Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Forgiveness

• DNA of God

  Posted at 2:20 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 2, 2021

  

  2 Peter 1:3-4- “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” NKJV

  

  Creator of the Universe

  My husband and I took a cruise to Hawaii for our 25th anniversary. It was fabulous! Every morning I would find him sitting on the balcony, reading his Bible or praying. He found it to be so relaxing. Not being an early riser, I would join him and enjoy the serenity of the morning. For some reason, although I believe God is truly omnipresent, He felt closer to me on the waters of the Pacific.

  Paul understood the majesty of creation because he wrote:

  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

  Romans 1:20 NKJV

  As I conclude my discussion on these verses in 2 Peter, I want to look at the remainder of the verse: “partakers of the divine nature”. Peter clearly states that we, believers in Christ, can partake of the divine nature and power of God. Religion persuades us to believe that we are mere mortals, subject to whatever whims God may have because we can never know what He will do. Yet, Peter wrote just the opposite in these verses: we can know God, we can partake of His power, His glory, and His nature, and it is what He wants us to do!

  Let us go back to the beginning.

  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

  Genesis 1:26 NKJV

  God didn’t make Adam a god, although He made Adam in His image. Adam was a genius. He named all the animals of the garden. He was perfect and without sin. He talked openly and freely with God. He had dominion over everything in the garden. His life was a life of peace, joy, fulfillment, godliness, and holiness. He was like God! Until he allowed sin in. As we choose to become Christians, we are spiritually restored to the state that Adam was in, with the intent for us to be more like God and less like man. Not because man is so horrible, but because God is that good to us!

  How can we partake of the divine nature of God? Let’s understand what partaker means. According to the Vine’s, one of my favorite resources, it means “a partner, or sharer”. So we don’t get ownership of His nature, He invites us to share in His nature. Therefore, the first thing we most do is, we must be born again! I know! I keep repeating it, but it is ever so true! We must be born again! Once we are born again, we are able to escape the corruption that is in the world. Peter wrote that when we are born again we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light! Paul penned that we are delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. This is the first step in partaking of His divine nature. If we are going to share in His nature, it starts with salvation!

  Going back to other parts of the verse, as we get to know Him and embrace His exceedingly great and precious promises, we can share in His nature. We can forgive, because He is a forgiver by nature, and empowers us to forgive. We can love, because He is love, and His divine power enables us to love the unlovely. How many times have you found yourself loving when others didn’t understand it? It His nature you were partaking! Who did you forgive, that you didn’t think it was possible for you to forgive? It was the Divine Nature of the Almighty (DNA) inside of you!

  I was in a situation where I overheard a conversation. There was a misunderstanding that caused several people to be at odds with one another. The person I overheard was expressing the hurt that they felt over the situation, but more importantly, the desire to get things out in the open so they could move on. I heard that person’s wisdom in handling the situation. I heard that person speak of making things right so they could move forward unhindered. Forgiveness was extended, and that person even took responsibility for the mix up. When the conversation was over, I told that person, I had just witnessed Jesus! It was the greatest testimony that individual could have shared with me about the genuineness of the faith she had in Him (the Divine Nature of the Almighty God in operation)!

  Sunday I went to visit at my former church. When I got there, one of the members was really excited to see me. She had prayed the night before, telling God that she wished she could see me at church so that I could pray for her. God manifests His healing nature at different times when I pray, especially in the area of pain. Sure enough, I was there. She was so excited! I prayed for her briefly and went my way. Later that night, there was no change. (I generally check up on people I pray for). When she told me that, I just said, “Check yourself in the morning”. Sure enough, the next morning was a different story. Did I heal her? No! But God allowed us to share in His nature as healing was manifested in her body, because He’s the Healer! The Great Physician! (Again, the Divine Nature of the Almighty God working as we laid hold to the exceedingly great and precious promise in regards to healing).

  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

  Mark 16:17-18 NKJV

  The part of His divine nature we struggle most with is His supernatural power. We fail to realize that anything we do with Him is supernatural. Forgiveness, love, giving, kindness, serving. Therefore, we tend to separate that part of His divine nature from the other part of His divine nature: releasing power!

  As we live this life in Christ, and He lives His life in us, I can assure you that He doesn’t want to be stifled. His greatest joy is seeing the kingdom become a reality in our lives. He left us with many precious promises that we might realize the greatness of the love and grace He has for us, the power He has made available to us, that we can partake of Him! It’s really time for us to dare to believe that every promise in His word belongs to us! As we step out in faith and begin to take Him at His word, we will begin to see things happen. When it doesn’t work, trouble shoot and try again; but don’t ever give up! He purposefully shared His divine nature with us that we may know Him more completely!

