Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: hard times

• Don’t Count Yourself Out!

  Posted at 3:38 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 21, 2020

  “2 Chronicles 32:8 -With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. NKJV

  As I mentioned in my previous post, a lot is going on in this battle. I have already mentioned that Hezekiah was a righteous king, doing all that he could to restore the statutes of the Lord in Israel. He tore down everything that was contrary to the Lord, and rebuilt all that was destroyed in an attempt to stomp Him out.

  I like what verse 1 in this chapter of the Bible let’s us know. “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah…” I wrote about this in my last post, but here we see in the word that the attack came after his righteous stand. Just like it does with us today! And at first he compromises with the enemy to try and get him to back off from the battle, but verse two lets us know that Sennacherib had come with a purpose to make war against Jerusalem.

  Each telling of the battle has some really interesting points, but tonight I want to deal with what happened after the compromise. According to verses 3-8, Hezekiah came up with a plan. That plan was not to give in and let Sennacherib totally destroy all that he had accomplished, but to prepare for battle!

  First, Hezekiah realizes that the Assyrians came to battle and he consults with his leaders and commanders. Can I stop for a moment and say that Hezekiah was wise enough to know that he didn’t know everything, or that he could accomplish far more with his team alongside him? Too many leaders in the church and in the world have a complex about what greatness looks like. For some reason they feel that because they are the leader, they know better than anybody else what to do. They need to go back to the school of feet washing so that they can understand that in His kingdom we are to be servants first. I have known a lot of bad leaders and only a few really good leaders. I tip my hat to them! Can I also point out that he recognized that the Assyrians came to battle. It’s time we recognize that every time the devil shows up, he comes prepared to do so battle. So we need to make sure that we are prepared, also.

  Together they decided three things: to shut off the water supply, to rebuild the walls, and to rebuild and equip their forces. There were springs near Jerusalem and a brook that ran nearby. All of this was stopped up to keep the Assyrians from having an ample water supply. They rebuilt the walls, and even built an extra wall outside of that one. Archaeologists have discovered a portion of wall that they think is from this time frame that was strong enough to withstand the battering rams and enclosed a reservoir of water. And lastly, they made weapons and shields to fight the battle.

  But the most important thing that happened was that Hezekiah took courage and talked to his military commanders. He encouraged them to be strong and courageous; to not be afraid, nor to be discouraged. Then he reminds them that the One who was with them, was greater than the one coming against them, and that He would be with them.

  Now how does this help us in the battles of life? After you compromise with the devil, the enemy wants you to think that it’s over for you. You gave up on God, or trusted in your flesh, or your money, or whatever, and now you are on your own. But Hezekiah realized that he was about to face a serious battle and he needed help from God! And so will you!

  One thing that you can do to get ready for war is to get over yourself. You messed up, now get up, repent and prepare for battle!

  Then, you shut off anything that will aid the enemy’s attack on you. That could be an ungodly relationship, or unforgiveness, or idolatry, hatred or selfish ambitions, or drunkenness to name a few. Just shut the door to those things, that the enemy will not have a place to get comfortable and habitat in your life.

  Rebuild the walls. Fix whatever is broken. Get things in order. Repent and recommit your life to Jesus. Get re-established in your church. Let go of ungodly soul ties. Restore godly relationships! Move in the direction that encourages a healthy life in Christ!

  Lastly, get those weapons ready! You have weapons of warfare that are mighty in God (2 Corinthians 4:10)! Those weapons include praise, the name of Jesus, the Blood of the Lamb, the living word of God, and prayer. You will not win this in the flesh. That’s what Hezekiah said that Sennacherib had, the arm of the flesh, but he and Judah had the Lord! So do you!! So see yourself as a winner, and not as a loser.

  And after you have done all of that, you stand! Stand knowing that greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world! (1 John 4:4) Stand knowing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. (Philippians 1:6). Stand because the word said, and having done all, you stand! (Ephesians 6:13). Don’t let the devil ever convince you that it is impossible to regain your place with God. In some cases, things could actually get better because you could actually be more committed than you were before having gone through a bad experience. Keep your head up and don’t count yourself out! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Hezekiah, Judah, Prayer, Sennacherib, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living, victory

• The Battle For Family!

  Posted at 5:58 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on February 8, 2020

  Genesis 14:14 – “Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” NKJV

  Family creates an interesting dynamic to the lives of believers. Some of our family members keep us on our knees praying, confessing, and believing God for their deliverance. If it wasn’t for the fact that we know worry is a sin, some of us would live in the place of worry. But this is nothing new! And there is some great news ahead!

  Abram had been given a directive from God to leave his country, his family, and his heritage to go to a place chosen by God (Genesis 12). And he did! Kinda sorta! He took his nephew, Lot, with him. It wasn’t that Lot was some little kid that needed Abram to raise him, but when Terah left Ur, he had taken Lot, so maybe Abram felt responsible for Lot. Whatever the reason, whatever the case, they are together.

