Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: God

• Righteous Judgment

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 19, 2021

  

  Romans 2:5-6- “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”

  

  Americans wait with abated breath as the jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial go into deliberation. The prosecutors have rested, the defense have rested, and now the jurors go to work. Cities around the country increase security in preparation for crowds of protests or crowds of victory; either way they suspect there will be crowds. Prosecutors are hoping that the justice served is where the jurors pronounce Chauvin guilty in the murder of George Floyd; while the defense is hoping for a not guilty verdict. No matter the decision, the whole nation, maybe even many around the world are waiting for the jurors decision: guilty or not guilty!

  I want to address the image I chose for just a moment. When thinking of an image for this post on justice, I immediately thought of the balance scales. It is said that the balance scales are representative of the impartiality and the obligation of the law to weigh the evidence presented in the courtroom. Each side is given an opportunity to “present its case” and the law is to look objectively at that evidence, weighing the evidence presented, and come to a conclusion that makes sure that justice is served!

  Justice in our world can often times seem to fail us. We see guilty people go free, and innocent people get locked up; causing us to lose faith in our justice system. The poor, the underserved, the people of color. often believe that the scales have been tipped in favor against them before they even enter the courtroom. But there is a justice system that is fail proof, and that is the justice of God. His judgment is righteous, meaning He makes no mistakes in meting out justice. Sometimes, because of His mercy, we may think His judgments are unfair, but when His mercy is directed at us or our loved ones, we have a different attitude about it. Paul introduces to us, with our key text, how we will all find ourselves before God for judgment and what the criteria for our victory will look like.

  Paul begins this verse by addressing our unrepentant and hard hearts. Few people can truly see themselves as unrepentant or hard hearted, yet Paul starts here. Basically, he is still addressing the Jewish people living in Rome, but his message was applicable to all to whom it applied to in that day and it still applies today! Divorces happen because of hard hearts or unrepentant hearts, Jesus said so! Families are torn apart, lives are damaged, countries go to war, business ventures dissolve because of hard and unrepentant hearts. You know that person who can never say they are sorry? Unrepentant! Or that individual that always has to have their own way no matter the cost? Hard hearted! Self-righteous, arrogant, judgmental, critical, greedy individuals who think they are alright when they are wrong, yet they think they are right? Yep! Definitely hard and unrepentant hearts! People who constantly make excuses for their actions, constantly blaming others for why they do what they do, never able to own up to their wrongs. I believe you get the point! These people, even if it includes us, are the people who are being addressed at this time as storing up wrath for themselves in the day of wrath! Let’s not forget that these words are aimed at those whose moral life places them in a position to think that they are better than others, namely the Jews towards the Gentiles.

  On the day of wrath, there will basically be two groups of people standing before the judgment seat of God: those who obeyed Him, and those who rejected Him. Each group will be judged according to what they did. Some become a little confused at this point thinking that we can work our way to a favorable decision before God to obtain salvation, but I believe that it’s more about what we did as far as obedience to His word. Paul mentions both of these groups:

  Those who obeyed Him or are born again will:

  *receive eternal life
  *glory, honor, immortality, peace
  *and rewards!

  Those who do not obey Him, but obey unrighteousness, or are not born again will receive:

  *indignation and wrath
  *tribulation and anguish
  *eternal damnation

  This judgment, Paul states, will be rendered to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. There will be no partiality based on favoritism or nationalism, judgment will be administered according to the judgment of the Righteous Judge, based on our actions before we got there!

  David had this to say about God’s judgment:

  But the Lord shall endure forever;
  He has prepared His throne for judgment.
  He shall judge the world in righteousness,
  And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness

  Psalm 9:7-8 NKJV

  David just reiterates that God’s judgment will be righteous because He is righteous! Have you ever said or heard someone proclaim that something wasn’t fair? I hear it a lot as a teacher, and sometimes I heard it as a parent. Being fair means to stick to the rules that have already been established; but sometimes you can’t stick to the rules to do what is right; or you have to use a higher authority or rulebook. For example: In my classroom, as a special education teacher, what is good for Arthur is not good for Alice. It may appear that I am being unfair in a situation, but in all honest, I am doing what is right for them; and sometimes I don’t get to explain! But God has a rulebook, called the Bible. Every judgment He makes is right and necessary. He may not always give us all the information we desire in a given situation, but we are to simply trust Him.

  However, that doesn’t mean that we don’t get to know how we are being judged, His word is still the criteria. His word is perfect for converting us, making us wise, and enlightening our eyes. But His word is also right, and His judgments are true and righteous:

  The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
  The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
  The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
  The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
  The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

  Psalm 19:7-9

  He is God! The Righteous Judge, and He always judges rightly:

  Let the peoples praise You, O God;
  Let all the peoples praise You.
  Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
  For You shall judge the people righteously,
  And govern the nations on earth. 

  Psalm 67:3-4 NKJV

  
  And again the psalmist wrote:

  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
  He shall judge the world with righteousness,
  And the peoples with His truth.

  Psalm 96:13 NKJV

  I like justice just as much as the next person; especially not seeing it always served in the natural as it should be. But I always comfort myself with the truth that God is the Righteous Judge. He can’t be bought, bribed, threatened, or swayed to a man’s whims. He serves justice as rightly as it could ever be served. As we go further in the book, we will see more about this subject, and even His vengeance, but for now, I rest my case! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Justice, Repentance, righteousness, Study of Romans | 0 Comments | Tagged eternal damnation, eternal life, Gentiles, God, hard heartee, Jesus, Jews, judgment, Justice, law of God, righteousness, righteousness of God, unrepentant heart, word of God

• The Goodness of God

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 16, 2021

  

  Romans 2: 4 – “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” NKJV

  

  If you have been in church any length of time, I am sure that you have heard, “God is good all the time,” and then someone will reply, “And all the time, God is good”! Well, it’s more than just a saying, it’s the absolute truth! I like to add to that, “God is good on purpose, and He is good to me!”

