Wonderful Jesus!

Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
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    • 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
    • Breakfast With the Savior!

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

      John 21:12 – “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.” NIV

      Breakfast is said to be one of the most important meals of the day! I know people who wouldn’t dare start their day without breakfast, although, I have done it many times! One of my favorite pastimes is getting together with a friend over breakfast! We laugh, talk, and laugh some more. And we leave refreshed, encouraged and ready to return to the “normal” activities of our day! My favorite breakfast of all, is the one my husband makes for me: French toast with syrup, grits and eggs! I’m making myself hungry thinking about it! I’m sure the reason I love it so much is because he prepares it!

      Recently, I heard a message, given by Pastor Eugene Cho, taken from John 21: 1- 14. I was blessed by his insights into this passage, and I decided to share some of it with you, with a little personal spin.

      Pastor Cho shared that in the beginning of this chapter, Peter announces that he’s going fishing. Several of the disciples were with him and they decided to join Peter. This fishing trip wasn’t about making money, as much as it was about the utter discouragement that they were all experiencing. And therefore, discouraged and disillusioned, they returned to what was familiar, fishing.

      Remember, Peter had promised Jesus, that even if every one left Him, he never would. Jesus told Peter that not only would he deny Him, but that he would do it three times before morning. As passionately as Peter proclaimed his dedication to Jesus, he denied Jesus with even more passion, to point of cursing! Peter’s heart was broken over his denial of Jesus, and so he wept bitterly. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter and the disciples were still disappointed, discouraged, and lost. They wasn’t sure about anything in their lives at this point, but they knew how to fish. So off to fishing they went!

      Although they fished all night, they caught nothing. As morning was rolling in, Jesus stood on the banks and called out to them. “Friends, haven’t you any fish!” They replied no, and to this, Jesus responded with a miracle. He told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat and fish started hopping into that net. Of course, when their nets were filled with fish, they recognized it was Jesus speaking to them. They knew He had risen from the dead, but He wasn’t hanging out with them any more. Can you imagine spending all that time with Jesus and then you don’t see Him anymore? Of course, when we have a little dry spell in Him, we begin to panic. So I think you get a slight indication as to how they were feeling. At this point, any opportunity to see Him was an exciting opportunity, I’m sure! So what does Peter do? Peter jumped in the water to swim to shore, while the others stayed on the boat. When they arrive to shore, Jesus has fish cooking, but He told them to bring some of their fish, and He invited them to eat breakfast with Him. Here comes the good stuff!

      Jesus knew their state of mind. He knew they were discouraged. He knew their flesh was shouting to them, to give up on all that He had taught them, to return to what they knew. Just like people we may know today, or maybe even us. They hit a wall in their faith. A church member betrays their trust, a spiritual leader does the unthinkable, someone dies that they feel God should’ve healed, tribulations are overwhelming…I don’t want to depress you, but things happen! As things had happened to Peter and the disciples to bring them to this point. It is knowing this, where they are spiritually and emotionally, that Jesus comes to have breakfast with them.

      Jesus offers no rebuke! “What are you guys thinking? Why are you out here fishing? Have I wasted the last three years of my life with you? Was it all for nothing?” Nope! None of that! He enjoys breakfast with some of His disciples. The fellowship that refreshes, strengthens, and make you glad that you stopped and spent that time with a friend. But this breakfast was about more than friendship, at this breakfast He offers grace and restoration. Especially to Peter. He asks Peter, do you love me, and Peter has a chance to reaffirm His love to Jesus, to His Savior. He had already seen Peter’s tears of repentance. He knew that Peter was disgusted with himself for what he had done. He still had a work for Peter, for His disciples. They needed to be whole and know that He still loved them and believed in them. And so He comes and extends grace and restoration. Then He recommissions Peter and the others for the work of the kingdom. And the rest, as we say, is history!

      There are times we all get it wrong! Times when we desperately want Jesus to truly throw our sins as far as the east is from the west. Times when we are confused, hurt, and vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. But these are the times, that we need to get before the Lord, and dine with Him! Not a literal breakfast, but to feast on His Word, to feast in His Presence, to allow Him to restore to us the joy of our salvation, so we can get back in the race!

      He’s not ready to kick you to the curb! He loves you! And He will give you the opportunity, just as He did with Peter and the disciples, to renew your love for Him, to reaffirm your commitment to Him. There’s no time like the present to “have breakfast” with Jesus! Grace and restoration is available for you!

