Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: David

• Getting It Right!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 3, 2021

  Psalm 51:10-11 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. NKJV

  

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  Tonight I want to blog about the prayer of repentance. The Webster’s 1868 edition defines the word repentance, in the following manner:

  Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

  Since this definition fits my purpose, I will say that the prayer of repentance is used to express a sorrow over any sin we have committed that offends or dishonor God or His Word. This prayer can be, and probably is, prayed multiple times throughout our lives.

  Our key text, taken from Psalm 51, happens to be a part of a prayer of repentance that David prayed. David had an affair with Bathsheba. He tried to cover it up, but was unable to do so. First, Bathsheba got pregnant. Then he called her husband back from the battle and tried to get him to go home to her so that they could play the child off as Uriah’s. When that didn’t work, he had Uriah killed in battle. Not only that, God had to send Nathan, the prophet, to him because he hadn’t yet acknowledged his deed for the sin that it was. When David finally came to the place where he was willing to admit that he had sinned, his next step was to go to God and confess it and repent of it! David’s hesitancy to repent, actually paralyzed him in his relationship with God!

  Here’s another example of someone repenting in prayer:

  Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. Ezra 10:1 -NKJV

  In this verse, we see Ezra is before God, praying, confessing, and weeping. The prayer of repentance doesn’t always involve weeping, but most definitely can. I won’t say it is a criteria for sincerity because some people are really good at gut wrenching tears that produces nothing more than an emotional drain. However, it is a time of prayer where you can find yourself crying before the Lord.

  I know this is an Old Testament example, and we don’t live under the Old Testament, but it is applicable for tonight’s topic.

  What makes this such a relevant prayer is that we must use this type of prayer to become born again. I don’t know your experience, but I am pretty sure that when you accepted Jesus as Savior, prayer was involved. And I am fairly certain that repentance was involved.

  Here’s a New Testament example for us: the prodigal son. You have probably heard or read this account of the son on more than one occasion, but I will briefly retell it. The son asked his father for his inheritance, even though his father was still alive. The father gives it to him. Then the son leaves home and loses all of his money while partying hard. He finds himself in abject poverty, eating the same food as the pigs he was hired to feed. One day he realizes, if he is going to be a slave for someone it may as well be his father for his father treats his servants so much better. His attitude is one of repentance:

  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ Luke 15:18-19 – NKJV

  It was the son’s acknowledgment that he had blown it big time, that places this son in a position to receive grace and mercy from his father. Yes, his father forgave him and restored him, but there’s no doubt in my mind that things would have ended differently had he not confessed his sins before his father. This is a beautiful picture of how we are to come to the Father when we blow it. No justification, no pointing fingers, no excuses, just simple acknowledging that we did wrong and sincere repentance of the wrong.

  John wrote this:

  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 – NKJV

  This brings us back to our key verse. David asked God to create in him a new heart. When we pray a prayer of repentance, our greatest desire should be that God give us a new heart. If we are sinners in need of salvation, it is what He wants to do! If we are believers who need to “get it right” He wants to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In either case, forgiveness is waiting for us, we need only ask!

  David also asked that God would renew a steadfast spirit in him. What’s that? A spirit of stability, a spirit of being fixed on obedience to God, a yes to His will spirit! David had that type of spirit before, and he wanted it re-established in his life. So much so, it was more important to him than anything, because he didn’t want to lose the right to be in the presence of the Lord. He knew his sin had separated him from God, and he desperately wanted to see his relationship restored with God.

  David also asked God to not to remove His Holy Spirit from him. That’s deep for an Old Testament individual, and that makes it applicable to New Testament believers. When we sin, we need to get it right! Our heart should be as David’s heart was. God, whatever You do, don’t turn me away, and please don’t remove Your Spirit from my life! Why? Because more than anything, we should want to be right before God and to know that His Spirit is still present in our lives. And that’s why the prayer of repentance is so necessary to pray. Sin blocks our ability to connect with God, but confession of that sin and repentance of that sin gives us unlimited access to Him.

  As I stated in the beginning, we may need to pray this prayer on more than one occasion in our lives. But if we find that we are praying it daily, then we are in need of some different type of praying. I don’t believe necessarily in steps when dealing with God. You may need to pray for an hour about your situation, while someone else may need only a few minutes. Let His Spirit lead you during this time. However long you pray, pray until you know you’ve accomplished the task of truly repenting. And according to our definition, it must bring about a change in your behavior and your life! Wonderful Jesus!

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  Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Repentance, Salvation | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, David, favor, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, obedience, parable, Prayer, Salvation, Sin, Sinner

• Lord, I Thank You!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 1, 2021

  Ephesians 6:18 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

  

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  This week I am turning my focus to prayer. I’ve blogged before on the subject of praying always, but I don’t recall addressing the many types of ways we can pray. I look at the picture of the young girl and her posture, and I think, I know that posture. Do we have to have a certain type of posture? No! But sometimes a posture say more than our words ever could!

  Paul encourages us in this verse to pray with all prayer. That word “all” causes me to infer that there is more than one way to pray. Of course, I know it to be true, but for the sake of beginnings, I want to make that point. There are all kinds of prayers, and therefore there are all kinds of way to pray.

  One of my favorite ways to pray, is the prayer of thanksgiving! This time of conversing with the Lord can be short and to the point: Thank you Lord for not allowing that car to hit me! Or it can be longer, where we give Him thanks for any number of reasons!