  Let’s look today at verses 3 and 4 of chapter 2, in the Message Bible to get continuity of thought:

  You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

  Romans 2:3-4 MSG

  I like the sound of that! Last time, I shared about the pointing of fingers, or the judgmental attitudes that we can sometimes adopt in life. In the Message Bible, written by Pastor Eugene Peterson, who is currently with the Lord, we see a down to earth paraphrase of what Paul was trying to get the Roman church to understand. God is not letting us off the hook because He is a good God! Sin is serious business with Him. He doesn’t ignore our sin because He loves us, but His heart of kindness towards us is that we would be drawn to Him and repent.

  When I was growing up, we were constantly reminded that our sin would separate us from God. We were told that we didn’t want to get involved in sin because if we died in it, we would go to hell. We were basically told that God was waiting to get us if we sinned. While it is most definitely true that God hates sin, and sin does separate us from Him, that is only part of the equation. The other part is that He is a loving God, a good God! And when we respond correctly to Him and to sin, we get to experience the loving side of Him.

  Israel Houghton wrote these lyrics in one of his songs: “You’re not mad at me, Your’e not mad at me, You’re madly in love with me!” How wonderful to hear that about God! He truly loves us! But because religion tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, we tend to think that we can continuously sin and be alright with God! Isaiah’s words are still true today:

  But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
  And your sins have hidden His face from you,
  So that He will not hear.

  Isaiah 59:2

  This is too important, to make light of it, or to have a casual attitude about it. Sin will keep you from all that you can have through Christ Jesus. Make no mistake, His grace is not a license to sin! But we will get into that a little more further in the letter to the Romans.

  The Jews were God’s special people, and as such, they had come to believe that would always be the case. Look at what Moses wrote:

  “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

  Deuteronomy 7:6

  Even today, the nation of Israel believes that they are God’s chosen people, and rightly so. But here, in this verse and chapter, Paul is letting it be known that God isn’t letting anyone off the hook, Jew or Gentile, just because He is good, or because He loves us! Jew and Gentile alike, must come to a place of repentance before the living God!

  In Paul’s question, he asked if they despised the goodness, forbearance and patience of God. Let’s look at these three words:

  The word “good”, in the Greek has two words it is translated from, “agathos” and “chrestos”. Agathos is the goodness of someone that may result in punishment; while “chrestos” is the goodness of Someone who is always kind. I’m sure you can figure out that “chrestos” is the one that refers to God. He is always kind and He is always good! Many try and take advantage of that kindness, and that is the idea that Paul is conveying when he asks if they despise the goodness of God.

  Our word “forbearance” in the Greek is the word for truce. In the Vine’s, “anoche” means a holding back or delay of punishment. Some people feel that because they didn’t die when they ate of the forbidden fruit, that death wasn’t knocking at their door! One commentator said it like this:

  Paul, in effect, is saying to the Jews: ‘You think that you are safe because God’s judgment has not yet descended upon you. But what God is giving you is not complete freedom to sin; He is giving you the opportunity to repent and to amend your ways.’

  The Letter to the Romans, William Barclay, Logos

  And then we have the word patience. “Makrothumia” means to have patience with people. John Chrysostom explained this word as “the characteristic of someone who has the power to avenge and deliberately does not use it”. In other words, the fact that punishment does not always immediately follow the sin is because of His patience, not His inability to deal with it, or His approval of it.

  I love the way Rick Renner breaks down a verse using the Greek meanings. I’m no Rick Renner, but I want to try and consolidate these meanings for us:

  Do you hold in contempt the abundance of God’s nature which is always kind towards you, or His ability to send down His wrath; yet He delays it, because He is exercising much restraint in not quickly judging your sin; and yet you think He is okay with you? Don’t you know that it is His nature of kindness that causes Him to withhold His wrath from you in hopes that you might repent of your sins and come to Him?

  Romans 2:4-My paraphrase

  Let me put it in everyday terms for us. God’s goodness, that is intended to draw us to repentance, is like a wife who has been caught in adultery by her husband. Although he knows that she has cheated on him, he offers her his complete forgiveness. She then has a choice to make. She can arrogantly throw it in his face and leave the marriage. She can say she’s sorry but continue in her relationship as if he will just forgive her again. Or she can see the goodness and love he has extended towards her, repent of what she has done, and live up to his trust in her.

  Basically, that is how good God’s goodness is to us, only better. Some people see His goodness, as an excuse to continue in their sin; while others recognize the importance of His goodness extended towards them and respond to it with a changed heart. His goodness was never meant to give us the freedom to sin, but to demonstrate how good He is so that we may experience a radical change of life.

  This study is really causing me to be grateful for my salvation. It is also causing me to reflect on my life before Him, making sure I have the right attitude towards God. I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t rejoice in how good He is to me! Yet, as I am studying and blogging, I can’t help but be aware of the simple truth, “but for grace”! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Repentance, Sin, Study of Romans, Wrong Thinking | 6 Comments | Tagged arrogance, God, goodness of God, Jews, patience, Paul, Sin, Study of Romans, wrath of God

• Salvation For All!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 9, 2021

  

  Romans 1: 16-17- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

  

  In August of 1513, a monk lectured on the Book of Psalms to seminary students, but his inner life was nothing but turmoil. In his studies he came across Psalm 31:1: In Thy righteousness deliver me. The passage confused Luther; how could God’s righteousness do anything but condemn him to hell as a righteous punishment for his sins? Luther kept thinking about Romans 1:17, which says, the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” The monk went on to say: “Night and day I pondered until… I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Therefore I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise… This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven.” Martin Luther was born again, and the Reformation began in his heart.

