Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: hard times

• Planted By Rivers of Waters

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 9, 2020

  Psalm 1:3 – “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” NKJV

  

  planted-by-rivers-of-waters.mp3

  When I saw this picture, it certainly reminded me of our text for today! Waters flowing, greenery on both sides of the river, and a call to the soul of anyone who loves the great outdoors! Unfortunately, that isn’t me! I can enjoy a beautiful scenery like this, or in a movie; but when it comes to this type of nature, let’s just say, I’ll pass! Having said that, I can see the imagery that the psalmist was painting when he said that a blessed man shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

  I pick up with verse 3 today, but I must revisit verse 2. We’ve already discussed that a blessed man loves God’s law. In our case, that would be the Bible. A godly man, who loves the Word, is a man who is planted, rooted and grounded in the Word. He draws his spiritual strength and nourishment from God’s word, much as a tree draws water and nutrients from a river, which is necessary for sustaining life and growth!

  The prophet Jeremiah, used similar words to describe the man who is blessed:

  Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord . For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” NKJV

  Jeremiah confirms that a man who is blessed, is a man with roots! Roots are important to the tree, but they are also important to the soil. Roots give stability to the tree and provide it with nutrients, but it also keeps the soil from eroding. Stable people have a way of keeping those around them, from falling apart. Their strength is easily transferable to those who may be in need, being a blessing because they are blessed.

  The psalmist tells us three important things about this tree that is planted, which we understand symbolizes a blessed man:

  First, it brings forth its fruit in its season. This sounds a lot like dependability. As a kid I ate a lot of fruit from the trees in the neighborhood: pears, plums, and figs, to name a few. We knew in the summer that we would be able to play outside all day without the need to go in for lunch, because we were surrounded by fruit bearing trees. Some neighbors would ask us to help them harvest the trees and would allow us to have access to them when we wanted them. And honestly, sometimes we would just go and take what we wanted! We depended on those trees in the summer time. When Jesus went to the fig tree and found no fruit, I can well imagine His disappointment in that tree! A godly man is expected to have good fruit in his season, just as we expect fruit to be on fruit bearing trees in their season!

  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

  This blessed man, is an attractive man. I already shared my husband’s way with our girls, but let me tell you, I’m his number one girl. When we met, I saw the fruit of the spirit in his life, and was drawn to him. Are you looking for a husband? Make sure he is bearing fruit of godliness and not just talking it. Talk is real cheap, when you are thinking of committing yourself in a marital relationship! Look for the real deal!

  Second, its leaf shall not wither. Jeremiah helps us to understand this a little better. He writes that the leaf will be green and will not be anxious in a drought. He’s planted by waters. Photosynthesis is always happening within a tree that is well watered and filled with nutrients from that water. Therefore, the leaves are healthy, vibrant, and green. Even in a drought, because it doesn’t affect the tree by the waters. Blessed people are not concerned in times of famine or drought because they are planted near the flow of life; a river whose stream makes glad! The Word is a great source of nourishment in a drought. This pandemic has created a drought for many, but those planted in the Word, are still flourishing! Their leaves are still green and healthy! Does that mean that they don’t experience hardship? Not at all! But when things settle down, the blessed will be found standing!

  Lastly, whatever he does shall prosper. That’s what God told Joshua!

  Joshua 1:8 – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” NKJV

  The word of God causes us to prosper and to have good success! God said it several times and in several ways. The blessed man will be successful and prosperous! It doesn’t get any plainer than that! If you are a carpenter, then God will cause your carpentry to prosper and to be successful. If you are a teacher, like I am, then God can cause you to be successful and to prosper. What ever the arena, wherever you go, your way will prosper and you will have good success!

  Let me stop here and say what Jesus said many times, “Be it done to you according to your faith!” If you believe this is only about your spiritual well-being, then that’s where you will prosper and have good success. If you believer this applies to your finances and life, again, that’s what you will have. But if you believe it applies to everything that God has for you, including, “every spiritual blessing”, and every natural benefit, yep, that’s what you will receive.

