Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Forgiveness

• The Spirit of Love!

  Posted at 10:23 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 11, 2020

  Luke 2:11-12 -For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” NKJV

  

  the-spirit-of-love_.mp3

  In two weeks people all over the world will be celebrating the birth of Jesus. I know there are many who like to think of this time as just a fun holiday, celebrated with gifts, family, food and good times. They want to X Jesus right out of the season. They are more excited about teaching their children about a fairy tale man who will come down the chimney and leave them a bunch of toys. They don’t want to “lie” to their children about a Savior being born, but they will lie about Santa Claus coming to town! The logic of some!

  I remember when I first told my mom that I didn’t believe in Santa Claus. She seemed surprised that not only did I not believe in him, but that I didn’t have any desire to participate in the lie of a non-existent man bringing me toys. It hurt her more than it hurt me. He’s my least favorite part of Christmas! But that’s my personal bias!

  What makes this season so special, is the Spirit of love! Everything about the birth of Jesus was centered in the love of God for mankind.

  John 3:16-17 -For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV

  Right here, in this most familiar verse, is the truth of what the Spirit of love is all about. God wrapped Himself in His love, placed His Seed into Mary, and birthed Him into this earth, that He might save mankind. I love verse 17 as much as verse 16! God didn’t send His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved! Spectacular! Love so freely released and so abundant, it was capable of being extended to the entire world, for ages to come.

  Here’s another power packed duo of verses about God’s love for us:

  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

  On that day, when our Savior was born, the Spirit of Love was made manifest! God would now be able to tangibly touch His people with love in a way that He had not been able to touch them before. No more do we need to have a fearful, we can’t say His name because it’s too holy, outlook on the God of the universe! He is now touchable, relatable, and visible. No more standing afar off from Him because He came to be up close and personal. No more wondering what He meant, or if He could really love us, because He came to assure us of this truth! We are loved by God and He wants us to know it!

  Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 3, that his heart was that we would know the love of God which passes all understanding. That love brought Jesus from heaven to earth! That agape love, that is unconditional, not based on us, but on Him, was released in a profound way, on the day Jesus was born!

  Jesus was a wonderful example of love when He walked this earth. He demonstrated daily a new kind of love. When the woman was caught in adultery, Jesus didn’t say, “I love you” with His words. But His actions spoke loud and clear of His love. When the widow of Nain was headed to the burial sight with her own son, Jesus didn’t say, “I love you” with His words, but His actions expressed His love with no problem. The way He cared for people, the way He embraced men, women, and children, the way He reached out to the “commoners” and the “sinners” without judgment; all demonstrated His love.

  Looking at Jesus’ life, He taught us how to love:

  • He said that anyone could love a friend, but when we loved our enemies, that was a real demonstration of love.
  • He said that there is no greater love, than the love of a friend, who will give His life for you. Then He died for us!
  • He said that we are not to just love our neighbors as ourselves, but love as He loved us. His love was without strings attached!
  • He taught us that forgiveness is steeped in love. That’s why He is so willing to forgive us.
  • He taught us that love will cause us to serve and obey Him, as it caused Him to serve and obey the Father.
  • He taught us that serving one another was an expression of love, and He washed His disciples feet!
  • And He said that if we want others to really believe that we are His, then we would show love to one another.

  Can I just say that in this climate, in which we find ourselves in America, with the political unrest, we need love sweet love. We have allowed our allegiance to political parties and individuals to override our love for one another. In the past weeks I have heard several different messages, from different ministers, reminding us of the words of Jesus: “By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another!” John 13:5

  I believe God is speaking! I know He is speaking to my heart. I believe He is speaking to the hearts of His people. What we need right now in America is a move of the Spirit of Love, upon the church, then upon the land. We need to stop and think about how we look to Jesus, who taught us the true meaning of love, and how we look to the world, who don’t believe our God is real anyway.

  This holiday is full of the Spirit of love. Love for family and friends, and love for the Savior, who came to this earth for us. But if we aren’t loving one another, than are we truly loving Him? Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song, “Love Take Me Over,” asking God to allow His love to take him over. Here is part of the chorus:

  Love, take these words that I’m speaking
  Love, take these thoughts that I’m thinking,
  Love, take me over.