  BLB David Guzik Study Guide to Romans

  History tells the story of the power of change that came over the Church world as a result of Martin Luther’s encounter with the letter to the Romans. Luther had already found no rest for his soul, no light in his darkness, no relief from the overwhelming sense of being lost. Burdened with the guilt of sin and shame, he was known to be found in prayer 8 times a day, or praying all night, or inflicting punishment upon himself because of the weight of bondage that troubled him daily. Then one day, these words of Paul resonated in his soul, like they had never done before:

  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith,”

  Romans 1:17

  and the Protestant Reformation literally changed the world.

  This verse, is the key verse of the book of Romans. As we begin looking at the teachings included in this book, my hope is that we too can have the righteousness of God revealed to us like never before.

  Paul mentions that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You would think that this would go without saying since he has been evangelizing all over the Greek provinces, but Paul knew the persecution of the Christians in Rome was real and wanted it to be known that his faith was strong in the gospel message. Paul suffered much because of this message. This is what he said about his trials:

  Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

  2 Corinthians 11:23-27

  Paul went through some serious sufferings for the gospel of Jesus, and yet he was not ashamed of the gospel. Why? Because it was the power of God to salvation for him. He was literally stopped in his tracks as he lived contrary to the gospel of Jesus, hunting Christians down, putting them in jail, even watching them be stoned. He knew the dangers of proclaiming the gospel message, and yet, he was not ashamed of being called to deliver it. He was not ashamed of having believed.

  The gospel is for everyone who believes. Calvinism came out of the same Protestant Reformation as Lutheranism did. John Calvin, a contemporary of Martin Luther, also believed in justification by faith, but felt that your election was sure and therefore you need not worry about your salvation again. As the teachings of Calvinism spread, the doctrines began to change. Now, it is associated with predestination, meaning that you are predestined by God to be either be saved or not be saved. This is contrary to what Paul wrote in this verse that the gospel is to everyone who believes. Salvation, Paul wrote, was first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. But it was available to all who believe.

  Why did Paul mention that it was first to the Jews, then the Gentiles? Jesus answered this Himself:

  But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

  Matthew 11:24 NKJV

  Why did Jesus make this statement? A Gentile woman approached Jesus for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus told her that He had come for the Jews, and not the Gentiles, calling the Gentiles “dogs”. She responded by saying even the dogs get to eat the crumbs from under the children’s table. Jesus was so impressed with her statement, that was spoken from a heart of faith, that He healed her daughter.

  While Jesus openly ministered to Gentiles, He brought salvation to the Jews, God’s chosen people. His own special people. But the gospel message was always intended to be a gospel for everyone. He told Nicodemus:

  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.

  John 3:16-17 NKJV

  Then in the book of Acts, Luke tells us of a supernatural event in the life of Peter. He is on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner’s home spending some time in prayer. While there he goes into a trance. In the trance God shows him animals that are contrary to his kosher diet and tells him to rise, kill, and to eat. Peter refuses to do so calling them unclean! This is where we would have said, “Satan, I rebuke you! Or, “get thee behind me”)! God responded by telling Peter that what He has cleansed Peter must not call unclean (see Acts 10). Then God sends Peter to share the gospel with Cornelius, a Gentile!

  Well, that’s all I have time for! Thank you for joining me in this study of Romans! It’s such a powerful insight into the theology of the life of the believer. Pray with me that I know by the Spirit, how to navigate this study for those who are really following along with it! And I thank you in advance! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Church History, God, Salvation, Study of Romans | 0 Comments | Tagged Jesus, Salvation, God, Paul, Peter, Cornelius, Study of Romans, Calvinism, Martin Luther, Jews

• It’s Not a New Message!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 5, 2021

  

  Romans 1: 16-17- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” NKJV

  

  Paul wrote the book of Romans as a letter to the church in Rome. It is said that the epistle was written to the believers in Rome before Paul had ever visited with them. He is not associated with the planting of the church in Rome, but sent this letter as an encouragement to those who were already fellowshipping together.

  I was reading the book of Romans this weekend, and had the thought that I would like to go through the book with you as a look at the life we are called to live in Christ Jesus!

  If you have a hard copy of a good Bible, that has a chapter introduction, it is easy to see the history of the book of Romans and how it fits in the narrative of the gospel message. For example, our text is considered to be the key scripture of the book of Romans. The theme of the book is the righteousness of God; and the presentation of Jesus Christ is as the second Adam. The book of Romans is considered to be the most important, concise, and detailed information in the word about Christian doctrine.

  Some of the most well-known theologians of Church history had an encounter with God through the book of Romans. I came across this testimony of St. Augustine’s conversion:

  Some time in the year 386, Augustine and his friend Alypius were spending time in Milan. While outdoors, Augustine heard the voice of a child singing a song, the words of which were, “Pick it up and read it. Pick it up and read it.” He thought at first that the song was related to some kind of children’s game, but could not remember ever having heard such a song before.

  Then, realizing that this song might be a command from God to open and read the Scriptures, he located a Bible, picked it up, opened it and read the first passage he saw. It was from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Augustine read:

  Not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. –Romans 13: 13-14

  Reading this scripture, Augustine felt as if his heart were flooded with light. He turned totally from his life of sin. He was Baptized by Ambrose during the Easter Vigil April 24, 387. His friend Alypius and his son Adeodatus were Baptized at the same time.

  https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/conversion-of-st-augustine

  In the church of today, it is presumed that this generation isn’t interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have heard it said by many church leaders and pastors that we are losing this generation and have to rethink how we share the gospel. There is truth in that statement!