  Something I see in the Old Testament, is that people were chosen to give thanks to God:

  And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31:2 – NKJV

  Can you imagine living life without the privilege of thanking God for who He is in your life, and for all He has done? Can you imagine being in a time and place when someone else was designated to be in His presence thanking Him, and you weren’t that someone?

  And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever; 1 Chronicles 16:41 -NKJV

  Or maybe it wasn’t like that all! Maybe, they were chosen to set the atmosphere of worship in the house of the Lord! For that is exactly, what the prayer of thanksgiving leads to. Worship!

  What are some of the things we should find ourselves giving Him thanks for?

  • We should thank Him because He is good! 1 Corinthians 16:34
  • We should thank Him for His great name! Psalm 35:18
  • We should give Him thanks because we are His people Psalm 79:13
  • We should thank Him because it’s the right thing to do! Psalm 92:1
  • We should thank Him for His wonderful works to other people! Psalm 107:8
  • We should thank Him for His word! Psalm 119:62
  • We should thank Him for His mercy that endures forever! Psalm 136:26
  • We should give thanks for His Blood that was shed for us! Mark 14:23
  • We should give thanks for His Body that was given for us! Luke 22:19
  • We should give thanks for what He does for us! Luke 17:16
  • We should give thanks for Him giving us the victory through our Lord! 1 Corinthians 15:57
  • We should thank Him for those who are a part of the Body of Christ! Ephesians 1:16
  • We should thank Him for grace! 2 Corinthians 9:15

  And if that is not enough to take you to the place of worship, thanks should be given for Jesus! And thanks for this beautiful land that we live in, and for life, and for health, and for strength! And for family, and jobs, and friends, and vehicles, and homes…and I think you get the picture!

  This is my favorite type of prayer, as I said, because it leads to worship. It leads to us remembering who God is and all He has done and can do for us! It has a way of refreshing me and causing me to get my mind off of the negative issues in life, or the stress of the day. As a matter of fact, it gets me in the right frame of mind to blog.

  Anyone can be become an expert at talking to God with the prayer of thanksgiving! The leper who was cleansed, immediately knew exactly what words to say and what posture to take after he was healed. You don’t need an example, or further explanation. No need for the Greek or the Hebrew words to break it down! Just know that it’s an excellent way to talk to the Everlasting God and that you will most certainly get His attention!! Then when you finish giving Him thanks, you can just bask in His presence! Wonderful Jesus!

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  Posted in God, Prayer, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments | Tagged Christian, David, giving of thanks, God, leper, miraculous, Paul, Prayer, psalm, Thanksgiving, victory, worship

• Jesus is the Rock!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 12, 2021

  2 Samuel 22:32 – “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” NKJV

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  Imagery can be seen in the way we talk, and even the way we write, which we call figurative language. Imagery can also be used in the form of symbolism, as in the instances that I have been using it. Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and the well symbolizes our person. Sometimes when I read the Word of God, and I run into metaphors, or symbolism, it makes me stop and think about what is being said in a particular verse. Or it helps me to see a greater truth, simply because of the imagery. Such is the case with the rock!

  Psalm 18 holds a favorite verse that causes me to stop and think about the Lord:

  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 – NKJV

  That’s a mouthful! If you are anything like me, when you think of a rock, you don’t think of a mountain. But I chose this picture because of the mountains of rock that were captured in it. When looking at the word for rock in the Greek, we see the word “petra”. Petra denotes “a mass of rock,” according to the Vine’s, which is different from “petros” which is “a detached stone or boulder”. When I think of God as my rock, I can assure you that I am not thinking in terms of “petros”, but in terms of “petra”.

  As I write this blog, I am reminded of many verses on the Rock and I just feel like sharing some that really cause my heart to be stirred:

  “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2 – NKJV

  This verse was part of the prayer that Hannah spoke after delivering her son Samuel to Eli the priest. God have given her the son of her heart’s cry. And as she released him into service to her Lord, she declared these heartfelt words. There is none besides Him, and no other Rock like our God! There are times in prayer when I have to stop and utter similar words to these, so I can imagine how she felt!

  “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation! 2 Samuel 22:47 – NKJV

  Words of praise David uttered after the Lord had delivered him from Saul and all of his enemies. Blessed be my Rock! Have you ever been delivered from something? Are you thankful for the salvation He has given you? Yes! Your soul cries! And again it cries, yes!!

  From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 – NKJV

  David knew that there was One who was higher than him, and called Him the Rock! Solid, strong, dependable! And higher than him and each of us! More than strength and beauty comes from the Rock, for when I am overwhelmed, David cried, just lead me to the Rock! That’s still the best course of action when we are overwhelmed, even today. We just need to be led to the Rock!

  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7 – NKJV

  What precious promises the Word holds for those whose trust is in God. He is the rock of our strength! Strong, unyielding, is our God. And there is none like Him!

  Jesus shares this truth in a familiar verse filled with imagery:

  “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25 – NKJV

  Jesus is the Rock of our salvation, and He reminds us of this: If we hear and obey His word, it is equal to building our house on a rock. Have you ever seen a house built in the sides of the mountains? Doesn’t it look well protected?