  I just sensed that sometimes, we don’t feel like we are blessed because of a lack material things, or the trials we go through, or the fact that we are still single, or childless, or jobless. These things can mark the blessed person’s life. But what I wanted to help you to understand, is what God has helped me to understand: the most blessed person in the world, is the person who is living their life with God by His standards! And when you get these other things, they won’t pull you off because you know they are the benefits of you being blessed and not the things that make you blessed! Hope that makes sense! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings, Psalms, the Word of God | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, encouragement, fruit of the spirit, God, hard times, pandemic, planted, psalm, relationships, waters, word of God

• Change Your World!

  Posted at 10:58 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on September 20, 2020

  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

  

  * When I posted this yesterday, somehow it posted for earlier this month and I had to search for it. My apologies for the late posting!

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  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 some with you! It is doing those times of difficulties and confusion that we find it hard to believe God; however, if you remain true to Him during those times, you will find that He is truly God, and that He can change your world!

  Years ago, I was reading something Rick Renner wrote in regards to this verse, that has stuck with me. Rick said that when we look at this verse, we think about creation being formed by the word of God, where He caused something to appear out of nothing. He went on to explain, and you may need to read it from him to really get it, that it means something totally different. Basically, he stated that the Hall of Faith is written about people who changed their world, by faith in the word of God. I think that is not only an interesting point of view, but a biblical sound point of view.

  There was Abraham, the father of faith, and the patriarch of Israel. At God’s word, he left Ur and went into a land that he didn’t know. As he obeyed the word that God gave him, a whole nation of people were born, changing the world as he knew it. Out of a barren woman, came forth a nation that is still in existence today! Abraham chose to believe God, and the world was changed because of it.

  Take Joseph. God gave Joseph two dreams. In the dreams, his family bowed to him. Even being in slavery didn’t stop Joseph from trusting God’s plan for his life. Not only did his dream come to pass, but Joseph ended up saving his family, and thus the nation of Israel. But here’s something that jumped out at me, his brothers sold him into slavery, and his brother’s families were in slavery for over 400 years! God’s word to a young man literally changed his world, causing him to be the head and not the tail, in the land of his enslavement. And it changed the world in which he lived!

  My all time favorite world changer is Jesus. He’s still changing the world today! However, I will use my next favorite person to seal the deal. Paul! Paul didn’t start out with a love for Jesus, or His message. As a matter of fact, he persecuted the believers. But one day he was literally knocked to his knees by an encounter with the Savior. As a result, his world was changed, the church world was changed, and the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. God gave him a word, and that word changed everything about his life and in his life!

  World changers are people who are not encumbered with their past, or their present, but only in what they believe. Here are a few people from our immediate history I am sure you remember:

  George Washington Carver, born a slave, wasn’t moved by the fact that Black people were considered less than human, illiterate, and incapable of thinking for themselves. He was moved by his love for agriculture and his faith that he could help his people make a living. In the process, he changed the agricultural world. The records show that he was a man of faith who trusted God with even his scientific discoveries. Did he experience challenges and setbacks? You bet he did! But he changed his world, with a word from God!

  Harriet Tubman learned to hear the voice of God. One day God told her to run! As she obeyed His voice, she found her way up North, and freedom from slavery. His same voice, led her back South, enabling her to free over 300 others, never getting caught. She changed her world, their world, and eventually the world in which she lived. How? By a word from God!

  These individuals didn’t have an easy life. They didn’t have anything to start with. They didn’t even start out as world changers. They went through great challenges and setbacks, but they had a word from God. Inside each of us, is definitely the ability to change our world, and the possibility of changing the world for others. We just need a word from God.

  Faith, is about trust. It isn’t blind faith, but it is faith in the character and the word of the person you have placed your trust in. You will never experience a relationship with anyone who is more faithful to his word, then God! His favor doesn’t require a payback, or a scratch on the back! He just requires that you trust Him no matter what!

  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 in a wonderful God! Faith in a loving God! Faith in a good God! I don’t know what you are going through today, or what you went through yesterday, but Jesus is the same! His promise to us remains the same, He is with us!