      Well, this isn’t exactly how he preached his message, but this was my “take away”! I was blessed by it, and wanted to add my two cents! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Discouragement, Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged encouragement, fish, Forgiveness, hard times, Healing, Jesus, love, Peter, restoration, Sin, trust in God, victory, word of God
    • A Place of Refuge!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Posted in hard times, protection, trust in God, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, coronavirus, David, debt, discontent, distress, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, hard times, Healing, Health, Prayer, protection, provision, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory
    • The Best Thing That Happened!

      Posted at 4:51 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 7, 2020

      Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” NIV

      I wasn’t going to blog today. As I was going through my morning routine, listening to a playlist I found on YouTube, old gospel music began playing. I found myself reminiscing about some things, thanking God for some things, and worship began to flow out of my mouth, and out of my heart! Then I heard this song, rewritten by the Reverend James Cleveland, that Gladys Knight sang, “Jesus is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” Then I began to weep, because He is still the best of the best that has happened to me.

      If you don’t know the song, I’ll share the first part of it:

      I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs
      God’s been good to me, and the downs have been few
      I would guess you can say, God has blessed me
      But there’s never been a time in my life, he didn’t bring me through

      If anyone should ever write, my life story
      For whatever reason there might be
      You’d be there, between each line of pain and glory

      Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
      Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
      Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me

      I can’t call Jesus the best thing, because He’s a person, not a thing, although I can call His great salvation to me, the best thing that ever happened in my life. Even now, as I blog, thinking about how good He’s been to me, how good He is to me, how my life has absolutely changed because of Him, all I can say is Jesus is the best!

      Of course, I remember when this song actually came out. I was in college, living for God, being a witness, excited about Jesus! He kept me from so much of the “college” life and helped me to be a light to some many people. I’m grateful! When this song came out, it resonated with me then as it does now, reminding me that the very best decision that I ever made was accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I remember sponsoring an event for the fraternities and sororities, and my pastor and church members came to the university, and they heard the gospel and many got saved. Wonderful memories!

      Over the years I’ve experienced many great things. I have a great home life! My husband and I have been married for over 30 years. During this time, we have developed a genuine friendship, a deep love, and loving home; and although marrying him was a great decision, choosing Jesus was a better decision. Our wedding song was, “Only God Could Love You More” and that was true then and is still true today; but we are where we are at today, doing what we are doing, because God’s been so good to us! And because He’s been in every facet of our lives!

      I heard on the news that people are fighting more in their homes because of this pandemic. People are getting on each other nerves. Suicide and depression is on the rise. And all I can think is, Jesus can work that out! He can bring peace in your storm and calm the raging seas. He can be the anchor of your soul, of your family, of your home!

      I must admit that in close quarters, people can get on your nerves. I recently heard a song by Jonathan McReynolds named, “People” that asked God if He can heal of us people? Yes, He can! There’s nothing too hard for Him! And He specializes in dealing with people. I’m a living testimony.

      At this time of year when we rejoice in the truth that our Savior is alive and well; that He was dead, but now He lives and is alive forevermore, remember how good He has been to you! I have always felt that this time of year should be filled with more rejoicing and celebration than Christmas. True, His birth was a marvelous, miraculous time, for God brought forth His Son! But His resurrection, the reason we believe, the reason we are changed, the reason we have fellowship with the Father, the reason we are blessed is Powerful! One couldn’t happen without the other, I get that! However, I love this time of the year because it is only about Jesus!

      Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! There’s something powerful, wonderful, freeing in that Name. I encourage you today to realize how amazing He is! He truly is the absolute best that ever happened to me. Not the best thing, just simply the Best! And I am eternally grateful today! What about you? Have you made the decision to accept Him today as your personal Lord and Savior? Have you opened your heart to Him? Have you received forgiveness for your sins, thinking that you could live without Him? I can tell you today, when He becomes real to you, you’ll be echoing along with us, that giving your life to Him is the best thing that could ever happen to you!!

      I am praying for all of you who read my blog. Truly! I am praying that you make it through this pandemic, and when you get on the other side, that you will not only know Him better, but that you will be the better for having experienced it. He causes all things to work together for our good! Wonderful Jesus!!

      Posted in Jesus, Salvation | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, Christian, encouragement, Forgiveness, Jesus, Salvation, witness
    • His Mission in Life!