  The Anasazi people were called cliff dwellers. Their homes were caves built in cliffs or under a cliff overhang. Many still exist today, although they were built thousands of years ago. Not a house you or I would want to buy, but it makes Jesus’ point! The passage of time, and the harshness of the weather over the years couldn’t cause them to be destroyed.

  What a blessing to know that we can build our homes on the Rock! Many people marvel when I say that I have been happily married to the same man for almost 35 years. I get that! It is so, only because we built on marriage, our home, on the Rock! Not only are we to build our homes on the Rock, but Jesus built His Church on the Rock! There may be times when it doesn’t look like “the gates of hell will not prevail against the church,” but just keep watching. Nothing will prevail against it! It’s built on the Rock!

  These are challenging times for the church and for us as individuals, but if we are in Christ, our foundation is sure! Nothing will cause us to be blown away because we are built on the Rock! Not floods, not pandemics, not harsh winds and rains; not even the current state of our political governments! Nothing!

  We must take comfort and find strength in the truth of the solidness of the Rock of our Salvation! He can not be moved! He can not be overcome! He can not be defeated! Even if we are done with this life on tomorrow, He would still be standing strong. Jesus is the Rock! He is the Rock of my salvation and I’ll never be ashamed! He is the Rock of your salvation, and you have no reason to be ashamed. Steady, strong, and unmovable is our Rock! Wonderful Jesus!

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  Posted in encouragement, God’s Symbols, Jesus, Strength | 0 Comments | Tagged David, Deliverance, encouragement, God, hard times, house on the rock, Jesus, Jesus is the Rock, Marriage, obedience, pandemic, protection, rock of salvation, Salvation, trust in God

• Turning the Tables on Rejection!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 1, 2021

  Isaiah 53:3 – He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. NKJV

  

  Is there any pain greater than the pain of rejection? I’m sure that we can have a healthy debate on the subject and all have valid points! Whether there is or not, rejection is a hard thing to handle and is the root cause of a lot of messed up people in the world.

  I’m sure that I don’t have to define this term for you, but I will do so anyway. Rejection is the act of throwing away, the act of casting off or forsaking, or the refusal to accept or grant. All extremely negative actions that basically leave a person feeling unwanted.

  Children can grow up feeling a strong sense of rejection. Not just poor kids, but middle class kids, and rich kids, also. Rejection knows no color barriers, no financial boundaries, and no cultural differences. Everyone is a candidate for rejection. Rejection, in and of itself, doesn’t have to be negative, but more times than not, it is viewed as a negative, painful, situation that paralyzes and poisons the lives of far too many individuals.

  The sad thing about rejection, is that it causes the individual who is rejected to internalize those feelings as the truth about themselves. They feel unwanted, unloved, not valued.

  I heard it said of young man who proposed to his girl and she rejected him. His friends asked him why wasn’t he sad. He replied, why should he be sad. He lost someone who didn’t love him, and she lost someone who loved her. I like this, for the young man may have been rejected, but he had a right response to the rejection.

  In our text, we read of someone who was rejected. Jesus! If you think you have it bad, it probably hasn’t been as bad as what He experienced. As a matter of fact, Isaiah prophesied that He would not only be rejected, but that He would also be despised.

  What did Jesus ever do to become despised and rejected? He was born! That’s it in a nutshell. And because He was born, the devil unleashed attacks on Him to destroy Him using a spirit of rejection as a weapon against Him. That same devil is still using this same spirit against people, and the end result is the same, to destroy them. But it doesn’t have to destroy us anymore than it destroyed Jesus, or the young man.

  I want to share a few scriptures to help you when the spirit of rejection tries to control your life and your way of thinking:

  John 1:11-12 -He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. NKJV

  I like this scripture. Jesus was rejected by His own, but He wasn’t rejected by everyone. And everyone who received Him was given the right to become children of God. See yourself in this same predicament. Maybe your very own family members have rejected you and caused you a lot pain. It’s time to give that to the One who can heal of you and then open your eyes to all those who will receive you and love you. Sometimes, we are so stuck on the one person who so thoroughly rejected us, (a father or mother, a husband or wife, a sibling) that we cannot see the ones who offer us love and acceptance. They are the ones who will help you to become who God intended you to be, while you help them to become all God intended them to be.

  When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. Psalm 27:10 – NKJV

  David may have been a lonely person in his family. He may have felt rejected. But he came to place of understanding where he was able to say, even if his parents rejected him, the Lord would take care of him. That’s where healing starts. Knowing that it doesn’t matter who rejects us, God never will!

  For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. Psalm 94:14 – NKJV

  These are promises. If you have been following me for some time, then you know that I have written several blogs on the faithfulness of God to His promises. These verses qualifies as promises. When you belong to God, He will never reject you or cast you away. He will never forsake you!

  I like this verse:

  The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. Psalm 118:22 – NKJV

  Yes, Jesus was the stone that the builders rejected, but He ended up being the rock that carried the weight of the building. You can be just like Jesus. His being rejected didn’t cause His destruction or stop Him, or hinder Him. And it certainly didn’t define Him. He knew who He was and His purpose for coming into the world. He focused on those truths and what God said about Him. And became the chief cornerstone.

  It’s time to allow God to break the power of rejection off your life. It’s held you down long enough. It has held you back one day too many. It’s time for moving forward, and moving ahead, and you can’t do that with this spirit dominating your thoughts, and every move and decision you make. Let it go, and let God’s view of you become the only view that matters!