  However, what Paul wrote is a greater truth: the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t have power, it is power of God to salvation! And the criteria remains the same: you must believe! The same power that was in the gospel when Jesus saved Augustine is still present in the gospel today! The same gospel that saved me, is available today, to save this generation.

  What we may be missing, is that they are not looking for religion any more than we were looking for religion when we came to Jesus! The stale churches, with its lists of dos and don’ts that turned us off, is a turn off to them. The church that finds faults with them and every thing they do is just as unappealing to them, as it was with us. The problem could be that the church we ran from, is the church we have become!

  Now! Having said that, I want to also point out, the gospel doesn’t change for any of us! And it won’t change for them. What needs to change is how we view them and how we get the message out to them. As we have experienced this year long, world-wide pandemic, we have had to make some changes in how we deliver the gospel message. In the beginning, things seemed bleak for the church, but after a year, things are actually looking better in many of our churches. Still Jesus’ words remain in affect: “the gates of hell will not prevail against the church”.

  When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, he knew some things about the people he was addressing this letter for. He knew that the make up of the congregation consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. With this being the case, he understood that there were things that needed to be addressed in regards to their position in Christ Jesus. He also understood that they came from different backgrounds, with different understandings of the law, and he wanted to address those things to encourage them in their walk as believers. But mostly, he understood that they needed a solid understanding of the righteousness of God.

  Paul begins his letter by introducing himself to the Romans. He tells them that he is first and foremost a servant of Jesus Christ. Then he tells them that he is an apostle. Today, we introduce ourselves first with our titles, and then with all that we have accomplished. While this may be church protocol, maybe we can learn from Paul! In both roles, he lets them know that he has been separated to the gospel of God. (God is addressed repeatedly in the book of Romans). Paul explains this gospel message in this manner:

  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David’s family line, and He was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 

  Romans 1:2-4, NLT

  Romans is written in a question and answer format. In order to not to belabor the point, I will seek to point these questions out and discuss the answers. As we move forward in reading and studying this amazing book of Christian theology, I trust that we will grow bolder in our faith, stronger in our convictions, and unashamedly sure of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I’m looking forward to getting into the book of Romans and hope you will join me in my study. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, God, gospel of Jesus, Study of Romans | 3 Comments | Tagged God, gospel of Jesus, Jesus, Paul, righteousness, Romans, Rome, Son of God, Son of man

• Knowledge is Power!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 25, 2021

  

  

  2 Peter 1:3- “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

  We can all mark significant times in our lives. I know I can! My high school years were a turning point in my life. I was hungry to know God. As just a casual reader of the Bible I saw many inconsistencies in the lives of those around me, and what the Bible said. As a matter of fact, I asked a pastor about these inconsistencies and he told me that the Bible wasn’t to be understood. I was so sad that day to hear a minister of the gospel say such a thing! But I walked into my Sunday School class of 6 and 7 years old students and declared to them: I believe the God of the Bible can be known, in spite of what others may say!

  I know now that I spoke by the Spirit of God! On the inside of me was a desire to know God, and He quickened my spirit and confirmed that truth to my heart. My desire, even today, is to know my God!

  Peter wrote about us having a knowledge of God.

  For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 – AMP

  Knowing God, in a personal way, through Jesus, causes Him to bestow on us everything that we need for life and godliness. His power is released is in our life, in a concerted effort to assist us in knowing Him, life, and godliness.

  In Ephesians, Paul wrote:

  [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. Ephesians 1:17 – AMP

  Paul reiterates that the knowledge we have about God, the deep and personal insight into who God is, is as a result of knowing His Son Jesus. Hear what Jesus said to His disciples about this matter:

  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and then we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ John 14:8-9 – AMP

  To truly know God, you must know Jesus! To know Jesus is to know the Father!

  God revealed Himself in the Old Testament, but only to a few. David knew God in a personal way, for God’s Spirit never left him. But it wasn’t until Jesus came that we were given an opportunity to truly know God. He made God alive to common people. He uprooted spiritual hypocrisy and pretentiousness. He demonstrated God’s love for us, and allowed us to see His nature in a way that had never been demonstrated before. Then He reconciled us to God through His blood, satisfying, once and for all, God’s requirement for sin.

  Paul prayed that we would grow in the knowledge of God. It’s not just enough to know that God loves us and will save us, but it’s important to know as much about Him as we can learn:

  Colossians 1:10 – that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…NKJV

  Paul knew that his ability to accomplish so much for God, was done because of his knowledge of God. These epistles that he wrote, helps us to understand God and the life we can have in Him. That knowledge gives us the power to live a life fully pleasing to Him. It enables us to walk worthy of our Lord. We must know our God!

  Peter echoed these words of growing in the knowledge of God, when he wrote:

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

  Why? Because knowledge is power! When our adversary lies to us about our God, the more we know about God, the more we can refute his lies! When people knock on your door to share a different gospel with you, you can silence their heresy with your knowledge of God. When the circumstances of life try to overwhelm you, your knowledge of God will keep you grounded and sane.

  Some Christians are content to be ignorant. Paul said that he wrote his epistles so that we wouldn’t be ignorant concerning things pertaining to God. (We know these and many other writings are called the word of God; written so that we wouldn’t be ignorant!). Hosea wrote that we perish (go to hell?) because of a lack of knowledge. Don’t allow laziness to keep you from pursuing more knowledge of God. The enemy knows that the more you know about God, the easier it is to recognize and stop him! This alone is a great reason to know God.