  Both men are prosperous. Verse 2, of chapter 13 lets us know that Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold. And we find that Lot is prosperous when the herdsmen of Abram and Lot begin arguing over the water and the land. Not only do they have to share with each other this land and water, but we are told that they have to share with the Canaanites and the Perizzites as well.

  This causes them to have to separate from each other. Lot was given a choice by Abram in verse 9, “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” Lot chooses to go to Sodom. Some translations of the Bible states that Lot moved near Sodom, while others refer to him moving into Sodom. Which ever way it really was, he eventually ended up living in Sodom.

  In chapter 14, a battle is gearing up, and Sodom and Gomorrah joins with three other kings to fight, five agains four. During the battle, Sodom and Gomorrah are overtaken, along with Lot and his goods. Someone escapes and tells Abram, and he gears up for battle. If you have not read this in its entirety, you should do so, because I can only give highlights. In our key verse, Abram, with his trained men, go in pursuit of Lot to recover him and his goods.

  It doesn’t matter to Abram that Lot made his own choice to live in Sodom. It doesn’t matter to Abram that five kings lost to four. It doesn’t even matter to Abram that in helping Lot, he will end up helping Sodom and Gomorrah, whom I am sure he understood the nature of their lives. No! The only thing that mattered to Abram was that his beloved nephew was in trouble and needed his help!

  I’ve lived long enough to know that we all have that family member that can get into some situations. Not always of their own making, it just seems that trouble follows him or her. But family is family! And if you are a believer, your heart for your family is to see every one of them delivered from the enemy, as Abram felt. Abram pursued those kings, rescued Lot and his positions, and all the prisoners and possessions. In other words, they went into that battle and recovered all, returning quite victorious!

  I am from a large family. I had seven sisters and two brothers. All with families of their own. So we have seen some things. I also married into a good sized family. My husband had five siblings. So our families combined with siblings, with nieces, nephews and cousins are quite extensive. We’ve fought many battles over the year. We’ve lost some (seemingly in the natural), we’ve won all (in the spirit), and we find that we have become trained warriors. There is no sitting back on our family members saying that they got themselves into that, or it’s their lifestyle, or we are tired of them. We fight for our family!

  My mother died from lupus while in her forties, leaving all of us very young. Many years later when my sister was in her forties, they diagnosed her with lupus. She called me and told me about it, saying that she was going die in her forties like mama. Something rose up on the inside of me, we know it was the Holy Ghost, and I decreed the devil is a liar! I prayed for her on that phone and continued to pray until I felt the victory. She went back to the doctor and they couldn’t find it! Glory!!! She’s in her sixties. Another time, she was about to lose her job (not sure why she keeps coming to mind) because a patient lied on her. I want you to know we got to praying and she never did lose that job! Years later, she is still on it!! God is such a good God! We’ve gone to battle against sickness and diseases, financial attacks, legal battles, setups, and put downs, and we find that there is nothing God won’t do!

  I have friends, church members, acquaintances, with similar victories. As a believer, I have noticed that when the devil really gets messy, he starts attacking our family members when he wants to get at us. But we have to have the same mind Abram had, “not my family” knowing that God will go with us! Abram had no fear of losing his life or the battle. God had made a promise to him about inheriting the land of Canaan. He couldn’t inherit it if he was dead. So he went out sure of his victory. God has made us similar promises. Promises of victory! Promises that greater is He that is with us, then he that is in the world! A promise that we are more than a conqueror! A promise of household salvation! A promise of generational blessings!

  Don’t you quit on your family! Even if you believe or know you are the only one praying, the only one standing on the promises, the only one who believes! God cares about your family, because He loves them more than you do! I believe this is the first physical battle mentioned in the Bible and it’s about family! What does that say? God is aware that family can get into some altercations, but He is for you and your family! Don’t accept drug addiction, alcohol addiction, unemployment, sickness and disease, and no other lying attack the devil comes up with! This is your family! Fight, for you are inked in as the winner! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Abraham, Believer, Christian, consequences, encouragement, Family, Genesis 14:14, hard times, Prayer, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living, victory

• Battle Readiness!

  Posted at 2:52 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 5, 2020

  Deuteronomy 20:1 – “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” NKJV

  There will be a time in each of our lives when we feel as if we are in a major battle. That battle can come in many forms: financial issues, medical issues, relationship issues, family issues, and a host of other issues. But no matter what the issue, it’s a battle that must be won. I want to share today and in the next several blogs what God has to say about our battles.

  At this time, in Israel’s history, God is teaching them how to go into a physical battle. He told them when it was time to go to fight against their enemies that they would see some things. He said they would see the horses, they would see the chariots, and they would see the people. Then He told them that they would be outnumbered. That doesn’t sound all that encouraging! But even with this, God said, “Do not be afraid of them!” I’ve taught history, and I know that the invention of chariots took war to another level. As a matter of fact, having chariots often ensured your victory. But we hear God saying, don’t look at those things, don’t be afraid!