  Today, ask the Spirit of love to overtake our hearts, His church, and our land like never before. The very last thing we want to see is our nation is another civil war. The very last thing we want to see is a greater divide in the Church. Spirit of Love begin to flow like never before! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christmas, God, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, love of God | 0 Comments | Tagged civil war, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, God’s Spirit, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, love of God, obedience, Salvation, Spirit of love

• Grace That Grows!

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

  2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” NKJV

  

  grace-that-grows_.mp3 (Note: I changed the title after I recorded it!)

  I’ve shared several blogs on the grace of God. If you have kept up with them, you know that I have repeatedly spoken of grace as God’s unmerited favor that cannot be earned and is not deserved. This is all true! Today I want to bring up a very important point about grace, it grows!

  In 2 Peter 3, Peter addresses several tough issues: the delay of the end times, mockers, false teachers, and the return of the Lord. He concludes this chapter by telling the believers that to be forewarned about these issues is to forearmed. Sounds like great advice! The last thing he says is that we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus! This verse captured my interest. So I asked myself, like an student of the word would, “If grace is given freely, because we can’t earn it, nor do we deserve it, how can we grow in it?

  It really goes back to what I have been trying to explain. Grace is powerful! The word of God talks about exceeding riches of grace and yet many believers only understand saving grace, the grace given to us to obtain salvation, and that reservations. Peter writes that we can grow in the grace of God. I believe that what he means is that we are to grow in understanding what grace is, how it operates in our lives, and experiencing it to its fullness. As we grow in grace we can’t help but grow in the knowledge of our God.

  I found an article, written by Bob Hoekstra, Grace for Knowing God. In the article he wrote:

  The more we know about the grace of God, the more we know about one of the great, great truths of our Lord God. He is a God of grace.

  Another word for grow is increase! God is a God of increase! Paul wrote a similar verse about growing in grace:

  2 Corinthians 8:7 -But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us— see that you abound in this grace also. NKJV

  In other words, we grow in everything, we should grow in grace! And in case abound needs explaining, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it in this manner:

  1 : to be present in large numbers or in great quantity…2 : to be copiously supplied —used with in or with…

  In our verse, abound is used with the word “in”, taking on the meaning that we are to be copiously supplied with grace. And copiously simply means “yielding something abundantly. This is such an important concept about grace. God wants us to get that His grace, His favor towards us is abundant grace! As we understand it and it expect it, we can experience it in greater abundance!

  Ephesians 1:7-8- In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, NKJV

  Even saving grace comes with abundance. Paul wrote that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of His grace. Grace abundantly forgives, and our redemption came with abundance of grace. He continues in the next verse by saying that He made this grace to abound toward us! It was given in great quantity, copiously supplied! However, if we don’t understand the extent of God’s grace, endeavor to know more about it, we cannot grow in it.

  God’s grace is a sufficient grace for all that we need and all that we experience. But God’s grace is also clearly abundant. It takes care of whatever it is released in our lives to do, and to do so lavishly. We spend far too much of our lives and our times, living on pauper grace. Just enough to get by! We think of ourselves as “dirty ole dogs”, “wretched individuals” and “unworthy sinners” when He has poured out abundant grace to us! Grace that loving embrace us into His family!

  Think of it like this, if I may try to naturalize something so supernatural. You were homeless, living on the streets, eating out of trash cans, and didn’t know if you would see tomorrow. Suddenly Bill Gates passes by and is drawn to you, for no particular reason that you know of. He walks over to you, converses with you, and invites you to dinner with him. You’re hungry as all get out, but you won’t eat with him, so you just tell him if he’ll give you a few coins, you’ll find something to eat. He says, no way! I want to take you across the street to the Hilton where I am staying tonight. I will get you a room, so you can sleep, take a warm bath, and put on some new clothes that I will have sent to your room. Then we’ll go to eat and I’ll tell you the great plans I have to help you get reestablished in life. But you refuse his assistance, because you don’t want to cause others to look at him badly, or be seen as taking advantage of his kindness, or you don’t believe that he is doing it out of the joy of giving. Whatever! But you’ll take a few dollars, and tonight eat a little better, but nothing in your life has changed. Pauper grace!