  But a greater, more important reason to know God, is because He is God. Haven’t you heard it said: It’s not what you know, but who you know? Well, that’s even more true in relationship to God. When we know Him, we know all that we need to know, because knowledge of Him, is power! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Jesus, Knowing God, power | 3 Comments | Tagged God, increasing in God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Knowing God, knowledge, Paul, Peter, the word, word of God

• New Life! His Life!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 23, 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

  

  prayer-for-salvation

  There are times when reading and studying the word, I feel like, this isn’t that complicated, why do people have such a hard time with it. And then there are other times when I feel like, Lord, I need help understanding this. Partaking of God’s divinity is a really tough truth to wrap our brains around. At least it is for some!

  Peter wrote in his epistle that God’s divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. It’s scriptural, so it’s truth. But not a new truth for it was first mentioned by John, when he wrote:

  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12 – NKJV

  The take aways from these powerful verses are these:

  1. That when we are born again we are the sons of God
  2. His divine power brings this relationship into existence
  3. It’s as supernatural as the birth of Jesus to Mary

  Interesting to note that Nicodemus asked Jesus a similar question that Mary asked of Gabriel:

  How can these things be?

  Jesus had just finished explaining to Nicodemus the supernatural experience of the new birth. He told Nicodemus that when a person is born again, he is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus wanted to know if a man was supposed to climb back into the womb and be born again. Jesus patiently explained that He was speaking of a new birth, a birth brought about by the Spirit of God.

  As we enter into the season of the Passover, the Easter season, it is important to remember the significance of our born again experience. For many, they never experience the supernatural because their approach to God is so casual; but something supernatural takes place, just as it did when God’s Spirit planted the Seed in Mary’s womb.

  2 Corinthians 5:17-Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…NKJV

  If you are in Christ:

  • You are a new creation
  • Old things are passed away
  • All things are made new
  • All things are of God

  There was, and is, nothing natural about our becoming sons of God. This amazing new birth into the family of God is a result of the gospel. The same gospel that Paul writes this about:

  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 -NKJV

  His divine power, the power of God, is activated when the gospel is shared and received. That power is sufficient to give us salvation, or new life. This was hard for Mary to understand, and it is even harder for us to wrap our brains around. The gospel message is God’s power released upon our lives to bring about the new birth! That’s beautiful! A birth that makes us a new creature in Christ called sons of God!

  Another point that Peter makes is that this power that gives us new life, also gives us all things that pertains to life and godliness. Here’s an even bigger mystery. The power of the old man is destroyed, giving way to the new man and all things that pertain to life and godliness.

  Things that pertain to life. When we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, we have eternal life, just as Jesus explained to Nicodemus. This new life is eternal. Paul explained it like this:

  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 – NKJV

  The life that we now live, we live by faith in the Son of God. His life overtakes our life, giving us the power to live this new life. A life that is pleasing to the Father. A life that’s in Him. A life of sacrifice, peace, love, joy…His life!

  Things that pertain to godliness. A life lived in godliness. One that allows His divine nature to be seen in our being. A godliness that chooses His way, His thoughts, His word, His actions, His attitude over our own. A godliness that turns it back on a life of sin, which is no life, to live a life of righteousness.

  All of this was obtained, by the divine power of God, when we became born again believers. Many still glory in their old nature, their sin nature. But if you are in Christ, your DNA has changed! You are a new creature! The old is gone, and the new has taken front and center. Begin enjoying the truth that you have really been changed. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in 2 Peter 1:3-4, Divine Nature, Jesus, power | 0 Comments | Tagged crucified with Christ, Divine Nature, divine power, Galatians 2:20, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, life and godliness, miraculous, Paul, Peter, righteousness, Salvation, supernatural

• That’s All We Can Do

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 19, 2021

  Acts 16:25 – But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. NKJV

  

  As I was thinking about prayer, and how I could conclude this topic, I had a sudden flash in my mind. I was inquiring of the health of a certain individual when I was told, “All we can do is pray”. Now, if you have ever been in a situation when you heard these words, you know that these were not faith filled words; but words that were saying, “Things are looking really bad and everything has been exhausted, and we’re at the point where all we can do is pray and see if God will do something!” Does anybody know what I’m talking about?

  Paul and Silas were on their way to a prayer meeting. In route, a girl possessed with a spirit of divination met them crying out, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” Luke wrote that she did this for many days until Paul became greatly annoyed with her. Paul then turned to her and rebuked that spirit of divination out of her. He and Silas were dragged into the marketplace to the authorities, beaten, and thrown into jail. This is at the point where some religious people would say, “All we can do is pray”! However, for Paul and Silas, it was more of a, “Let’s take some time to pray and give God glory!”

  Hardships come to us all. We all experience terrible times in our lives. Those times may look differently, but the sense of hopelessness, or desperation that accompany the hard times are felt the world over. It is during these difficult times that we may find ourselves in a place where we may feel that all we can do is pray. I can tell you from experience that is exactly what you should do! Pray!

  Luke wrote that at midnight they were still awake, and they weren’t complaining or blaming God, or feeling rejected by Him. Just the opposite is true! They were in the midst of a prayer meeting which involved a time a praise and worship to the God whom they loved and served. And they were not quietly praying, for scripture let’s us know that they were heard by the other prisoners who were listening to them!

  James, the brother of John, one of the Sons of Thunder, was murdered by Herod.

  Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. Acts 12:1-2 -NKJV

  When Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter. We don’t know that the Church wasn’t praying when James was murdered, but we do know that when Peter was arrested, the saints were praying. Unlike Paul and Silas who were up praying themselves, Peter was fast asleep. As a matter of fact, the angel had to shake him to wake him up.

  Both situations involved prominent, well-known men of God who found themselves in jail with the likely outcome of death being a reality. Paul and Silas were praying, and Peter was asleep. But the saints were praying for him.