  Today, we don’t have to go to war as they did in the Old Testament. We having a standing military ready to defend our countries. Probably at that time, most men fought in the war and left their women behind with the children. So I know that everything about the wars in the Old Testament will not be applicable. But some of it is!

  As a matter of fact, our war is not a physical war at all. Paul, in Ephesians 6, wrote that we wrestle not against flesh and blood! Our battles are more likely spiritual battles. Battles that are waged against us by our enemy the devil. And we cannot fight him in the flesh. But the things that God spoke to the children of Israel about their natural battles are things we need to know to win our own battles.

  When we go into battle we see things too: the people, the medical reports, the symptoms, the bills, the challenges…and they can overwhelm us! Yes, they can! But God is still saying, “Don’t be afraid!” And typically, that is easier said than it is done. I am sure that the children of Israel didn’t always find it easy to be courageous in the face of untold obstacles and being outnumbered. But God told them to not be afraid! And when we get a negative medical report, or the symptoms are unbearable, or the financial pressure is weighing us down, God is still saying, “Don’t be afraid!”

  Some teach today that we are not to even be concerned about spiritual warfare. They suggest that God has already won the battle and there is no need to “fight”. I will concur that the battle has already been won, and that we already have the victory! But the devil never hides in a cave saying, “I’ve already been defeated, so there’s no point in messing with them!” And he is fully aware of the truth that Jesus defeated him. But he attacks anyone he can to see if he can steal their victory. For he knows that every one, who is unaware and unwilling to fight, can become his prey and his war trophy. I don’t plan on that being me! I plan to fight!

  After God tells them “don’t be afraid”, God says to the children of Israel, “for the Lord your God is with you!” That’s why we don’t have to be afraid! Because God is with us as He was with them! Jesus echoed this truth when He said, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). And in Romans 8, Paul wrote, “If God be for you, who can be against you!” Over and over again, God has said that He is with us, and yet, we still wrestle with fear.

  If you are honest, if you are like me, it’s easy to forget this truth when you are bombarded by the enemy. Sometimes I really do believe that I am wrestling with flesh and blood! Sometimes, all I can see is the person who is attacking me. Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by all of the negative reports that I hear. Then God lovingly reminds me of His truth that He is with me.

  When you go to battle…We will all have a battle to fight some day, or we have fought a battle, or we are in a battle. It escapes none of us. I cringe when my pastor reminds us of this. But today I just want to remind you that part of getting ready for the battle is remembering that God has told us to not be afraid of what we see, even when it is overwhelming, because He is with us!

  Maybe you are facing a battle right now! Well, get in battle readiness and embrace the truth that God is with you and you don’t have to be afraid. Even if things are at the worst that they have ever been, or you are feeling more devastated than you could imagine, it is time to take God at His word! “For the Lord your God is with you!” You are not in this battle alone. You don’t have to fight it by yourself. Over the next few blogs, I plan to look into my favorite battles in the word of God and learn more about winning every time! My prayer is that you will allow God to show you that He is with you by releasing fear and beginning to trust Him like never before! He is with you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged battles, Believer, Deuteronomy 20:1, encouragement, Ephesians 6, hard times, Matthew 28:20, Romans 8, Spiritual warfare, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory

• Who Will Deliver Me?

  Posted at 1:00 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on January 30, 2020

  Romans 7:15 – I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. NIV

  Today, I want to actually delve into my key text. Paul wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” And traditionally, it is believed that Paul was confessing to having struggles in his life as a Christian that he couldn’t overcome. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

  Paul begins talking about the flesh. Actually, he talks about the spirit and the flesh throughout the book, and we will look at this word today. The Greek word for flesh is “sarx”. In the book of Romans, Paul uses this word frequently. Sarx was used literally to mean our physical body, it was rendered “according to the flesh”, and it was also used to mean “from a human point of view.” But in Romans 7, Paul used it in reference to us being “in the flesh”. In this reference he is actually referring to our sinful human nature, apart from Christ.

  It is to this nature that Paul is referring as he writes in verse 14 (but I am a creature of the flesh, sold into slavery to sin) because it is in our state before Christ that we are slaves to sin. When he gets to verse 15 and states, “I do not understand what. For what I want to do I do not do but what I hate I do,” it is because when we are bound in sin, we do things that God knows we don’t always want to do. Some of those things we hate, but we find ourselves yielding to them again and again.

  How many people do you know, who are bound in their sin, often crying afterwards because deep down in their heart they don’t like the way they are living? They feel as if they have no escape from this desperate and hopeless state that their lives are in and want out of it, by any means necessary! This is what Paul is referring to! Our Pastor likes to say that sin will take you farther than you wanted to go and keep you longer than you wanted to stay. How? Because you are in bondage to sin! Sin is your master!

  Paul states that as a sinner, as an unbeliever, in his sinful state, there was nothing good that lived in him; because even when he was willing to do good, it was not always what he did. And in fact, it wasn’t so much him, as it was his sin nature which dominated his thinking, his actions, his behavior, and basically the way he lived. Before Christ! After all, when he was known as Saul, he was known as a persecutor of the believers, and was in agreement with Stephen being stoned to death. That surely qualifies as no good thing!