  I don’t usually go outside of the word of God, but today I want to leave you with some great quotes:

  Rejection doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough; it means the other person failed to notice what you have to offer.

  And here’s another cute one with a lot of truth:

  Don’t be upset when people reject you. Nice things are rejected all the time by people who can’t afford them.

  As cute as these quotes are, here’s the bottom line:

  Each and every individual will experience some form of rejection in life. It’s not the rejection that’s the worst problem of all, it’s giving the rejector the power to control your life. Just don’t let them control you anymore. God’s love for you is greater than all of that. Remember His promise, when others reject you, even your parents, He never will! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Dealing With Emotions, Jesus, Promises of God | 0 Comments | Tagged David, encouragement, God’s promises, Healing, overcoming rejection, rejection, relationships, the enemy, trust in God, unloved, unwanted, word of God

• A Forever Promise!

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Let’s return to our text.

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

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

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

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

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

  Wonderful Jesus!

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

• Keeping It in Perspective!

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

  James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. NKJV

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  keeping-it-in-perspective_.mp3

  My past two blogs have been centered around the idea that we foster, that in order to be humble before God, we must somehow decrease that He must increase. In this blog, I want to look at what humility looks like, in the face of success, with some biblical figures we are all familiar with.

  I want to start with Daniel. Those of us who are familiar with the word of God are familiar with Daniel. He is well known as the prophet who told the Gentile kings the interpretations of their dreams. The first time he did so, the king had threatened to kill all the wise men, magicians, and astrologers, which included Daniel, because of a troubling dream. As a matter of fact, the king didn’t even remember the dream, yet, he wanted them to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant. When his astrologers and wise men said that they couldn’t do it, and no one could, he ordered their deaths. Daniel heard about it, and to spare his life and the lives of his friends, they fasted and ask God about the dream. When Daniel reported to the king to share the dream, he said these words:

  Daniel 2:30 – “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. NKJV

  Prior to this verse, Daniel had already given the honor to God, who knows the secrets of every heart. He wasn’t looking for anyone to think that he thought he was something special, but had come to share the dream and the interpretation of the dream as God had shown him. What he did was pretty spectacular. The king was so impressed he fell prostrate before Daniel and wanted to make an offering to him. He also placed Daniel in a high position and lavished gifts on him. But Daniel knew who the real interpreter was, and he never forget Him! And God exalted him!

  David was another man who demonstrated what it meant to be humble before the Lord. He was the giant killer who killed his tens of thousands. He was the king who brought unity to Israel. He was the leader of the mighty men. Yet, he understood that even so, it was because of God.

  2 Samuel 7:18-19 – “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God ? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” NKJV

  David said that what God had done for him was a small thing in His sight, but David knew it for the great favor that it was. I met a Jewish believer when I was a teenager. Without thinking, I said, “Why is your name David? That’s not a Jewish name!” He said, “Are you kidding me? You don’t know about King David, the great king of Israel?” I went, “Oops!” (What was I thinking)! Even today, he is heralded as the king of Israel. David knew that God had exalted him above his enemies and his own desires. It’s what happens when humility is truly demonstrated.

  Peter also demonstrated humility after having been used mightily of God. The lame man at the gate called Beautiful, and others, were ready to fall at his feet and worship him. Why? Because the man had been lame and begging for all of his life. And with a few words, he was made completely whole. Peter had to put that to a stop!

  Acts 3:11-12 – “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? NKJV

  Peter knew he didn’t heal the man, although the Spirit of God healed the man at Peter’s words. The old Peter might have responded differently, but this anointed Peter, showed much humility. He didn’t take God’s glory, because it didn’t belong to him. Anymore than it belongs to us. You can do wonderful things for God, even be successful, without belittling yourself, and still give Him all the glory!

  Acts 18:24-26 -Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. NKJV

  I asked the Lord for an example and He gave me Apollos. What we may not have paid attention to is the effective ministry that Apollos had amongst the Gentiles. On at least five different occasions Paul referred to Apollos’ ministry, placing it in the same category of his ministry and Peter’s ministry. Yet, when Apollos met Aquila and Priscilla, and they shared about Jesus, he readily listened, changed his message, and continued to preach. That’s humility! He wasn’t concerned about his reputation, or his prominence amongst the Gentiles, just the message of the Messiah. It was of Apollos that Paul wrote that he planted and Apollos watered, but God got the increase!

  I give you Jesus! The Bible states:

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

  Never once did He think less of Himself. Yet everything Jesus said and did was a witness to the position of humbleness that He displayed before the Father. He became obedient even to the point of death. He bowed His will to that of the Father, and died for us. In spite of the utter shame the cross held, in spite of the devastation to His physical body, in spite of the lies and being ridiculed, He humbled Himself. And He was highly exalted, and given a name above every name!

  Fellow believers! Each of these individuals humbled themselves before God, whether they said it or not. Each of them honored the Father above themselves. Each of them realized that the success that they had or was having was due to the Father, not to them. They did great exploits for the Father! He used them to do those things, but they gave Him all the honor and all the glory!