  Saints! Too often that is exactly how we treat God. I say, if God wants to do great things for us, then we should get with the program and let Him! Let Him buy me dinner, put me up in the hotel, give me a job, a car, and a house, too! Anything wants to do, and everything He wants to do, I am onboard! I am free from the drudgery of sin that I once lived in and I am more than ready to experience all that He wants to bestow upon me!! Maybe that’s why grace is on my mind!

  As I have been sheltering in place, I have had a lot of time to connect with God. I read the Bible of a loving, giving, abundant God, and I haven’t always expected abundance of grace in my life. Maybe you can say the same thing, and now you want to live differently! Well, it will start as we learn to grow in grace. As we open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to His exceedingly abundant grace, I believe that we will begin to see it happen in our lives. I’m ready to grow in grace! How about you? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, God, Grace | 0 Comments | Tagged abound, abundance, favor, Forgiveness, God, Grace, grace of God, Paul, Peter, Salvation, Sin

• The Promise of Grace Fulfilled!

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

  John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV

  

  the-promise-of-grace-fulfilled_.mp3

  I’ve been sharing about grace! It’s really been in my spirit and on my mind! In the Old Testament, God showed favor to Abraham and his descendants, His chosen people, through special attention and miraculous interventions. He elevated them, He did ridiculous and mouth opening feats before their very eyes, and caused many to have a fear and respect for His people, all because of His grace. In the New Testament, God demonstrates His Grace towards mankind, all of mankind, in the Person of Jesus Christ! Let’s get into our topic for today!

  The Logos Bible commentary defines grace in this manner:

  The unmerited favour of God, made known through Jesus Christ, and expressed supremely in the redemption and full forgiveness of sinners through faith in Jesus Christ. (Logos)

  This unmerited favor of God, through Jesus Christ, is God’s promise of grace fulfilled. If we take a look at our key verse, we see that Jesus Christ, the Word, made manifest in the flesh, came with grace and truth. He is the embodiment of God’s grace extended to all of mankind. The favor that God extended in the Old Testament, pales to the favor He extended in the person of Jesus! Many find themselves wishing they could “know” the God of the Old Testament in the same way that Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and Elisha did. However, the grace demonstrated to them in the Old Testament was only a glimpse of the grace to be poured out in the New Testament!

  Grace and mercy can be confusing to some believers. Therefore, let me share the difference of the two, in case you need clarity. Mercy is what God extends to mankind, instead of what he deserves for what he did. We are as guilty as can be in regards to sin and its punishment, but instead of giving us what we deserve, He grants us mercy. Grace, however, is what God gives us, even though we did nothing to deserve it, and can do nothing to deserve it.

  I like the way William Barclay, a theologian during the 1900s, wrote about grace in his commentary on the book of John:

  It always has the idea of something completely undeserved. It always has the idea of something that we could never have earned or achieved for ourselves. The fact that God came to earth to live and to die for men and women is not something which humanity deserved; it is an act of pure love on the part of God. The word grace emphasizes at one and the same time our own helpless poverty and God’s limitless kindness.

  Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2, expresses a similar mindset when He writes about the great love that God has for us, even when we were still in our sins. A love that caused Him to extend grace to us, to give us what we did not deserve, because He loves us so much! A love that didn’t wait for us, but a love that drew us to Him. We love Him because He first loved us! 1 John 4:19

  The Greek word for grace is “charis” and it simply means favor. I like the way the Strong’s Dictionary defines grace:

  of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift

  John wrote that when Jesus came, He came full of grace and truth. He came full of divine influence, full of benefits, full of the reflection of God’s purpose and will in the lives of humanity. No other person was an acceptable means of delivering God’s grace to mankind, so He came Himself, in the embodiment of Jesus, to give us access to His riches: salvation, peace, love, joy, hope, prosperity, strength, deliverance, and wisdom to name a few.

  John uses an interesting phrase in verse 16 of the first chapter:

  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 -NKJV

  Grace for grace. I looked the phrase up and it is said to be a poetic phrase reflective of the Greek language and culture. Simply put it means grace that is never ending. I always thought it meant, grace to receive grace, but I like this rendering just as much: never ending grace, full of wonder, full of amazement, mind boggling grace. A poetic sense of sheer loveliness. That’s what God gave us in Jesus!