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

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

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

      Jesus said that He came:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Posted in Jesus, love of God | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, coronavirus, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, provision
    • Under the Influence!

      Posted at 3:15 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 24, 2020

      Luke 4:1 – “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,”

      Today, we are influenced by many things. When someone is stopped by the police and that individual has been drinking, we say they are under the influence of the alcohol. When people are flying high and acting out of character, we say that they are under the influence of a drug, or a demon.

      Unfortunately, we can be under the influence of so much more! Influence is the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc. of others. Every where you look and everywhere you go, someone is trying to influence you.

      Whether that influence is for good or for evil; or whether that influence is direct or indirect, make no mistake, we are affected by the people and things around us. Other powerful influences on mankind include the music we listen to, the movies and shows we watch, the books we read. For example, when a young man wants to propose to his love, he sets the mood with music, flowers, and a meal to influence her decision positively. When in the store, different types of music is played to influence your spending. When you read the word of God your faith in Him grows. When you are in a church service, soft quiet music is played to put you in a reverential mood, and so forth and so on.

      But in our verse for today, Jesus is influenced by the Spirit of God and led to a destination. Luke wrote that Jesus was so full of the Holy Ghost that He led Jesus from Jordan and to the wilderness (Luke 4). The devil thought He had Jesus over a barrel. After all, He had been fasting for quite some time. But the Spirit of God led Him to fast and led Him to the wilderness to meet up with the devil, when the devil thought he was setting up the meeting. And because He was led of the Spirit, He whipped up on the devil with the Word of God!

      Jesus’ victory was assured because of the leading of the Holy Spirit. We can learn a very important lesson from this verse: If God leads us to a place or in a situation, our victory is guaranteed! And if He doesn’t lead us, and we find ourselves in a tough spot, we can turn to Him for direction to come out victorious! Hallelujah!

      Let’s return to the definition of the word influence and put the Holy Ghost in strategic places. When the Holy Spirit’s influence is upon your life, He is a compelling force on your behavior, your actions, your opinions, your words, and even your thoughts. His influence produces the desired effects upon every area of your life that you can name. He governs where you go, or don’t go; what you do or don’t do, what you say or don’t say, because you are under the influence. People worry about how to obey God’s rules. I like to say if we trust His leading, the rules will be taken care of! He will never lead us astray!

      Under the influence of the Holy Spirit we are able to live by faith as the word declares. Under the influence we are able to forgive others! Under the influence we can live a life free of sin! Under the influence we can operate in the supernatural. Under the influence we can do what God says we can do, we can have what He says we can have, and we can be all that He calls us to be! Under the influence!

      Don’t settle for a cheap imitation of influence when you can be influenced by the Spirit of God! Make up your mind today that His influence will have the greatest impact on your life, on your behavior, on your conversation, on your walk. The word tells us that those who are led by His Spirit are the children of God! Looking for proof that you belong to the Lord? Well, are you under His influence? Wonderful Jesus!!

      Posted in Attitude, Christian, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Luke 4:1, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, Faith, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, led by the Spirit, Luke 4, obedience, victory, word of God
    • Sins, Transgressions, and Iniquities

      Posted at 1:00 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on January 10, 2020

      Psalm 32:5 – I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

      In a conversation with someone, I was asked if I could share what the differences was between sins, transgressions and iniquities. I felt that I understood iniquity, but was not really sure about how the others lined up, so I did a little study.

      First, I had to find a verse that uses more than one of these terms in it to show that they were somehow different. In this particular psalm, David begins by rejoicing over forgiveness. But as he continues, he acknowledges with this psalm that there are different types of sin. So I just want to share what I have discovered and maybe help clarify it for us.

      The first word for sin is “chattath”. It means a “coming short” or “falling short” of a mark. In my Logos commentary it describes “chattath” like the sport of archery, where the individual releases the arrow but it falls short of the target. In this case, the target is God’s law and we as human beings can fail to measure up to it, even as believers. So this sin is in relationship to the word of God.

      What could that look like? I think this could involve those sins that are directly spoken of in the word of God: adultery, fornication, lying, stealing, etc. These things are sins, and they definitely affect humanity, but they are sins against the word of God. Thus when committed we have fallen short of the mark of what God’s word says to us.

      The next word for sin is “transgression” which in Hebrew is “peshah”, and it’s literal meaning is “a going away or “departure” or “a rebellion”. This would be sin that directly affects our relationship with God.