  It’s the Passover/Easter season! A time to rejoice in all that Calvary, and more precisely, the resurrection affords us! I end with Paul’s prayer for every believer:

  “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come! Amen and Amen! Wonderful Jesus!

  Ephesians 1:17-21 NKJV

  Posted in 2 Peter 1:3-4, Divine Nature, God, Jesus, Knowing God | 0 Comments | Tagged Creation, Deliverance, divine nature of God, Easter, Forgiveness, Healing, new life, Passover, Paul, power of God, Salvation

• The Power of a Petition!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 17, 2021

  1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. NKJV

  

  In honor of Women’s History Month, and in keeping with my theme on prayer, I want to blog today about the power of a petition.

  In 1891, the women of Victoria went door to door and collected close to 30,000 signatures on a petition for women to have the right to vote. These signatures, collected from women in every station of life, were written in a variety of colors of ink, and even in pencil. It took the women about 6-10 weeks (depending on the source) to collect the many signatures. This petition played an important role in the history of Australia. In 1901, 10 years later, Australia was the first nation to give women both the right to vote and to be a part of government.

  In America, the women’s suffrage movement was equally as powerful in getting things done. While watching a documentary tonight on Lincoln, it was fascinating to note that the women’s suffrage movement played a significant role in getting him to abolish slavery in America! They marched and petitioned for decades, resulting in the 19th Amendment and winning the right to vote in 1920.

  In the case of the women suffrage’s movement in Victoria, the petition was a formal request from almost 30,000 people to its government in Victoria, Australia to recognized their right to vote and to have a say in the laws and taxes that governed their lives. In the sense of prayer, a petition is a request, where one asks of God to grant favor, a right, or mercy. Also, the prayer of petition is used for having our needs met by God. It’s a powerful prayer.

  In 1 Samuel, we find Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, and she is barren. Her greatest desire is to have a child. After much heartache and many years of disappointment, Hannah petitioned the God who hears. Her petition was so important to her that she poured all of her energy into it, much as the women in our above example of the suffrage movement. The high priest, at that time was Eli, and he thought her praying looked like the actions of a drunkard. When she told him that she had poured her heart out to God, he replied:

  Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” 1 Samuel 1:17 -NKJV

  And it was! Hannah had a son, and she named him Samuel. The same Samuel who later became a mighty prophet in the land of Israel!

  Then there was Daniel. At this time, he was serving under king Darius. It was Daniel’s custom to petition God, three times a day. When his enemies saw this, they set a trap for Daniel, requesting (petitioning) the king to sign a decree that no one could petition a god or man, except the king, for thirty days. When Daniel heard about it, he continued with his practice of petitioning God. Not in private! Not only once! But for the same amount of time that he had always petitioned God!

  So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Daniel 6:13 -NKJV

  Daniel ignored the decree and was thrown in the lion’s den. But we know God delivered him. I’m pretty sure that while Daniel was praying, he petitioned God to deal with his enemies, for they were all fed to the lions!

  And now, to our text for this blog.

  1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. NKJV

  The prayer of petition is a prayer of confidence and power, because when we petition God, we do so on the basis of His word. Even in the petition of the suffrage movement, they petitioned the government based on the laws that were already in place: all people are created equal, the government was for the people and by the people… And when we petition God, it has to be in line with that which is already in His word. No need to say, “If it be your will” because you have already established that it is His will because it’s His word.

  Jeremiah wrote:

  Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”Jeremiah 1:12 – NKJV

  Another point to remember is that when we petition the Father, we must believe that He hears us. Again, when the women in this suffrage movement took their petition to Parliament, it was rigged. The man in charge, James Munro, was married to the woman leading the pack, Jane Munro. When we go to God, it’s a rigged court session. Our Father is the Judge, our elder brother and Savior, is our defense attorney, and His beloved Son. We can count on Him hearing our case because the “cards” are stacked in our favor!!

  Even if the answer tarries, we must believe that God heard us, the thing that we asked is in line with His will, and therefore we have the petitions that we have asked of Him!

  Sometimes I pray for things that I don’t really care if I get them or not, but if I do get them, it would be nice. Do you know what? Most times I don’t get them at all. But there are other times when I petition God for a need, and I see Him come through. I can share many testimonies when He has answered petitions for healing, for provision, for protection, and for forgiveness. I always, always base my petitions on the word of God. I don’t always get an immediate answer, and it doesn’t always take a long time. I am learning how to trust Him when I see nothing. That’s what faith is all about!

  Some believe that we have to write a formal prayer petition and sign it. If that’s how God leads you to petition Him, I encourage you to do so expeditiously. However, you can simply petition God, as Hannah and Daniel did, from your heart; and trust that He will hear you and He will answer you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Prayer, Women’s History Month | 0 Comments | Tagged 19th Amendment, abolishing slavery, Australia, Daniel, Faith, favor, Forgiveness, Hannah, Lincoln, Prayer, testimony, the Word of God, trust in God, Victoria, women’s sufferage

• The Curse of Ham?