  It is possible to be a success in what you do, and give God the honor due Him, without sounding flaky and seeing yourself as a wretch. Paul even referred to himself as the least of all the brethren, which we would probably differ with. Yet, I don’t see that “poor wretched” mentality, I just see that he didn’t think more highly of himself than was necessary. If some of us accomplished what Paul did, we’d want a whole lot more money and fame and service than he received. Looking for the exaltation of others. But Paul was humble in what he did because he did it for Christ, only for Christ! That’s really the bottom line! Keep it all in perspective as to whom we are doing it for, and our hearts will remain humble. Then He will exalt us! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Humility, Jesus, Serving God | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Daniel, David, dreams, glory, Honor, humble, Humility, increasing and decreasing, Jesus, obedience, Paul, Peter, service, success

• See Jesus in You!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 2, 2020

  John 3:30 -He must increase, but I must decrease. NKJV

  

  see-jesus-in-you_.mp3

  In my previous blog, I used this same scripture to share the context of how and why John the Baptist used this phrase. For him, it was the reality of his situation, the end of his ministry. But it has become a cliche, used in the body to express humility. And again, I think it is flawed.

  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

  Psalm 139:14

  David said to the Father in a time of worship that he recognized that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. In the Young’s Literal translation it reads like this:

  I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished.

  God took care in putting us together. To Him, we are special. He made us as different from each other as we can be. Our fingerprints are ours alone. Even our teeth have their own signature. And while we may share DNA with other people, we are still different. And it’s a beautiful thing!

  So now, here’s my point: Why would God gift us to do different things in the kingdom, make us all different, and then not expect that individuality to shine through when He uses us? Again, I know the sentiment behind the phrase but it is scripturally misleading in how and why God chooses and uses us.

  Let’s look at Biblical examples:

  Galatians 2:8 – (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), NKJV

  In this verse, Paul makes it clear that Peter was sent to the Jews and he was sent to the Gentiles. Both of these men were Jewish, but Paul was a Jewish scholar. It would seem that Paul was more qualified to minister to the Jews, but it was Peter who was sent to them.

  We know from the scriptures that Peter was Jewish to the core. When God gave him the vision on the rooftop, and told him to eat of the unclean animals, even though it was God, Peter was still refusing to eat. His strict ways of Judaism made him the perfect candidate to go to the Jews. His life, upbringing, and biases, equipped him to deal with those of his fellow Jews. He didn’t decrease in who he was to increase in what God had for him. He just allowed God to use him, with all of his weaknesses and strengths, to fulfill the call on his life.

  Paul on the other hand, was perfect for the Gentiles. He was a Roman citizen from his birth. He was a Jew from his birth. He was scholarly and understood both cultures well. But he was passionate about the law. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. The same passion he used to persecute the church, he used to build it. He didn’t ask to decrease from being who he was. All of him, being used by all of the Holy Spirit, caused the gospel to spread, churches to be planted, and him writing most of the New Testament.

  Again, I know what is meant by using this phrase. We want people to see Jesus, and not us. Hopefully! But why can’t they see Jesus in us? What is so wrong with who we are, that we feel a need to say that we want to disappear while the Spirit take over? Or have we so much religious jargon in our churches, that we don’t bother thinking about what we are saying?

  Let’s talk plain! I have some friends who can sing! Had they met the same talent managers that Whitney Houston met, they’d be famous! I mean, they can sing. And when they get up and say this, (all of You God and none of me), it’s like, really? None of you? You were asked to sing because you have a beautiful voice. If it didn’t matter to God or the audience, we’d ask somebody who could “only make a joyful noise”! No! We ask the gifted and the talented to sing because we enjoy listening to them sing. And when they are anointed, they sound even better!

  When I tune into Jesse DuPlantiss, or Bill Winston, or any minister for that fact, I am listening to the individual as much as I am listening to the Spirit of God. There is no way Jesse is going to preach without telling a joke. No way! So when I listen to him I understand that’s the way God uses him to minister to people. He has a way of making an audience laugh. Sometimes after a hard day, or many trials, a good laugh goes a long way! There is no way Bill Winston is going to minister without sharing about kingdom living. It’s just what he does! He and Jesse are both powerful men of God (whether you like them or not) and yet they are so different. And so are their assignments. And yet they are both preachers, being used by the Holy Spirit, with their own distinct personalities and ways of doing it.

  This is true for every pastor, minister, singer, and person in the Body. When God uses us, He wants to use us. He’s not looking for cookie cutter ministers, singers, musicians, or teachers. He wants to use us in our own unique way.

  When my niece was ministering, I felt like we were just having one of our normal conversations. She was just as down to earth in her presentation: no airs, no pretentiousness. She got up and shared an encouraging word as a person who is comfortable in her own skin. And yet, she still felt like she didn’t want people to see her, but she wanted them to see Jesus! Glad to hear it! It’s admirable. But I saw both her and Jesus, and I heard them both! And it was all good! I still hear her saying, “Just keep swimming!” But I heard the Spirit of God saying, “Don’t ever give up!” God used her where she was at, as she was, and I know the people were blessed and encouraged!

  When you are asked to do something for God, just remember: God is saying that He is ready to use you! He’s not asking you to decrease, or stop being you, so that He can increase. You should not get up and rely on you, and your abilities alone, but in Him and His abilities alone! That’s the right attitude! But it’s still you, and He wants to operate through you! So step forward in faith and say, “Use me, Lord; and then believe that He wants to! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Humility, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Christian, David, fearfully and wonderfully made, Galatians, God, Jesus, John the Baptist, Kingdom of God, Paul, Peter, psalm

• Which Way Lord?