  Paul tells the believers in Rome that he discovered that a law was at work in him, a law that evil was present in him when he was trying to do good. Paul, as a Jewish rabbi loved the law, but he saw a lack in his life that the law could not fulfill. He found that even though the law was wonderful, it didn’t have the power to influence his actions and to keep sin at bay. And neither will anyone else’s sins be kept at bay outside of Jesus! He forgives them, then He casts them into the sea of forgetfulness! Glory to God!

  That’s when Paul makes the statement that he is a wretched man and asks, “Who will deliver me from this state of sin, this spiritual death?” People are still asking this question. And it’s a necessary one, because it’s this question that opens a heart to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But again, I believe that Paul is not speaking in a present tense of his state, but more in a reflective sense of where he was at before his Damascus Road experience and how he got to where he was after it!

  Really, in all honest, chapter 8 breaks it down further and makes it clearer that Paul was not speaking as a believer who struggled with his flesh. He actually answers his own question by saying, “Thanks be to God (for my deliverance) through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (AMP)

  Paul was giving God praise for delivering him from that state of warring in his soul: trying to be good when in actuality what he did was evil. There are many today who think that because they do good, that is an entrance way to God, but your righteous or good deeds are as filthy rags before the Father and therefore unacceptable. Basically, that was Paul’s message in chapter 7. The law, even though it is spiritual cannot and will not save you from your sin nature. It only has the power to reveal your sin, the penalty of sin, and a loving Father who says, you can’t do enough in the flesh to be free from sin.

  When I read this chapter, I understand that without chapters 6 and 8, it could easily sound like Paul had a hard time being a Christian. However, if you read the rest of the New Testament, there is no evidence that Paul struggled with his flesh, incapable of living the life that Jesus required of him. Of us all! This is Paul who emphatically stated that he was ready to die for the cause of Christ. A man with this type of dedication isn’t flaky with his lifestyle. He isn’t struggling day in and day out to live for God!

  But here’s the most profound part of it all! If you believe that this chapter is actually about Paul struggling as a believer and therefore, of course you will; then you have bought into the lie of the devil that you can’t live a holy life for God. And that’s the biggest tragedy of the lie! Because the answer to “who can deliver you” is the same for you as it was for Paul, “Jesus!” His blood is sufficient to redeem you! His blood is sufficient to free you! And His blood is sufficient to keep you! There’s so much more than I can say, but I will end here with this parting word: He is well able to deliver you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, freedom, Romans 7:15, Satan, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, freedom, hard times, Jesus, righteousness, Romans 7:15, Salvation, Sin, Sinner, Victorious Living, victory

• Bearing the Mark!

  Posted at 1:00 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on January 21, 2020

  Galatians 6:17 -From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

  It’s amazing to me how I can read the Bible and after so many years, and so many times reading it, can find something interesting, something that stands out or speak to me, as if I have never read it before. Such was the case with this scripture.

  I wrote a blog on the thorn in Paul’s flesh during my first year of blogging. I’ve often wondered how people read that and feel that Paul was referring to some sickness that would not go away. And when I read this chapter, I often wondered why Paul said that the Galatians would have plucked out their eyes to give to him (4:16). But as I read it a couple nights ago, I had a different thought that I wanted to share with you.

  For some reason when I read this scripture I thought of the famous picture of the slave that was flogged, and how they had photographed his back to show the marks of his beatings. It resembles vines to me. And I don’t even want to think about the pain he obviously endured.

  

  As I read the above verse, and I thought of this picture, it was if I understood these words and what Paul was trying to convey. Let me explain:

  In 2 Corinthians 11:23, Paul shares a long list of many of the things he suffered. Things that are not talked about in detail in the Bible. But Paul mentions that he was beaten by the Jews five times with 39 lashes, three times he was beaten with rods, and he was even stoned. Look at this man’s back. We are clueless as to how many times he was whipped, but the scars are there, evidence of what he had to bear.

  After Jesus was beaten, before His crucifixion, it is said of Him that there was no beauty in Him that we should desire Him (Isaiah 53). What do you suppose that Paul looked like after 5 beatings with cords, three beatings with rods, and a stoning? I would say, that he was scarred pretty badly. Especially immediately following one of these beatings when he was probably bloody, swollen, and barely able to move. I can well imagine if you had seen him after one of these beatings, you would have turned away from looking at him, as would most people. As they did to Jesus! And if you knew him, you would have wanted to offer him whatever you could, even you eyes, if you thought it would ease the pain that he was carrying.

  When he was stoned, dragged out of the city, and thrown outside the gates, because they thought he was dead; he had to be pretty bad off. But the disciples gathered around him, and probably prayed, and God raised him up!

  Even in that, he was probably pretty scarred up. And in his thinking, I am sure, for him, they were the marks of Christ that he bore in his body. Marks, that in some ways, caused others to be offended by his presence, but marks that were a testament of the sufferings he endured for the Lord, sufferings Jesus warned him about. (See Acts 9:13).