  It is also said, that this phrase is more accurately rendered: grace instead of grace. How is it possible to receive grace instead of grace? The implication here is that grace varies to meet our needs. The grace I need as a young mother, I don’t need as a mother of teens, I need a new grace! The grace I need when things are well is a different grace than the grace I need when there are challenges in my life. God’s grace is not fixed in place, but it rises triumphantly to deal with every situation! Either way you understand this or interpret this, it’s all good!

  This reminds me of the situation with Paul, when he asked the Lord to take away the thorn in the flesh. It was not sickness, for Paul said it was a messenger of Satan, buffeting him. In other words, he was under extreme attack, yet again, and he asked God to remove it. But God replied:

  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

  This is a perfect example of grace for grace, or grace instead of grace, as it reads in this commentary. I’ll have to do some more study, but I like the idea rendered, nevertheless!

  Can I just add what I thought it meant? I think I will! Grace for grace to me meant that God gives us the grace to understand His grace, and to receive His grace! We can easily understand that grace is His undeserved and unearned gift for salvation, and somehow find it difficult to believe that He wants to favor us in this life. If we are honest, we can easily justify why God would grant favor to Jesse DuPlantiss, Andrew Wommack, Bill Winston, or even our pastor, thinking that they have earned the right for His favor. If this is how we are thinking, we have already forgotten what favor is: it is unearned or undeserved!

  I have already cut this blog down, so I will stop here! I am so excited about His grace! I’ll just have to continue with some of this next time! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, God, Grace, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, favor, favor of God, Forgiveness, God’s riches, Grace, grace of God, Jesus, Paul, Salvation

• His Name is All That!

  Posted at 4:31 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on October 3, 2020

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

  

  his-name-is-all-that_.mp3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Posted in His Name, Jesus, the Name of Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged All That, Faith, Forgiveness, God, Healing, holy, hope, Jesus, protection, provision, Salvation, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, trust in God, Waymaker

• His Name is Counselor!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 24, 2020

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

  

  his-name-is-counselor_.mp3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Posted in Choices, Jesus, Son of God | 4 Comments | Tagged counsel, Counselor, Forgiveness, Jesus, obedience, Parenting, Rehoboam, trust in God, Victorious Living

• God’s Requirements – Part 3

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

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

  

  gods-requirements-part-3.mp3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  In the book of psalms, it is written:

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

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

  A well known proverb about pride states:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  I leave you with this word, from the word:

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

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

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

• Secret Weapon!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 30, 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

  

  secret-weapon_.mp3

  Are you a fan of westerns? I am! I grew up on the Lone Ranger series, as dorky as it looks today! My daughter discovered that the Lone Ranger was actually a Black man, and decided she wanted to honor his work and memory. Her latest release is loosely based on the character of the Lone Ranger and his friend Tonto; or in her case, Sly and Jamie! In the first three books of the series, Sly is in and out of the stories, helping runaway slaves; but book four is his story. I mention him, to give her free advertisement, and to make a point: Sly, had a secret weapon! Whenever Sly got in a tight spot, he did daring things to help the runaways, or to stop a lawless individual, all without getting hurt. Why? His secret weapon! Jamie was always in the background, giving the appearance that Sly was on his own, and just when Sly needed him, he would show up! One day, Sly was without his secret weapon and things got messy! You’ll have to read the book if you want to know what happened to Sly!

  A secret weapon is something or someone that no one knows about and that will give you an advantage over your competitors or enemies. I’m calling today’s weapon against the devil a secret weapon because many Christians conduct themselves as if they are unaware of it, and it’s so powerful! That’s the weapon of holiness. That’s right! It’s been a secret weapon for far too long, and now we need to become more aware of it in order to have an advantage over the devil.

  In John 14:30, Jesus spoke these words, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” As I read this verse, I thought about the blogs I have been writing, and I knew I had to include this verse in this section! Jesus said that the “ruler of this world is coming”. This title is another name for the devil, our adversary. Jesus knew that the enemy was getting ready to attack Him with a mighty blow, and He says, “he has nothing in me!” Wow! What is Jesus saying?