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 26, 2021

  Genesis 9:22,24-25 – And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.” NKJV

  

  When my husband was in the Navy, he was a pilot. This elite group of young men were mostly white. My husband shared with me of a time that he and a young white pilot were out having dinner. During the course of the meal, slavery and marriage came up. The young man, feeling free to express himself with my husband, declared that Black people were enslaved because of the curse of Ham, and it basically their destiny. He also believed that it was wrong to mix the races. Interestingly enough to note, my husband felt he was quite sincere in what he believed; but for the record, he was sincerely wrong! It was his upbringing; and he was brought up with a distorted view of the word of God and the reasons behind slavery.

  The flood waters had receded, the ark had landed, and Noah and his family was living on land again. The Bible doesn’t tell us why Noah got stinking drunk, just that he did. Ham, his son, went into the tent, saw his father naked, and went back and told his brothers. His brothers went into the tent backwards, and covered their father. When Noah got up the next day, he knew what his sons had done. Now whether he was half alert, or God had shown him this, we don’t know. But what we do know is that the Bible tells us that Noah knew what had happened as he lay in his drunken stupor.

  When he saw his sons he cursed Canaan. Not Ham, but Canaan, Ham’s son! Ham was never cursed! He told Ham that Canaan would be a servant to his brothers. Let’s investigate this curse for the record. The first thing to note is that Noah said that the Canaanites would serve his brothers. Noah doesn’t say it will be in the form of slavery, but for the sake of argument, we will assume it as such. Those who teach the curse of Ham also state that instantly, upon being cursed, Ham turned black. I know for a fact that if you or I witnessed someone turn from white to black, we’re going to react to that, and especially if it’s our kindred. I believe it would have been noted in some way in the text, if that had been the case, much like Miriam turning leprous in front of her brothers were noted.

  If you take a look at the location of the land of Canaan, you will notice that it is not in the land of Africa. You will also notice that the land of Canaan became God’s promised land to His people.

  Exodus 6:2-4 – And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. NKJV

  As the children of Israel took possession of the promised land, most of the inhabitants were destroyed, but many of the inhabitants became their slaves.

  Joshua 16:10 – And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers. NKJV

  So, if there were a people who were to be slaves, because they were marked, it would have been those who lived in the land of Canaan; and there is no mention of them being black people.

  But for the sake of argument, let’s say some of those Canaanites were black. Did Noah say that this curse would be upon Canaan’s children’s children, for thousands of generations? He did not! So how did we get Canaan’s descendants being black and doomed to being slaves? This line of thinking was nothing more than another form of justification for having slaves. In the 1980’s this ideology was still being peddled to white people, because this young man felt justified in his opinion, as if it was the gospel truth!

  I wish I could say that was the last and only time I heard of the curse of Ham being a part of the reason Blacks were slaves, but it is not! Recently, a friend called me asking me to explain my understanding of the curse of Ham. I shared what I knew; but tonight I did a little more research, and I can’t even go into all of that in this blog. It’s really sad what people will do and say to justify their behavior. And even sadder, is when we involve God in our mess!

  If you have followed me for any length of time, I hope you have sensed my love for God and for His people. I can truly say that I am not writing to incite hate, but to silence lies that have been propagated in the Name of of our Lord!

  Here’s my very last point on the curse of Ham. Even if all of that had been true against Black people from the mouth of Noah, Paul had this say about being cursed:

  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” ), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 -NKJV

  If Jesus’ blood was capable of redeeming of us from the curse of the Law, you can best believe that it was more than capable of redeeming the descendants of Ham, whomever they are, from Noah’s curse. This redemption came before the Atlantic slave trade ever happened!

  My hope is that if someone you know bring this foolishness up to you, that you now have answer for them. I also hope that if you have believed this, in regards to yourself or another human being, that you have seen the light of God’s word and has been set free from it. You may need to do some soul searching and repentance, but that’s okay, God has great forgiveness in His heart for even this!

  This concludes my look at our heritage, as February ends! Again, these blogs have been for information and inspiration, not for agitation or accusations. I’m a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am Black. I am thankful for who I am because I was fearfully and wonderfully made. It’s unfortunate that we have to have a month to celebrate our heritage, when we’ve spent a lifetime trying to overcome our past! I have a dream that one day there will be no need for Black History month because we will all realize that Black history is all of our histories! Be encouraged in His love for you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Black History, God, Jesus, racism | 3 Comments | Tagged Canaan, curse, curse of Ham, drunkenness, Forgiveness, freedom, Ham, Noah, racism, redeemed, slavery

• What’s That About?