  I believe Paul’s body was healed multiple times by the Lord, but that doesn’t mean that He removed the scars from His body. Could He have done that? Yes, of course He could! But did He do that? I’m not so sure.

  If you read Galatians from beginning to end, this book’s theme could easily be about circumcision as we know it was the mark of Judaism. But in this verse, Paul is basically stating that he doesn’t want to keep answering to circumcision when he carries the marks of Jesus in his body.

  Someone once said to me that they wanted to have a scripture tattooed on their body so that people would know that they loved Jesus. But the word says that God will write them in our hearts. (Hebrews 8:10) We don’t need to intentionally mark up our bodies to show that we love and honor God. But sometimes, scars are left after the battle!

  You see, I got to thinking about the scars, or marks of the Lord Jesus that we as Christians can bear. I would venture to say that those who are persecuted for their faith in Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tanzania, India and many other countries, could easily identify with Paul. They too have suffered greatly for the faith in the Lord. They have hidden in secret meetings to have fellowship. They have been dragged out of their homes, thrown into prison, beaten, killed, stoned, and all sorts of heartrending experiences for the cause of Christ. But I have no such story, no such pain. So I won’t belittle what they experience and try to glorify what I have experienced to say that I too bear marks in my body for the gospel! I salute their courage in the face of adversity and their stand for the Lord! May God send protecting and ministering spirits to assist them in their walk!

  But the scars in my soul I can talk about! And maybe, just maybe you can identify with them both! It is for you, my fellow believers around the world, who know firsthand what Paul went through, because you are living it every day, that I write this blog. I am thinking of you, praying for you this day! And I just wanted to take some time and let you know that you are not forgotten! You are on the Father’s heart, and He has placed you on the hearts of so many others! Be encouraged and stand in the faith! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, encouragement, Galatians 6:17, persecution, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, encouragemnt, Galatians 6:17, hard times, Jesus, Kingdom of God, protection, Victorious Living

• The Comforted Becomes the Comforter!

  Posted at 4:00 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on November 2, 2019

  2 Corinthians 1:3-4- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

  Trouble comes to us all! It’s sad, but it’s true. No one is exempt from the troubles of life. Black, White, Asian or Mexican; rich, poor, or middle class; old, young, or teen; it doesn’t matter. Trouble comes. And even worst, some of us experience our shares of trouble and enough to go around. How can we reconcile a loving God with all that we have to deal with? Some times it really can be a challenge, but getting the right perspective on the matter helps!

  Paul says that God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort! A lot of people see this only in times of grief, but God really is the Comforter. He’s there for the person who has been abandoned by a spouse or parent. He is there is for the person who has been abused in any manner. He is there to help through the painful loss of a loved one. And yes, He’s even there in the loss of our possessions. But we have to allow Him to be that comfort, and some times we have to open our eyes and realize He is there. There in the midst of the pain, the loss, the confusion. He didn’t cause it, He didn’t even allow it to happen, but it did! And He is waiting for you to allow Him to comfort you.

  When my mother died, I was about 9 years old, and I clearly remember someone telling me that God took my mother because He needed her. Well, that sounded pretty cruel to me, because how could He need her more than I did? I didn’t get it! But I give Him praise that in-spite of the mixed messages I received that day and throughout my growing years, I have found Him to be a good God and a very loving Father. And I don’t believe for one second that He took her because He needed her. Actually, I don’t believe He took her. Disease took her! A lack of medical knowledge and treatment may have assisted it. But God did not!

  Whatever the tribulation…

  I heard Pastor Joel Osteen share how his mother was healed of cancer in the late 1980s and how once she was healed, she began going to the hospital to pray with others who was going through cancer treatment. She was able to speak to them in a way that said, “I have walked in your shoes. I know your pain, your heartaches, and your struggles and I am here for you!” Isn’t that beautiful to know that God can send us to be His hand extended to the broken, down trodden, abused, battered, sick, or neglected? That He can actually take our ashes and turn them into beauty? Yes, He can!

  I have had three pregnancies, three children, and I have three adults. We have been blessed. Of the three pregnancies, two were difficult, life threatening deliveries. Two of our babies were fighting for their lives before they had a chance to live. I know the challenges that come with that. I know the fears, the sleepless nights, the tears, the guilt of what did I do to bring this on. I know! But God comforted me as only He could! And when I had a chance to reach out and comfort a young mother who was going through that I didn’t have to search for the words of comfort, because I knew what comforted me.

  When one of my dearest friends died from cancer after I and so many others were believing for a miracle, my heart hurt in a way I couldn’t imagine. But God comforted me. When my brother died in his apartment and we didn’t discover it for a couple weeks, the shock and pain that hit me was almost unbearable. But God comforted me. And since those incidents, I have had to comfort others with the same and similar incidents. The comfort with which I was comforted was a vehicle of comfort to another.