  You may not feel like, and it may not seem like it, but you are a world changer. If not the whole world, definitely yours. All you need is a word from the word of God to hold on to, to trust in! As you face the challenges of your life, put the word on it and begin to watch your world change. It’s time for us to realize that anybody can have faith when the going is good; but having faith when the going gets tough? That’s true faith! That’s overcoming faith! That’s Hebrews 11 faith! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, God, hard times | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, Faith, George Washington Carver, God, hard times, Harriet Tubman, trust in God, word of God

• In Everything Give Thanks!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 15, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:18 -“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” NKJV

  

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  This has been a challenging week. Getting back into the swing of teaching, add to that all of the challenges of virtual teaching, and the sum total is that I can truly say, blogging isn’t at the top of my list. Just as I was about to turn in, without a blog that I was pleased with, I remembered this post from 2018, so I am revising and reposting!

  I think it is interesting to note that Paul didn’t say that we are to give thanks for everything that happens to us. Religion has taught people to give thanks for being in all kinds of devastating situations, believing that it is God’s will for them to do so. But even common sense would say to us that when a loved one dies, only an insensitive individual will tell the grieving family that it was the will of God. When a child is born blind, or an accident leaves you maimed, or you lose your home, or your spouse walks out on you, is not anything to give anyone thanks for. And Paul understood better than most that things could be really tough.

  That’s why I believe Paul didn’t say, “For all things give thanks,” but in all things. And that’s a huge different!

  To give thanks to God the Father in all things, means to say, “Father, I don’t know why this is happening, but I do know that I can trust you! And I’m so thankful that I can.” The word of God is filled with scriptures on the blessings and the need to give thanks.

  Psalm 107:8- “Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”

  The psalmist understood that God’s goodness is reason enough to give thanks. As a matter of fact, he went on to say that He satisfies the longing soul and fill the hungry soul with goodness. Even in a dark place, a troubled place, a place of despair, when you give Him thanks, He will satisfy the longing of your soul!

  Religious people believe, that because God is sovereign, He either does these bad things or He allow these bad things to happen. I cannot get in agreement with this line of teaching. I remember when my mother died and I was a little girl. Someone approached me and told that God needed my mother more than I did. Seriously??? How can anyone form their lips to tell a little girl something like that? All that kind of talk will do is make a person hate God. Let me just assure you, those are not encouraging words!

  If we will learn to trust God, then we will be able to say like David, when grief is trying to overwhelm us:

  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:11-12 -NKJV

  Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) I like to think of it like this: If the thing going on is stealing from me, killing something in my life, or bringing destruction, then Satan is directly or indirectly involved in it. Also, we do still live in this earth realm and since Satan is the prince of this world, bad things do happen. And lastly, this one is tough but I have to mention it, some things happen because of the bad choices that we make. But, having said that, we have got to stop blaming God for all the bad things that happen in our lives. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!”

  Paul wrote, “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning you”. That’s it in a nutshell. God’s will for my life, for all of us, is that we learn to be a people with a grateful heart. I get that there are some things going on right now that are heartbreaking. I get that the challenges of life are difficult, that’s why they are called challenges. But God’s will for those in Christ Jesus is that we give thanks in everything!

  In the midst of this pandemic, instead of whining about our limitations, we are to give thanks to God for being with us during this pandemic. It’s bad, but it could be so much worst. We give thanks because there are more people recovering than there who are dying. We give thanks because He said for us to give thanks. He desires His people to be a people with a heart of gratitude. It’s His will for us!

  So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations. Psalm 79:13 -NKJV

  In the midst of this civil unrest, we are to be thankful! Despite the few who are looting, and the occasional violence, I’m thankful that the overall process is peaceful. I’m thankful that people of every nationality have joined together which demonstrates there is hope for us being united. In this, I can give thanks!