  For Jesus, this was no secret weapon, it was how He lived. And as such, the devil was unable to get a place in His life! The devil came to bring death to Jesus, but he didn’t realize that he couldn’t take Jesus’ life. However, Jesus had to die, for us, so He gave up His life. The devil thought he was doing something, that he had finally outsmarted God and Jesus, but had he known the power of the cross, and the blood that was shed, he would have never allowed Jesus to get on it!

  As I was reading to find examples of the truth of this principle, I found Albert Hibbert’s book, “Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret of His Power”. On page 93, he wrote the following words:

  “To discern satanic activity, we must live in the Presence of Him Who is holy; otherwise, we will very likely fall victim to Satan’s wiles. If we maintain the same attitude toward sin and all its by-products that Jesus had, we need never fear the devil or what he can do. Rather, he will fear us.”

  Smith Wigglesworth was a man of great power. If you have never heard of him before, allow me to introduce him to you. Smith and his wife worked in ministry together for the Salvation Army, when salvations really were its objective. Then one day Smith received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After that, his life changed, he changed. The Holy Ghost began manifesting His gifts wherever Smith went and mighty miracles broke forth. Creative miracles, the dead rising, miracles of healing, and divine salvations, just to give you an idea of his ministry. Hibbert interviewed him in writing this book and asked him about what he did in his spare time. Wigglesworth said he spent his time in the presence of God, and that kept him ready to be used by God to destroy the works of the devil!

  Jesus lived in the presence of the Father. When He wasn’t meeting the needs of the people, He was stealing away to be with His Father. When He was with the people, His only concern was to do the will of the Father. With such God consciousness, He had no time for sin, for His personal gratification of the flesh. His attitude towards sin was that it needed to be forgiven or dealt with; not enjoyed for a season!

  This is holiness! I know a lot of people think holiness is about what we wear or don’t wear, and the things we watch and listen to. Those are by products of holiness. Holiness is living your life free from sin, as Jesus did, as God does. It’s not always easy, but the pursuit of holiness is a powerful weapon that gives us an advantage over the devil. I know you’ve met the individual who lives to see how close they can get to the world and still be saved. That person is making himself vulnerable to Satan’s attacks! However, the person who is living a set apart life for God, is strengthening his advantage over the enemy! Don’t we need one? Is not there a cause to have an advantage?

  We gush over the lives of the “old timers” and the way God used them, they are great examples. But they were just men and women who allowed Jesus to be the guide for all they did and said. Holiness was a high priority and because of that, they walked in much authority over the works of the devil. They came under attack, but when they were in their rightful place in Christ Jesus, he was no match for them. When they took their eyes off of Jesus, they found themselves sinking much as Peter did.

  There’s so much to holiness. I can’t cover it all, but maybe later I can go more in depth on the subject. I just thought it was interesting to note that Jesus knew His life was lived in such a way, the devil had no ability to hurt Him. It should be a goal for each of us, as it gives us an advantage, and it’s a powerful weapon against the devil! Don’t ever let the devil catch you without your secret weapon! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in holiness, Jesus, Spiritual warfare, the devil, weapons of warfare | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, Deliverance, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, holy, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miraculous, protection, Salvation, Satan, Sin, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, the devil, victory

• A Loving Father!

  Posted at 3:35 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on June 20, 2020

  Luke 15:11-13,17,20 – “To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. NLT

  

  This parable is used a lot in sermons on Father’s Day, so I decided to do the same. In our Bible, the subtitle over this parable is “The Prodigal Son”, but most would say that this parable should be labeled, “The Loving Father” because it is more about the father’s love for his sons, then the sons themselves. You will have to read the entire parable on your own.

  Jesus tells a parable about a father and his two sons. The youngest son asks the father for his inheritance. Under Jewish law, the elder son would inherit the largest portion of the wealth (two-thirds), and the other son would inherit the rest (one-third). The father gets the money together, gives it to his son, and his son leaves. The son spends all he had on living large, a famine hits, and he finds himself feeding pigs. When he comes to his senses, he decided to head home to be a servant in his father’s house. The father receives him warmly, the big brother isn’t happy, but the father says he was lost but now is found! That’s it in a nutshell!