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 20, 2020

  Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. NKJV

  

  Life is full of decisions that we have to make. My least favorite decision to make is , “What are we going to eat?” I mean think about! As a wife and mother I have had to decide on three meals a day for over thirty years. That’s over thirty thousand decisions about food I have had to make over the years. Quite frankly, it’s not a decision I look forward to. I really like it when someone else makes the decision about the meal and take care of the details. Better yet, let’s go out for a meal, or two, or three! Seriously! One thing I miss during this pandemic is going out to eat! If only all of life’s decisions could be something to laugh at!

  In our text today, we want to look at the phrase, “in all your ways acknowledge Him”. Did Solomon really suggest that we should acknowledge God in all of our ways? He did! However, I know we don’t! It is not my practice to say, “Lord, what should I cook this time?” Although, in desperation over trying to figure out the next meal, I have prayed it!

  When Solomon told us to acknowledge God in all of our ways, he used the Hebrew word, “yada” which means “know” and carries the idea of “being aware of”. This thought goes beyond asking, “Lord, what do you think,” in way of acknowledgement. It, in essence, suggests that when we acknowledge God, we are aware of who He is and how He operates and our ways are filtered through that knowing.

  Adam and Eve knew God, and yet they did not “know” Him as they partook of the forbidden fruit. Had they taken the time to know what He would want in regards to them talking with the serpent and taking of the fruit, they would have left that fruit alone.

  Joseph, on the hand, knew God as he conducted business in Potiphar’s home. When Potiphar’s wife tried to get him to spend some ‘time’ with her, (I have a few young followers), he knew God, was aware of God, and ran for all he was worth.

  David, one of my favorite people, knew God and yet, he didn’t acknowledge God in all of his ways. When he saw Bathsheba bathing, all sense of knowing God and His ways went out of his head, leading him to make some horrible decisions that were life and kingdom altering. It can happen to the best of us!

  Acknowledging God isn’t a once in awhile thing to do. It’s not even a last minute thing to do, or what we do when we’ve gotten ourselves in such a mess, we are out of options. Acknowledging God, knowing Him, and being aware of Him as we go through life’s path is the only smart choice.

  I think of the picture of the maze that I found, which I could never imagine walking through, and having to find my way around. The walls look tall enough that I probably couldn’t see anything but what is directly in front of me; and when I get to an opening, I am clueless in which direction I should go. Do I take the stairs, go through the door, or keep looking for an exit? It can be overwhelming! Just like life! That’s why we are to acknowledge Him in all our ways.

  As we travel through this maze, called life, with walls higher than we are, and more twists and surprises than we can count, we need a guide. Imagine going through this same maze with the architect of the maze, or the owner who has spent countless hours navigating through it? It would certainly take the fear out of going through it, and the worry of making the wrong decisions. God is the architect of our lives. He knows the plans He has for us and the expected end for our lives. When we acknowledge Him, and are aware Him, as we have decisions to make, He takes the fear out of them!

  There are so many areas of our lives that we could benefit from by being aware of God: getting married, raising kids, career choices, relationships other than marriage, purchasing expensive items, getting involved in business deals with others, and a host of other things. This reminds me of Joshua and the leaders of Israel.

  They had a mighty victory at Jericho. God brought the walls down as they shouted, then they went in and took the city. The night before, Joshua was in prayer before the Lord and had an angelic visitation. God gave him instructions and he followed them. But after that great showing of force in Jericho, they thought they were quite the warriors and went against Ai without God’s counsel. That didn’t work out so well for them.

  And if that wasn’t enough, they had some visitors from Gibeon. These visitors told Joshua and the leaders of Israel that they had come from a far country. They even showed them molded bread, old wineskins, old garments, and old sandals explains to them that everything was fresh and new when they left home. The Israelites made a treaty of peace with the Gibeonites without acknowledging, or being aware of God, during the process, and were deceived. Yes! Even our hero, Joshua, didn’t acknowledge God in all of his ways.

  The good news is that even when we blow it, we can get back on track. That’s what Joshua did both times. After the failure of the battle at Ai, he went to God and God told him there was sin in the camp. Deal with it and all will be well. He dealt with the sin and went back and destroyed Ai. With the Gibeonites, there was no getting out of the treaty. They were stuck. They had to honor the treaty and ended up having to save the Gibeonites from destruction. But had they just acknowledged God in the beginning they would have avoided this.

  Great point to make! Some fixes God will get you out of, but some of those consequences you are going to have to live with. And if you are aware of Him during the process of living with those consequences, He will turn things around in your favor. He’s just good like that!

  Which way Lord? What should I do now, Father? What are you saying here, God? These types of questions only take a few seconds to whisper but can save you from a life of unnecessary heartache! Make a decision today to acknowledge, be aware of, and know what He is saying and where He is leading, and see how He takes the “fear” out of traveling through the maze called life. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Proverbs 3:5-6, trust in God | 6 Comments | Tagged acknowledging God, Adam and Eve, consequences, David, God, Joshua, making decisions, relationships, trust in God, Victorious Living

• I Will Trust in the Lord!