  In everything, I endeavor to give Him thanks! Not for what is going on, but because of His never failing love towards me. I want to encourage you to try giving Him thanks if you are in a difficult place right now. Not for the situation, but because you have access to an amazing God! He still heals, He still delivers, and His ear is still bent towards the righteous! He is still good! He is still amazing! He is still the Resurrection and the Life! He is still the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world! He is still God! Good times, bad times, challenging times, any time, is the right time to give thanks to God. It’s His will for you if you are in Christ Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Thanksgiving, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Deliverance, difficult times, encouragement, give thanks, gratitude, hard times, Healing, pandemic, social issues, trust in God, will of God

• Rejoice Always!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 8, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV

  

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  If you’ve been following my blogs, you know that I have been writing on the requirements that God has for us. In the following blogs, I would like to write about some of the things that we are encouraged to do as believers. For this blog, I will focus on rejoicing!

  I found the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary listening to Pastor Bill Winston, of Living Word Christian Center. He said it was a favorite of his and I have been using it lately. According to this edition of the Webster’s Dictionary, rejoice means to experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.”

  Typically people rejoice at weddings. When we attend a wedding of a family member or a friend and we like the dynamics of the couple, we rejoice with them because we are happy for them! When a baby is born to someone we love, we rejoice with them at the birth of the baby; even at the news that a baby is about to be born. We rejoice at birthdays, and graduations, and some times at home goings, even when we are sad, because we know that person has transitioned to be with Jesus! Sometimes it is easier to rejoice then it is at other times.

  I’m amazed at how many people are struggling at this time. I know it isn’t easy, but some are finding it especially difficult to find any type of joy, let alone joy to a high degree. I have even heard pastors speak of the challenge they are having to not to become discouraged. Well, God saw this day afar off and His word to us is to “rejoice always”!

  Who better to write words of encouragement, then Paul? Paul wrote this letter to a group of saints in a city he was thrown out of! You’d think he would tell them to leave that place or even that he was sure they were struggling with their faith in such a sin filled city. But that’s not what he said to them. He told them “rejoice always”!

  Paul learned in the course of his ministry that his joy didn’t come from the situations and circumstances that he continually found himself in. They came from the Lord! He understood that even when there was nothing outwardly to find joy in, we could find joy in Christ.

  Paul was shipwrecked on several occasions, stoned, whipped, lied on, thrown out of cities, left for dead, and persecuted throughout his ministry! Yet Paul said, “rejoice always”!

  We used to sing a chorus with these words in it:

  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  O, the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away!

  But all too often in life, we live as though this is not a truth found in Jesus, and the world and its events really do take our joy away!

  Let’s look at a few scriptures about rejoicing:

  But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12

  That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. Psalm 9:14

  But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6

  I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, Psalm 31:7

  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Psalm 33:1

  Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” Psalm 40:16

  Are you getting the message? I had another post scheduled to come out today, but as I was lying in bed thinking on the Lord and quoting scriptures in my spirit, this one resonated with me and I felt that I was to get up and change my blog. It’s one o’clock in the morning, my time, and I have to get up soon for work, but I had to obey the prompting in my spirit!

  The numbers for the virus is escalating. Politics are getting nerve wrecking. Jobs are being lost and loved ones are dying. If we are not careful, we will become complainers, but God is saying, Rejoice always!

  Rejoice in your salvation! Rejoice because God is magnified over all of this stuff! Rejoice because He is mindful of you and all your adversities! Rejoice because He favors you! Rejoice because you can trust Him! Rejoice because from His vantage point, your praise is beautiful! Rejoice because He loves you! And rejoice because it is His will for you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in joy, rejoice, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, Handling difficulties, hard times, joy, rejoice, Salvation, Victorious Living, victory, will of God

• Proud to Be Bitter!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 27, 2020

  Ruth 1:19-20 – Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “ Is this Naomi?” But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” NKJV

  

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  In my last post, I wrote about the children of Israel stopping at a place called Marah. Today I want to continue my discussion of the sin of bitterness. I sensed a need to “update” this “series” from my first year of blogging.

  Naomi and her husband went to the land of Moab with their sons to avoid the famine in Bethlehem. After they got to Moab, her husband died. Her two sons had married Moabite women and after a time, her sons died. Around this time, Naomi hears that there is food in Bethlehem, and she decides to return to the land that she had come from. Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her; but in the end, Ruth was the only one to travel with her to Bethlehem.