  Both situations caused an angel to be sent on their behalf to bring deliverance. Peter was guided out of the jail, stopped by the prayer meeting, and then went on his way. It could have been a regular time of meeting for them, and that’s why Peter knew where to go. It could also explain why he fell asleep, because he trusted that they were praying. Or Peter could have prayed and then went to sleep because he wasn’t concerned. Whatever the case, Peter was delivered.

  Paul and Silas were also delivered, and in the process, so were all of the other prisoners. The keeper was so shocked to see the door open that he prepared to kill himself, for he knew that Herod would surely have him put to death. But no one had left the prison, although they had all been made free. This had such an impact on the jailer that he and his household were saved.

  Prayer should never be done from a standpoint of “all we can do is pray” because that isn’t faith, that sounds like you’ve given up. Prayer works, and prayer changes things. The Bible recorded many instances when prayer was offered and things happened. Not because prayer was the least that they could do, but because the person or group of people praying knew the power of prayer!

  The early Church believers were known to pray. In the upper room after Jesus ascended, they were praying together. Not because that was all they could do, but because they knew it was what they should be doing! And they were obviously not just going through the motions, because things were happening! As people prayed in the New Testament:

  • The power of God descended from on High and filled them with His Holy Spirit and they spake in tongues for the first time in history!
  • Thousands were getting saved and coming into the kingdom at one time!
  • They received the dead back to life!
  • Wisdom was given to them to do the work of the ministry and to know who to work with in ministry
  • Signs and wonders followed them as they preached the gospel.
  • Doors of opportunity were open to them to share the gospel!

  In both the Old and New Testament we have example upon example of what happens when people pray. As I have grown in Christ, when someone say that all they can do is pray, I remind them that is the best thing they can do, pray!

  Prayer is always the one area that I feel I can improve in and don’t do it enough. I never ever really feel that I have spent enough time with the Lord in prayer. I have prayed all night, I have prayed faithfully for years at our prayer meetings, and I have my private time of prayer. And I still feel I can pray some more. Sometimes I don’t feel like praying, but I know that the devil always feel like creating problems! Sometime I don’t want to pray, but I understand that the devil loves it when I am not praying. I’m not praying out of compulsion, I pray because I know the importance of prayer!

  Prayer brings peace into your heart and mind about the things going on in life. Prayer allows you to give your problems to Someone more capable of handling them. Prayer brings you into the Presence of God. Prayer stops the enemy in his tracks. Prayer releases the Spirit of God into your situation. And most importantly, God hears and answers our prayers!

  Thank you for going on this journey with me about prayer. Again, I have not exhausted it, but I am being led in another direction. I trust you’ll continue to see the necessity to pray, and enjoy the benefits of developing a prayer life centered around the word of God! Stay safe and be encouraged! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, hard times, Prayer | 3 Comments | Tagged attacks, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, household salvation, Paul and Silas, Peter, Prayer, protection, supernatural, the devil, the jailer

• When You Pray!-Repost & Revised!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 15, 2021

  Luke 11:2 -So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our  Father  in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven…”

  

  when-you-pray_-r-_-r.mp3

  I think it is noteworthy, that Jesus said, “When you pray” and not “if” you pray. Unfortunately, statics show (I’ve often wondered who were the people they surveyed) that most Christians spend very little time in prayer. So I thought that I would repost this blog, since I’m in the midst of blogging about prayer.

  What happens when you pray? Are your prayers being answered? Are they seemingly not being heard? Does nothing happen? Does something happen every now and again? 

  This scripture resonateds with me and I couldn’t help but ask myself, “What happens when you pray?” What happened when Jesus prayed? 

  So let’s take a look at what I discovered about what happened when Jesus prayed:

  • Luke 3:21- the heavens opened up while He prayed
  • Luke 5:16-He prayed often in the wilderness and the paralyzed and many others were healed
  • Luke 6:12-After praying all night, He chose the 12 disciples
  • Luke 9:29-As He prayed, He was transfigured (His appearance and His clothing changed; and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him)
  • Luke 11:1-As He prayed, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray
  • Matthew 14:23-30- After He prayed, He walked on water and so did Peter
  • Matthew 26-He prayed and then He went to the cross
  • Mark 1:35-He prayed in a solitary place and cast out demons and cleansed the lepers
  • John 14:16- He prayed and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper

  This is just a quick list of the things that happened when Jesus prayed. In other words, when Jesus prayed, something was always happening!

  Charles Finney, considered the Father of Modern Revival, was not brought up in a Christian home. It wasn’t until he was pursuing the law that he was even near a church that he could attend regularly. Charles began to attend the weekly prayer meetings that were held near the law offices that he worked in. It was his study of the law that got him interested in religion, because much of the law was based on Scriptures.

  Finney began to notice that even though he went to prayer meetings weekly, no prayers that were prayed were ever answered. This troubled him so deeply he almost walked away from the Bible and Christianity. When the prayer group offered to pray for him, he said no thanks! How sad is that? To have someone say to you that they don’t want your prayers because they have not seen your prayers answered is insulting!

  I am convinced that when we pray, something should be happening all the time. The Bible mentions in detail, less than 40 miracles that Jesus performed, but then multitudes were often healed when He was around. I believe He made such an impact, because He prayed often, He prayed effectively, and He left the evidence to support this!

  I believe in prayer! I’ve seen some wonderful things happen as a result of prayer! Private prayer, prayer groups, and corporate prayer! God answers prayer! Charles Finney did eventually figure out the power of prayer and God used him mightily during the Second Great Awakening in America. Maybe you haven’t seen your prayers answered, or feel inadequate in your prayer life. I can understand the frustration that will produce. But I encourage you to be like Finney! Don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself; learn to pray and to pray effectively. One of the first things he did was to study what the Bible has to say about pray and how God delights in giving His children the kingdom! Then he began to pray knowing that God heard him and wanted to answer him. I can assure you that he saw many of his prayers answered.