  The youngest son hurt his father in asking for his inheritance, which he wasn’t entitled to until the death of his father. What insult this must have been to the father! The son then leaves, with his money, and goes to enjoy his life and freedom. He spends everything quicker than he could have imagined, then a famine sets in. What a waste of money, time, and life! After he hits rock bottom, he decides going home as a servant is better than the life that he is living.

  The elder son on the other hand is at home taking care of business. He and his brother may not have been close before he left, but he definitely isn’t feeling his brother after he leaves. When his brother was home, he may have had some help with the work, but now he has to manage things on his own. He is probably becoming angrier by the day.

  The father loves both his sons. He is hurt that his youngest son has left, but instead of using manipulation or his authority to keep his son at home, he releases him. He continues life at home, but always with an eye on the road for his son to return home. He watches daily for him, probably with much concern and much prayer.

  Then the son returns! Hallelujah! The father is so excited. He sees the son before he arrives and rushes out to greet him. He embraces his son as one who was lost and puts a robe on him, restoring his honor as a son. He gives him a ring, restoring his authority as a son. He gives him shoes, restoring his place of sonship. Then he gives him a party, restoring their relationship, for he deemed him as lost, but now found. Much love and much forgiveness was extended to this son.

  The youngest son, has returned a broken young man. He is starving and humbled. He has realized the weight of all he has done and feel unworthy to be called a son. He has decided that his life is so bad off, even being a servant at home is better than what he has in the pig pen. He is probably embarrassed and ready to be attacked by his older brother, disowned by his father, and disrespected by the servants. But he returns to his father. Not his home, his father!

  The elder son was not called from his work to join the party. So when he comes in for the evening a realizes a party is being given to celebrate the return of his brother, he is angry and refuses to join in. The father finds him outside and tries to talk some sense in him. The son says that he has never had a kid killed for him to make merry with his friends, even though he had served him faithfully. He was hurt that his brother, who he imagined to have done the vilest things in life while away, was being treated as if he had returned from a long journey, instead of leaving with his inheritance, leaving them all behind! Although he wasn’t called from work to join the party, he was expected to join in the festivities. The father tries to reassure the elder son that his place and inheritance was secure. This didn’t mean that he was loved less. But it was right to celebrate the return of his brother!

  This is another parable that is full of meaning, and too hard to truly digest in a blog. The father’s great love represents, our heavenly Father’s great love for us. We can never do anything that will separate us from His love. He is always willing to forgive us, and to receive us back into the fold. This is what Jesus wanted us to know. The younger son’s attitude when he returned to the father, is the attitude that we should have when we sin. It’s against the father that we sin, and to the father we must return and ask forgiveness. The lowest place in the kingdom of God, is better than the highest place outside the kingdom. Then the attitude of the elder son is not the right attitude. All that he said was true, but to not be excited at the return of the brother, shows that the elder son had his own issues he needed to repent of.

  I could’ve easily titled this, “How is This Even Fair, part 2”, because that was exactly the heart of the elder son. It is difficult for some people to understand the loving nature of the Father. The Jews had difficulty understanding the Father’s love for the Gentiles. Some have a hard time understanding “jailhouse” salvation. While others have difficulty understanding, deathbed salvations. But that is only because they have a hard time understanding the heart of a truly loving Father! He is always willing, ready, and waiting to embrace us and bring us back to Himself. This Father’s Day, return to the love of the Father! Don’t worry about what others think, when the Father is watching for your return!

  A very happy and blessed Father’s Day to all of the dads who read this blog, and those whose loved ones read this blog! God bless you richly! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Father’s Day, Parable of Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, brothers, Forgiveness, Jesus, love, parable, prodigal son, relationships, Salvation, service, the Father’s love

• Reaching Your Fullest Potential!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 11, 2020

  Matthew 18:23-27 – Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. NKJV

  This parable gives us insight to kingdom living at its finest. The king is calling his servants to him that they may give an account of all they owe him. A servant comes before him with a debt of 10,000 talents. That’s a lot of debt. If a talent is worth a dollar, that’s a minimum of 10 grand. At that time, it would have been significant. I looked up the value, but it isn’t as important as what is being said.