  It’s been at least 10 years since Naomi and her family departed from Bethlehem, maybe longer. For some reason, the women of Bethlehem ask “Is this Naomi?” It could have been the shock of seeing her again, or of seeing her alone, or she could have changed in some way. Whatever the reason, they were unsure that it was her.

  Naomi immediately tells the women that they are not to call her Naomi, which means pleasant, but they are to call her Mara which means bitter. She continues to explain why she wants to change her name:

  • The Lord has dealt very bitterly with me, she said!

  • I went out full (with a husband and two sons).

  • And the Lord has brought me home again empty; which wasn’t completely true, because she had a daughter in Ruth!

  I’m not judging Naomi, but it’s pretty obvious here that she is making it plain that she is bitter and has a right to be bitter. She is so bitter, that she believes the Lord has dealt very bitterly with her. I can only imagine the devastating heartache that would accompany the loss of both a husband and your children. So I get that she is hurting! What I don’t understand is why she feels she has a right to be bitter!

  In Naomi telling the women, “Call me Mara” she sounds as if being bitter is a badge of honor. It is not! Then she goes on to list all of her issues as if she has earned the right to be bitter. She has not! God wasn’t responsible for the things that caused her bitterness, and He isn’t responsible for any bitterness that we may harbor in our heart.

  The Bible doesn’t elaborate on how her husband and sons perished, but whatever caused their deaths, she laid the blame at God’s door, and that’s not where it belongs!

  In Jeremiah 4:18, God shares insight into bitterness:

  “It’s the way you’ve lived that’s brought all this on you. The bitter taste is from your evil life. That’s what’s piercing your heart.” Jeremiah 4:18 MSG

  In other words, God is saying that the bitterness isn’t from His hand. He wasn’t piercing Naomi’s heart, life was! He isn’t piercing your heart, life is! Maybe not your life, but maybe the life of a loved one lived without God, and your heart is pierced. It’s not His fault! Things happen to the just and the unjust! When stuff happens to the just, we are not to react like the unjust. The unjust have no hope for they are without God; but we have the promise of deliverance, from the Great Deliverer!

  Peter, in addressing Simon the diviner realized that he was a bitter man and said this:

  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Acts 8:23 NKJV

  Bitterness is poison to the soul. It is deadly and capable of causing many physical issues in your life. It’s not worth holding on to!

  In the book of Hebrews, it is written:

  “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15 NKJV

  The writer of Hebrews encourages us to be careful unless we allow a root of bitterness to spring up and bring trouble in our lives and cause many people to be defiled. When we are bitter we have a tendency of defiling ourselves and others. Our bitterness becomes the lens in which life and relationships are processed.

  When I got married, several divorced women told me that all men were dogs. Others told me to watch out for the seven year itch. These things were said by women who had become embittered towards the institution of marriage and men. Probably with great cause! These words could have defiled me and my marriage had I listened to them! But I didn’t! I considered my source!

  James said:

  But if you have bitter, envy, and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. James 3:14 NKJV

  James is letting us know that there is nothing to boast about when we are bitter. As a matter of fact when we boast, we lie against the truth! Our situations, our pain, and eventually our bitterness makes us feel like we have a right to feel the way we feel, and say the things we say, which results in us lying against the truth of God’s word!

  In my opinion, bitterness short-circuits a heart of gratefulness. Naomi was still alive! Ruth had come with her to help provide for her and to take care of her. They had made it back to Bethlehem without any trouble. She had much to be thankful for. But she wasn’t concerned about anything except the fact that she had loss so much! Ruth was also a widow and we don’t get any vibes that she was bitter. Naomi’s bitterness was so deep that she could only see her pain and her losses, and was blind to the goodness of God. Rightly she said that she should be called bitter because she was a very bitter woman.

  But Naomi had a loving Father. One who doesn’t easily offend. One who knows we are imperfect beings. One who understands. And even though she couldn’t see Him working things out to bless her, He was doing exactly that! And thankfully, if you are born again, your Heavenly Father is wanting you free of bitterness because the poison is destroying the blessings He is bringing in your life!