      What is this rebellion all about? If we are turning away, could this be backsliding? How about atheism and other cults where we are in obvious rebellion to the One who sent His Son for us? I’m just trying to make a correlation! And could some of those “chattath” sins be included when we just make up mind that we don’t care what God said about a thing, we are going to do what we want? Just wondering! David seemed to feel that he had done them all, maybe in the same setting at the same time. It’s possible!

      The last word for sin in this verse is iniquity, derived from the Hebrew word “hawon”. It means “corrupt,” ”twisted,” or “crooked.” And in the Hebrew interlinear bible it is translated depravity. This is the type of sin that relates to humanity. We know that man can get into depravity. I choose not to mention things that are considered depravity. But we can all recognize the corrupt, twisted, and crooked things that people do. And when people are involved in these types of things it can get pretty devastating to humanity. Committing adultery and having someone’s husband killed qualifies in my book as twisted.

      Well, I don’t know if I have helped the discussion or made it more confusing; I’ll have to study it some more. But I couldn’t get away from the question and therefore I knew that I had to explore it!! One final thought, make no mistake about it, all of these sins are forgivable! And whether you can identify them or not, be sure to repent of them and receive the blessedness of forgiveness! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Believers, Christian, Forgiveness, Psalm 32:5, Sin, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Christian, Forgiveness, iniquity, Psalm 32:5, Sin, transgression
    • The Problem With Sin!

      Posted at 1:00 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on January 7, 2020

      2 Samuel 11:4-5 -Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

      This morning as I was packing up to head out the door, I heard a news commentator talking about something someone did twenty years ago. My first thought was, “Seriously? Give it a rest already, that was years ago.” And then I said, “That’s the problem with sin!” I knew it was the Lord and that I would blog about it today.

      David was having a time of leisure since his men were out to war. As he was on the roof of his castle he noticed Bathsheba taking a bath. Then he invited her over for an evening of pleasure and she got pregnant.

      As a result of that sin, David continued to sin to cover up what he had done, displeasing God every step of the way. The prophet Nathan goes to David to basically let him know that he hadn’t gotten away with a single thing and God was bringing judgment to him because of his sin.

      You see, David sinned of his own free will; but he could not control the consequences of his sin. And even though he confessed his sin and was forgiven of his sin, the consequences did not go away.

      First, David did his sin privately, (as privately as a king can be) but his consequences were public and long reaching. In sinning, David gave God’s enemies a reason to blaspheme His name (12:14), then the baby died. Then his son Ammon raped his daughter Tamar, causing his son, Absalom, to kill Ammon. Then Absalom flees to another city for three years, but bitterness took root in his heart; and when he returned he turned the hearts of the people from David to himself.

      He then takes over the throne causing David to run for his life, sleeps with David’s concubines on the top of the house (where his father probably saw Bathsheba) and was later killed by Joab. So much came against David as a result of his sin, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop the consequences. He may have loved Bathsheba but I bet he wished he had left her alone.

      You see, this individual they were talking about this morning, I am sure has moved on; but the world has not. They keep bringing his sin up. His family is constantly reminded of it. And so are his friends. The consequences his sin brought to his door was more than he bargained for.

      That’s the problem with sin! It may feel good at the moment and make you feel as if you are on top of the world. It may stroke your ego and cause your feathers to plume, but when all the fanfare is over, there will be a price to pay and consequences that last a lifetime. I like what our Pastor says, “Sin will take you farther then you wanted to go and keep you longer than you wanted to stay!” That’s the problem with sin!

      As we go into this new year, don’t take the attitude of many that you can just ask for forgiveness and it will be alright because we are living under grace. That’s a lie! You are fooling yourself and the devil is laughing at you! Flee sin! Turn your back on it and ask God to help you to overcome temptation, because the problem with sin is that forgiveness doesn’t equate to erasing consequences. Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in 2 Samuel 11:4-5, Believers, Christian, Sin | 1 Comment | Tagged 2 Samuel 11:4-5, Absalom, Ammon, Bathsheba, Believer, Christian, consequences, David, Forgiveness, Sin, Tamar
    • Mustard Seed Faith Explained!