  The servant doesn’t have the ability to pay the debt, so the king’s orders are that he is to be sold, along with his wife, his kids, and everything he owns. But he begs the king to be patient with him and to give him a chance to pay. The king is moved with compassion and releases him of his debt!

  This parable follows a question that Peter asks of Jesus about how many times should he forgive his brother? Then in a magnanimous way he asks, “Up to seven times?” Jesus replies, “Up to 70 times 7”. Then Jesus launches into this parable.

  After the servant is forgiven his debt, he goes out and sees someone who owes him 100 denarii. This is significantly less than what he owed the king. However, when he was asked by the debtor to give him time to pay it, the forgiven servant wouldn’t hear it, and he had the man thrown into debtor’s prison. Those who saw it, reported his behavior to the king, the king was upset, and threw him into debtor’s prison canceling the forgiven debt.

  This parable is one of the easy ones to understand, although Jesus gives us insight to its meaning. Jesus concluded the parable by saying, “So my Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

  It’s just that simple! We read it, we acknowledge that it is a truth, and then we have difficulty living it out. Notice, I said “we”. But Jesus is pretty clear on this! Some people are going to need forgiveness over and over and over again. No matter how many times they say they are sorry and they will never do it again, they do it again. And yes, we are to forgive them every single time because if we don’t, we won’t be forgiven.

  You know what? I don’t think people really believe that their lack of forgiveness, no matter how justified, will hinder them from being forgiven by the Father. But Jesus said it would. What pain, what hurt, what wrongdoing, is worth risking the Father’s unforgiveness? When He has forgiven much, He has no difficulty to ask us to do the same.

  There is no way that we can please the heart of the Father if we are always looking to have our debts forgiven, but we are not willing to forgive the debts of others. Jesus told us to pray that we are able to “forgive those who trespass against us”. He understood it wouldn’t be easy. But it is necessary, He said, if we want forgiveness.

  Don’t allow anything, or anyone to separate you from God. Don’t give them the power to hinder your precious relationship with Him. It may take an act of faith, and it may be slow in happening, but if you will make a step towards forgiveness, God will enable you to do it!

  Can I just give you a note of caution: If someone were to sexually abuse my daughter, I would ask God to help me to forgive that person. But I would not feel a need to become that person’s friend or to have them in my life to prove that I have forgiven them. We each must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. But I don’t believe that forgiveness means that we have to keep putting ourselves or our family members in harm’s way to prove that we have forgiven an individual.

  My husband and I loaned someone about two thousand dollars. They never did pay it back. We didn’t allow that money to hinder us from fellowship, or from helping when a different need arose. We forgave and kept it moving. But we probably wouldn’t loan that person two thousand dollars again. If the Lord prompted us to help that person financially, we would do it! But it would only be at His command, because we are wise stewards of our money. Forgive, that you might receive His forgiveness; because without His forgiveness, your life will never reach it’s fullest potential! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Forgiveness, Parable of Jesus, relationships | 6 Comments | Tagged Forgiveness, Jesus, obedience, parable, Prayer

• Another Pandemic!

  Posted at 6:20 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on June 4, 2020

  John 13:34-35 –  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” NIV

  

  This has been a difficult time for the world. Americans, of every ethnic background, but especially Blacks, have taken to the streets in an outrage over the senseless death of another Black man at the hands of a police office, hearts are broken. As protesters have hit the streets all across the world, there is a harsh realization that racism towards people of color is a world-wide pandemic.

  A pandemic is (a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world. And racism is a disease of the heart that is prevalent over this entire country, even this world. I don’t want to blog about it, but to blog about anything else is to casually acknowledge that this is wrong, and then to go on with my life. This is why my blog is so late in getting out today, just struggling about what to write.

  Do you know what happens in times like this? I’ll tell you! You have a video player in your heart that clicks on, and every instance of racism you have experienced, heard, read, or thought about fights for a right to play in you mind. You think of your family members and friends who have been subjected to racism and you fight to push back the feelings of anger that want to rush into your heart. And then, you intentionally begin to remind yourself that as a Believer, you have to hang to the words of Jesus like never before. Love as I have loved you!