  Life is tough! For some it seems to be down right unbearable. But, it is not an excuse for bitterness, or a need to boast in it! Bitterness says I will never do this, or I will never do that, because of what happened to me! Bitterness says that no one has the right to tell me how to feel until they have walked in my shoes! Bitterness says I will never trust another person as long as I live! All these emotional statements stem from a root of bitterness!

  Stop boasting in your bitterness! Get rid of it! A willing and repentant heart is all God needs to start the process of healing! Instead of blaming Him, try trusting Him! Instead of living with bitterness, try living without it! Let it go! It’s only making you sick! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Bitterness, hard times | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragemnt, freedom, hard times, Healing, Naomi, offense, Ruth, trust in God, victory

• It’s Not For Drinking!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 25, 2020

  Exodus 15:23 -Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

  

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  The children of Israel found themselves in an unwelcome place. They had been wandering in the desert for three days unable to find water. And when they finally find water, it is undrinkable! It’s bitter! Can you imagine how frustrating this could be? Maybe you haven’t been looking for water, but maybe you have been looking for something else, and when you found it, it was not what you expected! Some women spend a lot of time looking for a husband, and in desperation they find one, but it wasn’t what they were expecting. Some look for a high paying job, and when they get it, it wasn’t what they were expecting! It happens to the best of us!

  If you read the fourteen chapters before this verse, you can well understand that for the people of Israel, this is just another disappointment in a whole list of disappointments. Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt this way?

  They were slaves for over 400 years under Egyptian rule and hard taskmasters. When Moses came to deliver them, instead of things getting better, they got worst. When they got to the Red Sea, the Egyptians came up behind them and they were sure they would be slaughtered. And typical of human nature, they were probably feeling “If it’s not one thing, it’s another”. Can you relate? I’m sure that you can! I know I can relate to this on a couple levels!

  But God! In the midst of their situations, God was mindful of them and working things out for their good. They couldn’t see it at the time, but it was happening nevertheless. And guess what, I can testify to that truth, that in those frustrating moments, those times of disappointment, He was working on my behalf, and He is probably working on yours!

  While they were in bondage, Moses was born. And even though it took him 80 years to get to the place where God could use him, God was still working on the deliverance of His people! They didn’t see it! They didn’t know freedom was on the way, but God was working towards their deliverance!

  While Pharaoh was constantly saying no to Moses and God; God was demonstrating His power to deliver; and when He did, they came out of Egypt with great wealth. The tables had turned. The ones who had mistreated them so severely was severely dealt with by God! The ones who had labored and received no wages in return, left with the spoils of Egypt. When I read the Word of God and see this type of thing, I am encouraged, because I know that if I trust Him with my disappointments, He will turn them around for my benefit!

  When they got to the Red Sea, (after having been led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night) God parted the Red Sea and they crossed over on dry land. How spectacular is that! I can’t help but think that at this point they should have been fully persuaded that God was on their side. At this point, after being led by a cloud by day, fire by night, and having the Red Sea opened for them, they should have been able to trust Him for something as simple as water. But that was not the case!

  When they arrived in the Wilderness of Shur, and for three days they couldn’t find water, they were not happy! They were upset!! Doesn’t that just sound like people. No matter what God does for us, if He doesn’t do that “one” thing, we can get an attitude with Him real quick!! Instead of remembering His goodness towards us, we can only concentrate on our disappointments and hurts, just like the people of Israel!

  Exodus 15:24 – And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

  Wouldn’t you think that after all of the miracles before the Exodus and the latest miracle of crossing the Red Sea, that coming to bitter water would cause them to look forward to what God was about to do instead of complaining? Hind sight is twenty twenty!

  How many times have you and I seen the hand of God move on our behalf? For me, I have been healed of paralysis, one of our daughters was healed of abnormal seizure activity, another was healed of larynx Malaysia, while yet another was healed of “the issue of blood”, to name a few. Many times He has provided finances, jobs at just the right time, favor in a situation, protection from an incident or accident… and the list of His faithfulness to us can go on and on! How about you? What has He done for you through the years? Any healings? Any financial breakthroughs? Any protections?