  Some things I haven’t experienced and I am not able to articulate the grace given by God to overcome them. I have never been divorced, but if you have been and you survived, then God has given you a powerful weapon to use to comfort someone else who might be facing a divorce. Maybe you’ve lost every thing because of drugs, alcoholism, or some other addiction, but God brought you out. Guess what, it wasn’t just for you, but it was so that you could also be there for someone else who may experience the same thing.

  Most of the time, when we are going through we can only focus on ourselves and our problems. At least that is the way I am. And probably you, also. But once you recognize the blessing of grace given to you to walk victoriously through a thing, then God expects you to help someone else get their victory.

  The world gets it! A son is killed by a drunken driver and a mom starts a movement MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). A loved one is taken from this life via cancer, and pink ribbons and marches are started all over the world. A teen is shot in a high school and the parents go around the country sharing their grief and why we need more gun control and then reach out to parents who experience the same thing. They take their pains and heartaches and reach out to others with the same pain to make a difference in the lives of others who are experiencing what they went through. Some times we as Christians are the last to catch on.

  Shame, guilt, pride and a host of other negative emotions keep us selfishly attached to our tribulations, when God says to us, “Let me show you how to get through this, and then go and show someone else how to be free.” Then the comforted can become the comforter.

  You see, it’s not just enough to get a victory, we have to learn how to help others get their victories. Not to start an organization or a movement, but out of a sincere desire to see someone set free. So I ask you, what has God comforted you with? How has He worked things out for you? What situation, circumstance, or tribulation has He brought you through? Whatever, it is or was, He did it for your good and for the good of others! For freely you have received and freely He expects you to give. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christian, encouragement, Healing, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged encouragement, encouragemnt, hard times, Healing, testimony, Victorious Living, victory

• Won’t He Do It!

  Posted at 2:12 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 25, 2019

  Genesis 50:20 – But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. NKJV

  It’s unfortunate that as we go through this life we are going to get hurt! There is no getting around it. We probably offend someone at least once a day, and are offended at least twice a day, it’s a part of life. But there are some times when people are just down right mean, and it can cause you to stumble.

  Joseph experienced this in a painful way. From his own family. From his brothers. And it was no accident. It was on purpose and intentional. Ouch!

  Jacob had two wives. They were sisters! Jacob really loved and desired Rachel, but he was tricked into marrying Leah. Then he had to play lover boy to not only the sisters, but the Sisters’ maids in order to produce children. Finally, Rachel had her own sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Talk about a major soap opera! It gets worse.

  Jacob made a coat of many colors for Joseph because he was Jacob’s favorite! Parents should never have favorites and then parade it around their children. When my kids asked who my favorite was I would reply something like, “you’re my favorite six year old, and so-so is my favorite…” Loving all of your children the same doesn’t mean treating them all the same, because different kids need different things. But they should always know they are loved equally. Anyway, Jacob treated Joseph as his favorite and his brothers despised him. To make matters even hotter, God started speaking to Joseph in dreams about ruling over the family, and he shared it, causing everyone to get angrier at him. Even Jacob didn’t care for that action!!

  So when the opportunity came for them to harm him, that’s exactly what they planned to do. However, Judah interceded in the manner, planning on helping Joseph, but then the other brothers sold him into slavery. Can you imagine waking up tomorrow and realizing that you are so despised by someone that they are planning your demise, your destruction, your downfall; and they are your family or close friend? Well, it happened to Joseph.

  Maybe it wasn’t this drastic for you. Maybe a family member was physically abusive to you; or maybe to one of your children. Maybe someone close to you stole money from you that you needed to pay your rent or mortgage. Maybe your spouse had an affair or your parent abandoned you. Maybe all of this, or some other junk that comes into our lives to mess us up! It could be a whole lot of stuff!

  Well, Joseph did not allow that stuff to get into his heart and stop the plans of God. When the woman tried to seduce him, he wouldn’t have any part in it. He didn’t allow his pain to cause pain. When he was thrown in jail and falsely accused, he didn’t malign her character or say God had abandoned him. No way! He was still in such fellowship with God that he was able to interpret dreams. And when the cupbearer forgot about him for two years, he didn’t become bitter and declare it was no use in serving God. Nope! And that’s why he was ready for promotion when it came.

  You see, Joseph had obviously decided that no matter what came his way, his hope and trust was anchored in the Lord. He looked for God in everything and in everything he served God. Unlike a lot of us today. My biggest pet peeve; the thing I hate the most, is to hear someone attribute the pain, hurt, and disappointment in their lives to God. Joseph didn’t do it! And neither should we.

  That is why when his brothers thought “surely it was payback time” after the death of their father that Joseph was able to say to them, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good!” You see, some things in life may be difficult, but if we will trust God, He will work it out for our good. (Romans 8:28) He promised that He would. I personally don’t believe that God needed Joseph to be hated by his brothers to make those dreams come to pass. But I do believe that God knew they hated him so much that they would sell him, and God gave Him the dream in advance to give him hope. See, God is not reactionary! He knows the devil plans and He gives us a counter plan, often in advance, to thwart the devil.