  This is not a denial of what is happening! Not by a long shot. This is not an overlooking of what has happened. It’s not even possible to do that! But it’s a place of starting the healing in my own heart with the intent of moving forward to a brighter tomorrow.

  The Covid-19 pandemic, and the influenza pandemic in the early 1900s, were curbed with social distancing. Unfortunately, this pandemic of racism, is a result of social distancing. Not just in the past several months, but as far back as we care to remember. As we have maintained our White communities, our Black communities, our Latino communities, our Asian communities, and so forth and so on…we have in essence given the pandemic of racism a place to thrive. We may work together, we may even socialize together, but we don’t live life together, loving, as we should.

  Even in the church, where this commandment should be front and center, it is still not the case. Some how, Black Christians tend to be looked upon as if we are some how an anomaly of the Black community. So, we are accepted in the church, while the “rest” of our community is not accepted. As new creations in Christ Jesus, we are definitely different than the non-believing Black person, but we are still a part of the community of Blacks. And when we don’t see our church leaders take a stand against racism, it creates a division in our hearts, if not in our sanctuaries.

  I remember when I arrived at my duty station in Italy. The Senior Chief that I reported to made a statement to me, in the presence of a Black First Class. Said the white guy to the black woman, “I don’t like women, I don’t like Blacks, and I don’t like Southerners. And you are all three.” Seriously? Did you just say that to me, to my face? The First Class laughed, I was appalled. After I reported it, (weeks later after he tried to undermine me and my performance), he was removed from our base. But before he left, he stopped by my room to get me to retract my “accusation” because he was just playing. Will someone please let the world know, this is not a joking matter! Racism is serious business! Because it comes with such negative connotations to people of color and is accompanied with violent consequences, why would anyone think it is okay, or even a minor issue, when it’s always a part of our lives.

  We’ve made some grounds in the area of racism, but we have not made enough! Most racists are not as “in your face” as the Senior Chief was, but it is still there. As people of color, we are constantly being told to get over it, to move on, to not hold it against them, to forgive and forget. But in the same line of thinking, when will it stop? How many more people of color have to be falsely arrested, falsely accused, beaten, tazed, and choked to death? How many more times do we have to watch the men and women who have sworn to serve and protect us, be the ones we need to be protected from.

  I really wasn’t going to write another blog about this situation. Really! But a couple days ago I received a text. In the text, a young mother of an infant son, shared her heartaches and concerns about what is going on. She’s afraid for the world in which she has to raise her son. This is America! That should not be her concern. She’s not concerned about crime in essence, but about her son being stopped by the wrong officer or white person, and not making it back home. I almost cried. Can I say it again? This is America!

  I am not angry! Not even close! But am tired! Nonetheless, I will continue to work on the commandment given to me by my Savior, to love as He has loved me. He’s forgive me of much! More times than I care to admit. He has loved me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. He has loved me when I felt I couldn’t love myself. He loved me so much, He gave His life for me. His love caused Him to come to me on more than one occasion to help me get through trying situations. His love has never failed me. I sense His love even now!

  So today, I want to say, that in spite of my emotions about all that is going on, I choose to continue to work on my love towards white officers, in particular. I choose to assume good over bad. I choose to have a right heart instead of a suspicious heart towards them. I choose to love. Also, I choose to try to help others see the need to walk in love and forgiveness towards those who have brought hurt, harm, and loss of life our community once again. Will it be easy? Probably not because every one has to make their own decisions. But this will be my way of adding to the solution and not to the problem.

  If we’re going to end this pandemic of racism, we are going to have to close the distances in our society. We’re going to have to stop saying the white people I work with are okay, but not the white cops. The Blacks I attend church with are okay, but not the ones that live in that other neighborhood. We are going to have to reach out to one another with love of Jesus and make a greater commitment to stamp out this pandemic.

  If you have been doing that already, thank you! Keep up the great job of building bridges and relationships. If you have not, it really isn’t too late. Start now! If God would have thought that the world would be just wonderful with just white people or just black people, or just brown people, then there would have been no other race. Every nation, kindred, and tongue is expected to be a part of the Bride, so we may as well get it together now, for it will be that way throughout eternity. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, love, pandemic, racism, Social Justice | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Forgiveness, God, Healing, Jesus, love, racism, relationships, Social Justice

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