  As I was thinking about my blog for today, I just had a desire to read some of my past blogs on prayer, and found this one. As I reread it, I decided it would be my post. As I began looking at, I had to add some new thoughts to it. Prayer is such an important part of the life of the believer. Not an exercise, but a time spent communing with the Father, and Him with you. A time of asking and receiving. A time of gaining strength and wisdom. A time of power! Jesus prayed often, and if we want to be anything like Him, and do anything He did, we are going to have to pray, also. More to come! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in encouragement, Jesus, Prayer | 0 Comments | Tagged answered prayer, Charles Finney, Christian, encouragement, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prayer

• Watch Duty

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

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

  

  When I was in the military, in training, I was assigned several different duties that I was responsible for carrying out. Inevitably, I would be assigned watch duty. This required me standing at a gate on the base, for many hours, making sure that only “authorized” people were coming on the base. As each car pulled up to the gate, we checked for military identification and made sure that a military sticker was on the vehicle. Those without the proper credentials who needed or wanted to access the base were asked to pull over while we checked their credentials, or to turn their cars around. I am grateful that I had no incidents involving someone who wanted illegal access!

  The whole purpose for watch duty was to make sure that those wanting access had a need to be on the base, resulting in providing protection for those on the base. Some people enjoyed this duty, while I considered it a mundane waste of time. And yet there was no denying that it was an important duty. Lives were at stake, and we were the first line of defense for keeping them safe. It was important that we were alert during watch to insure that nothing and no one got past us while we were at our post.

  As I read the verse in Ephesians, the phrase, “being watchful” jumped out at me. Immediately following was a reminder of my time on watch duty. When I served watch duty, I served no matter the weather, the time of day or night, or how I felt. Watch duty was expected and necessary. When I think of watchfulness in the word, and its connection to prayer, I know that it requires an even greater sense of urgency and dedication in the life of the believer.

  Typically when we teach on prayer or even think about prayer, we think of fasting and prayer. But scripture lets us know that watching and praying also go hand in hand. The word “watch” means, “being awake or alert”. Naturally and spiritually, being on watch requires alertness as we guard our lives against our enemies.

  Remember in my previous post that I mentioned Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane? Tonight, I return to that scene where Jesus spoke to His disciples:

  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:40-41 – NKJV

  Jesus mentions an important reasons for watching and praying: that we enter not into temptation. And this particular statement was made to Peter. My husband and I was just having a “what if” conversation about Peter. What would have happened if Peter would have watched and prayed? Would he have still denied Jesus? I don’t think so! What would have happened to Jesus’ prophecy? There would have been no need to warn Peter because He would have known that Peter would have spent that time on watch duty! How many things would we avoid, would be kept away from us if we took watch duty more seriously?

  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:33 – NKJV

  Hear the words of Jesus: watch and pray about the day of His return. Be alert, aware, on guard! Don’t live life as if He isn’t coming back any time soon, for no one knows the day or the hour. He was so insistent that we remain watchful, that He said it three times in this passage alone. Watch! Don’t fall asleep! Wake up so that you are not caught unawares!

  Peter finally got what Jesus was trying to tell him, so maybe that’s the real reason he had to experience it:

  But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 – NKJV

  Prayer is serious business, and it requires watchfulness. Most people pray after something serious happens, but a watchful person prays before a thing happens. That’s the real message in watchfulness and prayer. Everything won’t be stopped at the door, but there is something to knowing the enemy is on the attack and being prepared for that attack. Watch duty keeps us alert to our surroundings and potential dangers. Each of us must be on alert!

  When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said “pray that you are not led into temptation”. Isn’t that something? When you are watchful, you can avoid temptation and even sin! When you are watchful you can avoid or sidestep the attacks of the enemy! Just like in the military. Surely our bases are prepared for being breached, but it is much easier to keep the enemy out, than it is to have to deal with him once he gets access! That’s the power of watch duty! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Jesus show us all the things that didn’t happen because we were watchful and we prayed? I think so!

  As we were raising our children, we would never allow anyone to speak negative things over them. If someone did, I would just say something like, “I bind that in Jesus Name!” My husband and I were extremely watchful over our girls! If we saw something in our children that we didn’t think would lead to wise and godly choices, we prayed about it before it could come to fruition. One of our daughters was particularly stubborn as a toddler. I was told she would give me a hard time in her teen years. We didn’t wait for her teen years to pray or to deal with her stubbornness , we jumped right on that mess! We knew it wouldn’t be cute at 13, so it wasn’t cute at three!

  One final word. Watchfulness requires honesty and a willingness to respond to what you see. When God showed me something about my children, I wouldn’t get worried, I would just say something like, “Ok, Lord! Show me how to pray!” And then I would pray! Or vice versa, when my husband would see something. We didn’t fall apart, we didn’t accept it as the way it would be, and we certainly didn’t enlighten our children to the future the devil had for them! No way! We canceled his assignments and his attacks in prayer! But we had to stay honest about what we saw and heard, and then get in line with God to change undesired behavior. Were we perfect parents? Not even! But we were and are watchful and prayerful!

  You have been assigned to watch duty! No one can do it better! There will be times when it may even seem mundane, but it is most important! Your watchfulness can make the difference in your life, your family, and even your church. Get started today and still the hand of the enemy! I know you can do it! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Family, Jesus, Prayer | 4 Comments | Tagged attacks, Believer, children, duty, encouragement, Family, garden of Gethsemane, God, Jesus, military, Peter, Prayer, protection, raising godly children, Spiritual warfare, the enemy, watch and pray, watchfulness

• Once, May Not Be Enough!