  Let’s face it! Life stinks some times. Even when we are trusting God to work things out for our good! But it is imperative that in the midst of difficult times and situations we keep our hearts right and our eyes fixed on Jesus! Then we will be able to say that what people (being used by the devil) mean for evil against us, God will work it out for our good! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christian, encouragement, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Christian, encouragement, hard times, Victorious Living, victory

• BY FAITH I UNDERSTAND!

  Posted at 4:17 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 23, 2019

  Hebrews 11:3 -Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. KJV

  Have you ever had a situation in life that you didn’t understand? Well, if you haven’t, I have had enough of them to share with you! And it is doing those times that our trust in a loving God is challenged. It’s a time when the wheat is separated from the tare.

  Loss is a huge disappointment to us all. Whether you lose a job, a promotion, a family member, a relationship, or your health, it can be pretty traumatic causing you to say, “God, I don’t understand!”

  Well, one day I was going through a pretty tough time in my life and I said this very thing. Then I heard a whisper in my heart, “By faith we understand!” NKJV states by faith while the KJV states through. But the bottom line is that faith is the key to understanding those difficult things in life. Those things you really don’t have a logical answer for. Like creation!

  We believe in creation because the Word of God, which authenticates itself, says that God created the heavens and the earth. Of course, any rational person can look at the majesty of the world and draw that conclusion. It takes beyond faith to believe in evolution, but that’s for another day!

  Faith, is about trust. It isn’t blind faith, as some would have you believe, but it is faith in the character and the word of the person you have placed your trust in. For example, I have absolute faith in my husband’s commitment to me. Over the years I have found that I can trust him and what he says to me. He comes home every day looking for me to spend time with me. He wants to hang out with me and talk to me throughout the day. We enjoy each other’s company today as much, maybe more, than we did when we were dating. If someone accused him to me of being unfaithful, I would trust him over them.

  This to me is what that phrase meant when God spoke it to me. When I don’t understand the things that are going on around me, by faith I just trust that God understands. He knows what is happening and why, and He is not shocked by any of it. His character and His word has been proven to me over and over again, and I refuse to line up with the accuser against Him and His word.

  Some attribute their heartaches and disappointments to God, either directly or indirectly. They even dress up tragedy and disappointment by saying He is Sovereign. And He is! (Also a topic for another day!) But not me! By faith I understand that God loves me as much as He said that He loves me and is looking out for me. By faith I understand that in this world I will have tribulations, but Jesus has overcome the world and so can I! By faith I understand that “it’s not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit” that I will win the battle over disappointment and hurts. By faith I understand that this trial I’m going through, God will show me what to do! By faith I understand that if God be for me, who can be against me. By faith I understand that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. By faith I understand that the thoughts that God think towards me are for good and not for evil to bring me to an expected end! I think you get the point!

  It’s not always my first thought, but it doesn’t take me long to get there! I am truly training my heart and my words to understand that what I don’t understand in this life, I choose to understand by faith! God has truly been so good to me. I won’t disappoint Him and break His heart by having Him to thing that I don’t trust Him to take good care of me as He has promised. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christian, Faith, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Christian, encouragement, Faith, hard times, trust in God, Victorious Living

• Shipwrecked Faith

  Posted at 3:26 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 21, 2019

  1 Timothy 1:18-19- “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to faith.”

  I thought about this verse this week and thought I would use it in my blog this week.

  When I think of shipwrecked faith, I immediately think of someone who believed God for something and became so discouraged after a time that they lose all hope of ever seeing it come to pass. Maybe that has been or is you! I want to share something with you today!

  What is Paul telling Timothy? First, Paul tells him to recall to mind the prophecies that were spoken over him. Most of us hear a prophecy, get excited over it, but if it doesn’t happen within a certain timeframe we forget it or say it wasn’t God. But Paul is telling Timothy, “you have to keep recalling it!” What has been spoken over you about your life, your family, your ministry, your health that has encouraged you but hasn’t come to pass yet? Start rehearsing it!

  Why? Because Paul said in rehearing it you might fight the battle well. What battle you might ask? The battle that the enemy is going to wage in your life and your mind to negate the prophetic word over you. Remember scripture teach us that the enemy comes for the word! (Mark 4:15) So you have to lay spiritual hold of the word and receive it and rehearse because the devil, your adversary will come to steal it.

  Then Paul says, hold on to your faith and a good conscience. I have heard this type of faith described as bulldog faith. Have you ever seen a bulldog get something in his mouth? Then someone come along and try and take it? Well, if you haven’t you should YouTube it. When a bulldog has something in his mouth, his intent is to keep it and so he latches on to it making it nearly impossible for someone to take it from him. That’s the faith Paul is talking about. A faith that says I absolutely am not letting go of this word from God that He spoke to me through His servant! Holding on is not passive, but aggressive. Who holds on to a ledge passively? Who holds on to a lifeline passively? No one who wants to live!

