with you.

  There’s no way I can blog almost every day and “hit the spot” every time. But if every time you click on, you see how much I love Jesus and I can convey to you how much He loves you, then my mission has been accomplished. It’s why I am blogging, it’s what I want my life to display.

  Last night, Don Lemon, interviewed a pastor out of Florida. I was a little nervous to hear what he would say, seeing that some of them are refusing to honor the stay at home order. This particular pastor shared that he was honoring the order because he felt the necessity of honor the civil law. He also expressed how he didn’t want to see his people get sick or to carry sickness to their families. But then he said an amazing thing: He said that this didn’t mean that he and his congregation was afraid of COVID-19, because they are not. He and his congregation stand ready to assist anyone in need at this time, even at the risk of contracting the virus and potentially dying. I sensed his love for the Savior, and his desire to demonstrate that love. God’s people can be pretty amazing when called upon.

  If during this time you are presented with an opportunity, yours truly included, to demonstrate His love in a practical way, do so! The world is waiting to see Jesus do what He came to do! And they will see it through us! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Jesus, love of God | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, coronavirus, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, provision

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