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

  Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. NKJV

  

  i-will-trust-in-the-lord_.mp3

  Trust comes easy for most children. As they are fed, clothed, and held by their parents and family members they learn to trust them. When I was thinking about the concept of trust, I immediately thought of a parent telling their child to jump into their arms, or a father raising a kid in the air and laughter ringing in the room. Simple, child-like trust is a beautiful thing to watch in action. As children become teenagers, young adults, and later adults, not all of them still trust their parents in the same way they did as kids. Some don’t trust at all!

  When we first come to the Lord, we may start off with childlike trust in the Savior. He has saved us, forgiven us, and given us a new lease on life, but one day we wake up and we don’t feel quite the same way. What happened? We allowed the circumstances of our lives to eat away at that trust!

  In both the natural and the spiritual realm, things happen to challenge our trust. One day kids wake up, and their parents aren’t as perfect as they first believed. I well remember a situation with our oldest daughter when she was about five. She was taking piano and voice lessons with our minister of music, who is a close personal friend. She was learning a song, and my friend told her to ask me to play it for her so that she would be more comfortable with it at her next lesson. When my daughter told me this, I got out my tape player to let her hear the song. She said, “No mommy! She wants you to play it on the piano!” I said to her, “No! She wants me to play it on the tape player!” She was insistent that I was to play it on the piano. When she discovered I couldn’t “play” the piano, she was so disappointed. She said, “You can’t do anything!” If you think she was devastated, I want you to know I wasn’t too thrilled either! Of course, she has forgiven me for not knowing how to play the piano, and will not have to worry about her daughter saying the same thing to her!

  Although my example is mild, and meant to be humorous, we know that many children, teens and young adults experience a variety of times when parents don’t live up to their expectations. Some children have overinflated expectations of their parents, which causes disappointments, as my daughter had; and some just expect their parents to be good, honest, loving parents. Unfortunately, that’s a tall order for some parents!

  When we come to God, we expect to see the mighty miracles, hear the thunder roll, see our every trouble removed because we are now Christians. We don’t want heartache, failure, or disappointment now that we are saved, and yet, we sometimes see more of that, then we see of the other. Trust is waning because expectations are not being met!

  In Proverbs, Solomon didn’t write, “When things are going according to your expectations, trust in the Lord!” No! He simply wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!” The Hebrew word for trust is bâṭach, pronounced “baw-takh'” and it is a primitive root word which means: to hie for refuge. I was going to overlook this definition and go straight to the part that means, “to trust, be confident or sure:—be bold”. But let’s not! In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition for hie is, “to go quickly; hasten”. When we put this all together, Solomon is saying that when we trust in the Lord, we go quickly, we hasten to Him for refuge! Isn’t that interesting? I think so!

  Isn’t this the picture of a child who dearly loves his or her parent? When something comes up in a child’s life, they quickly run to their parent knowing that it’s going to be better when mom or dad gets involved! This is how we are to be with the Father! Instead of falling apart and becoming discouraged, we are to hasten to Him for refuge knowing that it’s going to be better because of Him!

  Now let’s look at the rest of the meaning of trust! Trust implies a confident assurance in God that allows us to be bold before trials, tribulations, and persecutions; knowing that God has us in the midst of it all! It’s easy to see why Solomon instructed us to trust “with all of our heart,” because in this way, we leave no place for doubt, confusion, or fear to set in! Have I always trusted like this? That would be a negative! But I will to trust in Him more and more! Meaning I set my will to trust God as I grow in my ability to receive His love for me!

  Isaiah wrote in chapter 12 of his book that it was his will to trust God!

  Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. (Verse 2)

  Isaiah purposed that he would trust in God, and he would not be afraid because God was his strength and his song! That’s what our trust in the Lord needs to look like! We should train ourselves to say, I will trust, I will not be afraid!

  Anyone who has heard of Job understand that he went through a difficult time in life. Some say it lasted less than a year, but it was still a painful time. Here’s what Job said during his trial,

  Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…Job 13:15

  Again, it was Job’s will to trust God! He wasn’t happy with his situation. He didn’t feel like he was getting a fair shake for one who had lived righteous before the Lord. But putting all of that aside, he said that it didn’t matter if he died, he would die trusting the Lord!

  David had this to say about trust:

  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us! Psalm 62:8

  There is that reference to “refuge” in relationship to trust! When we trust Him, in spite of what is going on around us, He is a refuge for us against those things that try to destroy our trust in Him!

  Scripture tells us in Psalm 125:1,

  They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abide forever.

  When we trust the Lord, we will not only be bold, as the definition tells us, but we will not be moved by what we see! We will only be moved by what we believe, or what we are trusting God to do!

  Anyone can trust during the good times. It’s how most children learn to trust their parents, because things are good! It’s during the difficult times, the hard times, the challenging times that we must say, “I will trust in the Lord”!! Solomon knew the life his dad lived trusting God! He also knew the blessings, the well-being that came with trusting the Lord. But most assuredly he knew what it was like to “not” trust in the Lord with his whole heart!

  We are living in some challenging times in this world. We have political unrest all over the world, a world-wide pandemic, world-wide economic woes, and world-wide attacks on the church! If there has ever been a time when we need to “will” to trust the Lord, this is that time. Stop fretting over what you have no control over today, and hasten to the Lord for refuge! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Proverbs 3:5-6, Refuge, trust in God | 4 Comments | Tagged body of Christ, children, David, economic crisis, encouragemnt, hard times, I will trust, Job, pandemic, Solomon, trust in God

• The Weapon of Praise!