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

  Isaiah 62:1 -For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. NKJV

  

  once_-may-not-be-enough_.mp3

  Today, instead of blogging about another type of prayer, I want to discuss prayer itself. As most of us know, prayer is simply talking to God. In our desire to understand prayer, and how to pray effectively, we have studied prayer and found many different types of prayer. In our quest to understand prayer, we have found that there are certain “times” of prayer. We have even found that there are patterns to prayer. With all of this in mind, we have even had teachings on how often to pray.

  Some highly respected teachers of the word, at least respected by me, have done a phenomenal job at dissecting these areas of prayer, to the point one might ask, “What else can be said?” I don’t pretend to be amongst that group, but as I was praying tonight, I felt this scripture rise in my spirit, and I heard the words, “once may not be enough”. Hence, my topic for this blog!

  The journeys of life are quite interesting. Years ago, as I was praying to the Lord about a situation that was not changing, I asked Him how long was I supposed to pray about this thing? Amazingly, He responded immediately with our key text. Although I have known this scripture for decades, it never really dawned on me as a prayer scripture. (That just goes to show that we can know something without understanding it). But if the Holy Spirit showed it to me in regards to praying, then I’m not going to argue with Him.

  For Zion’s sake I won’t hold my peace! Are there some situations in your life or the lives of others that you can’t hold your peace about? You just can’t be silent? You have to talk to God about it? And for some reason, it seems like you have hurt your knees, drained your tear ducts, and used every scripture imaginable on the subject with no change? Do you feel faithless, because you just keep praying about it? Have others tried to make you feel like you just need to give it up? Well, if so, this blog is for you!!

  Isaiah wrote that for Zion’s sake he wouldn’t hold his peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake he wouldn’t rest. That meant that he intended to cry out to God for as long as he felt he needed to because he was greatly concerned about the Church and his beloved city, Jerusalem! As a matter of fact, he even told us how long he intended to keep this prayer vigil going-until he got results! Some people believe and teach that when you pray in faith, you only have to pray one time. I can tell you for a truth that in many cases, this is absolutely true. Sometimes, you just know, that you know, when you finish praying, the thing is done!

  But there are some other times, the Spirit of God whispered to my heart, when once is not enough! Let’s look at Jesus, because we can all agree that He knew how to get a prayer through!

  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” – Luke 22:41-42 – NKJV

  This prayer was on the night that He was betrayed. He went to the garden to pray, as was His custom. Jesus had spent the day encouraging His disciples, praying for them, and even giving them last minute instructions. And now He is going to spend time in prayer. He even told His disciples how deeply grieved in His soul He was, and asked them to pray with Him. While He was crying out to the Father, they were sleeping!

  For this blog, I’m not concerned so much with the topic of His prayer, but there are a couple things to note. First, according to Matthew, He prayed hours about this situation. During the course of His hours of praying, He actually stopped praying and went to check on His disciples. They were falling asleep. Not once, nor twice, but three times. After He checked on them, He went back and prayed twice more for a total of three times. And another thing, He prayed the same thing! For those who feel that praying about something over and over is a lack of faith, I give you Jesus!

  Now, let’s look at Paul!

  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. – 2 Corinthians 12:8 – NKJV

  Paul writes that he had been under attack by the messenger of Satan himself. He was so sick and tired of this messenger who kept coming at him, again and again that Paul called him a thorn in his flesh. I guess after some time Paul got tired of this foolishness and he prayed asking the Lord to allow it to depart from him. As a matter of fact, Paul said that he prayed this same prayer on three different occasions. He didn’t get the answer he sought, but it wasn’t because he prayed more than once. It wasn’t because Jesus liked watching him get attacked over and over again. Jesus simply responded to him that His grace was sufficient for Paul, for His strength was made perfect in weakness. A truth that we all need to understand. Sometimes we will be delivered from the attacks of the enemy, and sometimes He will walk with us in the fire!

  Final point about praying more than once about something:

  Then the Lord said, “If even an evil judge can be worn down like that, don’t you think that God will surely give justice to His people who plead with Him day and night? Yes! He will answer them quickly! But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith and are praying*?” -Luke 18:6-8 – TLB

  The very first thing Jesus says in this chapter is that men ought always to pray and not faint. Then He shares this situation with us about the woman who wearied the unjust judge in her continuous coming. The point I want to look at is what Jesus said in the end: But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith and are praying*?” This woman, going to judge over and over again, was symbolic of us going to the Father in prayer over and over again. Jesus didn’t call this a lack of faith, He actually called it faith! She was so convinced that if she kept asking, that she would receive! This reminds me of one of my husband’s favorite sayings: “The squeaky wheel gets the oil!”

  Okay! I absolutely have to add this point, so forgive the length of this blog:

  Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:12 – NKJV

  For three full weeks, Daniel fasted and prayed about the same situation. Then one day, an angel appeared to him and told him that he was heard on the first day! God hears you the first time. It doesn’t take Him 21 days to hear, but sometimes, it takes “earthly” time because the devil is fighting on every hand. And your continuous praying will bring angelic help, if needed, to get the job done!

  It’s not a lack of faith that keeps you going back to the Father for a concern on your heart, it’s your desire to see your prayer answered that keeps you going back. You are saying, “I need some oil!” Or, “I need some justice!” Or, “I need some help!” Don’t give up on your confidence in God’s willingness and His ability to answer your prayer! Pray until you get what you want, because once may not be enough! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation-2.mp3

  Posted in Faith, Jesus, Prayer | 0 Comments | Tagged angels, attacks, Daniel, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Paul, Prayer, Satan, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, the enemy

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