      Posted at 4:39 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 24, 2019

      Matthew 17:20 – So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” NKJV

      mustard-seed-faith-explained_.mp3

      I’ve been reading everything I can find on the topic of mustard seed faith and I have listened to a lot of sermons on the subject, and I am amazed that so many theologians are stuck on the size of the mustard seed. I won’t pretend that I understand all of what Jesus said and meant, and I am still searching for answers, but I am absolutely certain that a small amount of faith doesn’t move mountains, trees, or Jesus!

      If we look at the situation that causes Jesus to make this statement in Matthew and again in Luke, we can hopefully get some more understanding of what mustard seed faith might mean.

      A man came to Jesus, knelt before Him and asked for mercy for his son who was epileptic. Now I don’t know if that catches your attention, but I have been a parent of a child who was diagnosed with abnormal seizure disorder, which from what I can tell, is epilepsy. As a two week old baby she was having involuntary shakes that led to the diagnosis. She was immediately put on phenobarbital and given an evil report of things only getting worst and of never having a normal life.

      I can tell you right now that this man’s son was not in a good place. So he goes to Jesus’ disciples and they could not cure his son. But Jesus could and He did! Thank God for Jesus! Then the disciples asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief, for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you…”

      I think that because Jesus first mentions that the disciples were in unbelief, many have come to think that a little bit of faith is all we need to move mountains. I believe this is a trick of the enemy to keep us from receiving the things that we desire when we pray, as he knows small faith doesn’t move the hand of God, it only disappoints the individual.

      When we compare things in writing, we use similes or metaphors. As a matter of fact, in the YLT it states that Jesus is using a simile in Matthew 13, comparing the size of the kingdom of heaven to the size of a mustard seed. Let’s take a quick look at this passage:

      Jesus mentions the mustard seed in only three conversations in the word of God. In Matthew 13:31 -“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Here, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. He talks about the mustard seed being sown into the land. He then makes the point that if you sow this seed, though it is the least (smallest) of all seeds, it will become a tree that birds of the air flock to. I do believe that in this instance Jesus is referring to the size of the seed. After all, the kingdom started with Him, then He included His disciples, and it has grown to billions of souls over the centuries. I get it!

      Now in our key verse, faith is compared to a grain of mustard seed. This is also a simile, where we compare two things using the words “like” or “as”. A familiar simile would be, “I am as hungry as a bear.” My hunger is being compared to the hunger of a bear, not to the bear itself. I believe that faith is being compared to a grain of mustard, not in size, but in its productivity.

      You see, when a grain of mustard is planted or sown, it produces a mustard plant and nothing else; so faith when it is sown should produce what it is sown for. In Matthew 17 Jesus was instructing the disciples to know that when demons manifest, sow faith to cast out demons.

      In Luke 17:6, “So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”‘ As I was typing, I heard in my spirit, “If your faith is as a mustard seed” meaning, if you have the same kind of faith that a mustard seed has you will say…Meaning that a mustard seed will produce a mustard plant, and when it is sown, it knows it will produce mustard and not apples. And if you have that kind of faith, the kind that knows what it is producing, you will be able to say to the mulberry tree…or even forgive seventy times seven.

      After Jesus tells the disciples that faith as a mustard seed (this time He doesn’t say “grain”) will give them the ability to say to a mulberry tree to be uprooted, He goes on to talk about the role of a servant. He tells the disciples that a servant serves, even when he is tired and doesn’t receive thanks because it is his duty. I believe that Jesus is saying that faith has a responsibility to get done what we believe it will do, even if that means telling a mulberry tree to be uprooted or a mountain to be cast into a sea.

      When the doctors gave us the evil report about our baby, we put faith to work. Six months later, our baby was off the phenobarbital and given a clean bill of health. She has gone on to graduate from law school and has authored and published several novels. And she has never had another seizure. The seed of God’s word was planted in our hearts and we sowed it for her complete healing, and that’s what we received!

      What do you expect a mustard seed to produce? Mustard plants or trees! What should faith produce? The thing hoped for! Even today, I am still learning about faith. I can quote the scriptures and pull the books off the shelf, but I don’t always operate in mountain moving faith. But this blog has even opened my eyes to understanding faith in a different way. Faith, like a mustard seed, will produce what it is sown for: healing, finances, forgiveness, deliverance, a mate, a job…the possibilities are unlimited! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Christian, Faith, Jesus, Matthew 17:20 | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, Faith, Forgiveness, Jesus, Matthew 17:20, miraculous, mustard seed
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