  Posted at 4:33 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on August 1, 2020

  Psalm 8:2 – Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. NIV

  

  the-weapon-of-praise_-2.mp3

  prayer-for-salvation-2.m4a

  I’ve been blogging about weapons that are effective in stopping the enemy! I have blogged about the weapon of our salvation, the weapon of the Blood of Jesus, and the weapon of holiness. In this blog, I want to talk about the weapon of praise!

  The psalmist, David, stated that praise establishes a stronghold (a tower) against our enemies. Can you imagine yourself building a tower, with your praise, that the enemy cannot get over? Hopefully, when you finish reading this blog, you will do just that! In the KJV of the Bible the translators used the word “strength” and not “praise” in this verse. However, to be clear that the psalmist is referring to praise, in this verse, let’s look at how Jesus quoted it in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 21:16 – “And (the Pharisees)said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” NKJV

  When I think of both of these words, (praise and strength) it causes me to draw the conclusion that our strength against the enemy lies in our praise! Get this picture in your mind: The enemy is on the attack, in some form or fashion, then you begin to praise God, and you start constructing a tower with your praise! The longer you praise, the higher the tower, the higher the tower, the harder it is for the enemy to access you! I like that picture!!

  The word praise is sometimes translated as “boast” meaning to boast in the Lord and what He has done, and to boast in who He is! Praise can be carried out in a number of ways:

  • We can praise Him in the dance!
  • We call praise Him with song!
  • We can just walk around and praise Him for who He is
  • We can sit and praise Him for what He has done in our lives
  • We can bow before Him and give Him praise just because we feel like it
  • We can praise Him at church or at home
  • We can praise Him with or without music
  • We can praise Him in the Spirit

  Choose one! Better yet, try them all! The next time the enemy goes on a rampage, praise God like never before!

  The Old Testament reference that comes to mind involves Jehoshaphat! There was an army of people who came up against the king and the people of Judah. When the king heard, he called a fast and prayed. The Lord gave the king a promise, a prophetic word, that he would not have to fight in the battle, and Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, gave Him praise. The next morning, when they got up, Jehoshaphat called for another time of praise. Here’s what verse 22 states: “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated!” Now how powerful of an example is that? Yes, they had fasted and prayed, and that caused them to hear from God! But when they began to praise Him, God defeated their enemies!

  Now, if you have been following me, you know I have to give you at least one more scriptural proof of praise silencing the enemy!

  The verse that keeps resonating in my heart and spirit is found in Isaiah 61. Although these are the words that Jesus said He fulfilled in Luke 4, there is a part that illustrates the victory through praise. Isaiah wrote, “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”. What is the spirit of heaviness but an oppressive spirit from the devil? Isaiah said, when it comes, clothe yourself in praise! Get up from your place of “woe is me” and get in a position of “Lord, You are good! You’ve been better than good!” Hallelujah!

  Everyone may not be able to “apply the Blood of Jesus” in faith as soon as you learn about it, but you can start praising Him right now and be extremely effective against the attacks of your enemy!

  In Psalm 30:12, the psalmist wrote, “You have turned for me mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent. O lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” What was David mourning over? Why was he in sackcloth? Who knows? Much had happened in his life before this point. It could have simply been that God had denied him the honor of building His temple because he had so much blood on his hands. Yet, when David was dedicating his home to the Lord, he began to give God praise and said, “you have turned my mourning into dancing”.

  My sister died many years ago. I hadn’t seen her in decades. One day I was just talking to the Lord when I said, “Father, I don’t want the next time I see Jeannie to be at her funeral.” That’s it! That’s all I said. Not long after that, Jeannie contacted me, came and spent a couple weeks with my family and I, and went back to California. She died shortly after. As I was beginning to allow grief to set in, God reminded me of what He had just done for me. I want you to know, I had such a spirit of praise in my heart at the funeral, it was almost embarrassing. However, I shared with my family that day about why my heart was not heavy, and I had to leave it there! He turned my mourning into dancing!

  I can give you example after example of the power of praise over the enemy. When we are praising God, the enemy runs away, because he can’t stand to be in a place where praise to God is going on. Also, when you praise God, you don’t have time to think about what the enemy is saying and doing, thereby, silencing him! And don’t forget that tower that is built when you give God praise! It’s blocks the enemy’s access to you!

  Let’s say that you are not in a place to even give Him praise right now. It happens! At this time, you just put on some praise music, and just be in the atmosphere of praise. It worked for Saul. When the evil spirit came upon him, David was called in to play some music for him. It was probably one of David’s psalms that he played for Saul, because the enemy left. He didn’t want to hear it. Not even in instrumental form!

  David wrote, “Let the poor and needy praise your name,” in Psalm 74. There is no state, no condition, in which we cannot give God praise. The best praise will come from your lips. Sometimes, it will have to be a sacrifice of praise more than a praise party. However it starts out, know that your praise is a powerful weapon against the enemy! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, praise, the devil, weapons of warfare | 0 Comments | Tagged attacks, David, Deliverance, encouragement, hard times, Jehoshaphat, Jesus, praise, Spiritual warfare, the devil, the enemy, victory, worship

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