  What’s a good conscience? I like to call it, keeping your heart right! A faith battle is a battle in your mind and in your spirit. If you allow your conscience to become polluted, it pollutes your faith. So you have to keep your heart right during the process as you hold on to faith. They go hand in hand.

  My husband and I were recently talking about offense. He’s reading Bevere’s book, “The Bait of Satan” and so we were discussing offenses. And as we were doing so he shared that people in offense blame others for their situations. “This person is holding me back!” “I could’ve been great if this person would have helped me,” and so forth and so on. But this is where many lose the battle. Allowing the lies of the enemy to enter their hearts and get into the blame game instead of trusting God.

  Years ago I was working in a school when my principal began asking me to help with different things in the building. After a couple years she needed an assistant principal. Well, I wasn’t sure I wanted the position but I was sure I wanted to be asked. But I wasn’t. As a matter of fact I was disappointed when I wasn’t. For about 20 seconds! Then the Lord spoke to me, “Promotion comes from the Lord” and I knew He was saying this was not mine to have. So I immediately released it. When others brought it up to me, I refused to speak negatively about her choice and worked to continue my assistance. I could’ve become angry and bitter over it, but God gave me a word and I trust it. Even these years later when I have still not be promoted in the natural. He later told me that my promotion was approved and so, I just keep reminding myself of that. It is so!

  Paul let Timothy know that when this advice is rejected people tend to become shipwrecked in their faith. They get to a point where they become embittered from some perceived wrong from God and they lose faith. Their hopes are dashed upon the rocks of disappointment, frustration, and weariness. And before long, shipwreck has occurred!

  The promised healing that takes too long! The promised husband that seems to never cross your path! The promised promotion that keeps going to someone else! The promised provision that never appeared and now you are in bankruptcy. All things that are real and important and pressing in your life but didn’t happen and now you feel as if God has failed you, lied to you, abandoned you! Well, He hasn’t!

  He is faithful! His word is true! And He is not the problem! Shipwrecked faith is the problem. Somewhere along the route of life you stop believing the promise or stopped holding on to your faith, or stopped having a good conscience and that is why your faith is shipwrecked. Paul never told Timothy that faith becomes shipwrecked because God delays, but because we don’t hold on to our faith, keeping our hearts right and rehearsing or confessing the word He gave to us!

  If you are feeling like you are shipwrecked or heading in that direction, change the course of your faith by following Paul’s advice to Timothy! Don’t become a statistic of discouragement, become a bulldog of faith and stay on course! God will come through for you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, encouragement, Faith, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragement, hard times, trust in God

• The Great Deliverer

  Posted at 2:04 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on July 26, 2018

   

  Psalm 34:19 -Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

  In the Baker Encyclopedia of Bible, affliction is defined as:

  “Anything causing pain or distress; suffering; calamity…”

  If ever there was an individual who experienced many afflictions, the apostle Paul, was the man:

  *He was beaten three times with rods

  *He was stoned

  *He was shipwrecked three times

  *He spent an entire day and night in the water

  *He was always in danger as he traveled by feet

  *He was troubled by both the Jews and the Gentiles

  *He had the pressures of ministry on him daily

  *And the list goes on…(See 2 Corinthians 11:25-28)

  But in 2 Timothy 3:11, Paul echoes the truth of the words penned by the psalmist, “And out of them all the Lord delivered me.” In all that he experienced, his testimony was sure, God was and is a faithful deliverer!

  Recently, I was talking with a friend about some of the amazing ways that Jesus takes care of us and I thought I would blog about it:

  Years ago, I went to the mall right before closing to pick up some items needed for church the next morning. When I came out the door, it was amazingly quiet and deserted. However, I noticed a white car with four men inside. They were closer to me than I was to my car, and so as I was trying to decide what to do, all four doors opened and they started getting out. Immediately I sensed they were getting out to attack me. Before I could think, a security guard appeared at my left hand side. He said, “Let me escort you to your car!” I was so relieved, and of course I began thanking him for his timely appearance. About that same time I noticed that all the men got into the car and sped off. I turned to thank the security guard again and to tell him I was now fine, but he wasn’t there any longer. I truly believe that security guard was an angel!

  She shared this story with me: 

  She was on a trip with a friend. She went to be with her friend’s toddler while the mom was working. One day she decided to go for a walk and someone recommended a scenic area that she might enjoy. She got to the area and noticed that it was pretty isolated and she, the baby, and two men were the only ones around. She begin to feel uneasy about the situation and just began to pray in the Spirit and worship at the top of her lungs. The men left the area, her peace was restored and she enjoyed her day. You say, nothing happened to make her feel that way but the objective was to keep “nothing” from happening!

  Another friend was actually attacked. They pulled weapons out on her and she in her nervousness began to pray in the Spirit. One of the young men shouted, “My mom prays like that! I’m getting out of here!” And they fled the scene and she was shook up, but all else was fine.

  I could probably share a few more such stories of miraculous interventions, but there will be other times to do so. As I have been rejoicing over His faithfulness to us, I just had to share it! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in testimony, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged encouragement, hard times, Jesus, testimony

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