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

  James 1:19-20 – “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” NKJV

  

  whats-that-about_.mp3

  Have you ever witnessed someone who was so angry that they were out of control? Have you been that someone?

  One morning, as I was entering the school building, a fight broke out. It was pretty intense as kids were shouting, using profanity, and dodging in and out of the ruckus. My first thought was, “It’s too early in the morning for this!” I wish that I can say that this was abnormal, but the harsh reality of it is, over the 16 years that I have been in education, it has been way too common.

  So much anger in the world today. Unfortunately, many of our kids see and hear so much in their homes, in their environments, and even on television that fills them with anger. What’s that about?

  Well, I’m not a psychologist, and I can’t say for sure, but here are some reasons anger is prevalent in our society:

  • Stress – from many avenues
  • Family problems – too many to name
  • Financial woes- joblessness, debt, poverty, homelessness
  • Illness – self or loved one
  • Grief

  While each of these things are real, we have a word from the word about how to handle anger: we are to be slow to anger. James doesn’t leave us hanging with just telling us to be slow to anger. He tells us that this anger doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

  I’m not writing to the unsaved. I am writing to the person who I believe is a Christian; a Bible believing, Bible toting, Bible quoting Christian, dealing with uncontrolled anger.

  There are times when we feel our anger is justified. Ask Esau. He was the firstborn of Isaac. His twin, Jacob was younger. As they grew, Esau had the heart of his father, and Jacob had the heart of his mother. Esau was casual about everything, and one day he made a trade with his brother: Esau promised his birthright to Jacob if Jacob would just give him something to eat. Later on, when Isaac was ready to pass the blessing on to Esau, Jacob stole it. (But did he really? After all, Esau had given it to him). This angered Esau so much that he promised to kill his brother! The Bible even goes so far as to say that Esau comforted himself with these thoughts! What’s that about? He was so angry that he wanted to kill his brother, and this brought him comfort? That’s bizarre! Yet, he felt justified in his anger! But nothing righteous will come from this type of venting of our anger.

  The Bible has a lot to say about anger. For example:

  Romans 12:19,21 – Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NKJV

  This is a tough truth to live by when you have been deeply hurt. I know that, and more importantly, God knows that. But look at the promise in this verse: vengeance belongs to the Lord and He will repay! You may not see it happen, but I can promise you this, if you will trust God with your anger, He’s got your back!

  Here’s another truth:

  Psalm 37:8 – “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm. NKJV

  Ain’t that the truth! Harm to your physical body, harm to your mental state, harm in your relationships, harm at your job, and the list goes on. I knew someone who was so angry, that person couldn’t keep a job. Several someones. Harm!

  This is what I try to teach my students about anger. If it isn’t dealt with, in a positive way, it will cause more harm than good. Fighting leads to suspension. Every single time! Angry outbursts lead to loss. Loss of time in school, loss of learning, loss of trust, loss in relationships, just so much loss. In the end, was it really worth it?

  People are incarcerated today because they didn’t control their anger. People are in the grave because they never dealt with their anger. And just because we are saved, doesn’t mean that we won’t experience these exact same results if we persist in our anger.

  God offers this solution to your anger issues:

  Matthew 6:14 – “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” NKJV

  If you are going to live free of anger, you are going to have to learn to forgive. Forgiveness is more freeing than you think. It doesn’t let the person get away with anything, because God is a righteous judge. But it does release you from the prison of all that pent up, negative emotion called anger.

  Proverbs 19:11 – The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. NKJV

  Sometimes, we just have to learn to overlook the things that make us angry. It isn’t easy. It very well may be impossible for you to accomplish, but not with God. With God, all things are possible! Even being free of anger.

  When Jacob returned home many years later, He asked God to deliver him from Esau’s anger. And guess what happened? You already know! God did just that! But let’s look from Esau’s point of view. He wanted to kill Jacob the last time he saw him. But at some point, he obviously let that anger go. When he saw Jacob, Jacob was bowing before him in humility. He rushed to his brother and embraced him. The rest is history!

  Even perceived justification of anger can be released. God wants us to be whole before Him. He knows that nothing righteous will come of it. He knows the damage of anger and doesn’t want us to go through that. If you are struggling with anger, for any reason, God has you reading this blog, so that you might be free. Go ahead! Release the anger, offer forgiveness, and receive the forgiveness and peace of God that has been waiting for you. Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation.mp3

  Posted in Dealing With Emotions, Forgiveness, God, Healing | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, Deliverance, encouragement, Esau, Forgiveness, freedom, God, Handling difficulties, Humility, Isaac, Jacob, offense, relationships, trust in God

• 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

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