  And yet, just like the children of Israel, when something happens contrary to what we expect, we find ourselves dealing with bitter waters. I know, we don’t like to admit that we can become bitter with the Heavenly Father, but it happens all too frequently.

  Bitterness is a terrible place to camp out at. The bitter water was good for nothing, and so are bitter people. Life can at times be filled with disappointments, setbacks, and even heartaches. God knows this! And so does Jesus. Didn’t He say in John 16:33-“ In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”? Jesus didn’t say, we would have tribulations and at this time He understands how we can become embittered. Nope! He said, “be of good cheer”! What kind of advice is that? That’s the kind of advice One gives when He knows the Father!

  In other words, we are not to allow these things to stump us, to cause us to become bitter. We are to understand that He overcame that we might overcome! We are to realize that the One who delivered us before can deliver us again. We are to trust that the One who provided will provide again! There is no situation that is too big for the God we serve. There is no problem that He cannot solve! There is no circumstance that He cannot overcome! He is God! He has not lost His ability to bring about a miracle in our life!

  If you are stuck at the waters of Marah, feeling bitter about life, it is time to change your location. Time to move from this place of bitterness to your oasis. Bitter water is not for drinking, so don’t drink it! Repent of your bitterness and ask God to give you life giving water, so you’ll never thirst again! Then watch Him do it! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Bitterness, Deliverance, God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Bitterness, children of Israel, Deliverance, disappointments, encouragemnt, freedom, hard times, Healing, hurts, Marah, Moses, the Exodus

• God Our Strength!

  Posted at 5:01 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 21, 2020

  Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” KJV

  

  god-our-strength_.mp3

  In my previous post, I wrote about God as our refuge. In this blog, I want to talk about God, our strength!

  The stories I can tell about God being my strength! I have discovered that not only does God provide us with His strength, but He is our strength. In the book of 1 Samuel, He is called the Strength of Israel. When the nations around Israel looked at the Israelites and saw strength, it was God’s strength that they really saw. When people see us, the children of God, during these difficult days, they should see God’s strength radiating through us, because He is our strength!

  David knew his strength was God, not just in God, but God. God delivered David from the hand of Saul and his enemies, causing David to say, “God is my strength and power: and He makes my way perfect.” We all know that David didn’t have a perfect life, nor did he have an easy life, but he knew that God had been his strength during his life, enabling him to rise above incredible obstacles.

  David was ignored by his family and given the job of shepherding the family’s sheep, but God was His strength during that time. David killed the lion and the bear, and was confident enough to take out Goliath, because God was his strength. David’s men wanted to stone him after their families were taken at Ziklag, but David went off by himself and communed with God, his strength! The Bible tells us that he encouraged himself in the Lord! There he got the answers and the strength he needed, to go and recover all!

  David was hunted by Saul, simply because of Saul’s jealousy towards him; but when given the opportunity to hurt Saul, his Strength would not allow him to do it. David’s mighty men didn’t go to him as warriors, but as men in distress, with debt and discontent as their description, and because God was David’s strength, he helped them to embrace God as their strength.

  As I was meditating on the truth that God is our strength, God brought the church to my mind. I thought about the pastors who are preaching to empty chairs in an empty sanctuary. It was hard at the beginning of the virus, but it’s even harder now. One well known pastor struggled so in the beginning, that his thoughts were jumbled and his movements were disjointed. What started out as a possible few weeks of interruption has become months of uncertainties. Not only is the church faced with empty sanctuaries, but they also have to deal with loss of income that support the ministry and pay the bills.

  While it is understandable that there is a great concern about the finances, pastors also have a great concern about the people God has given them to watch over. One woman in ministry was sharing with me her concerns for the flock. She said she couldn’t understand how you can have a membership of 100 people and only 12 of them join you online for services. Her concern was real, as she wanted to know if the people really had a relationship with God, where were they at?

  I like the words that Isaiah wrote:

  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

  Isaiah found God to be his strength, just as David had; but, it came out of a deep, abiding trust in God. Isaiah said, “I will trust, and I will not be afraid!” That’s the answer to every hurting pastor and leader in the Body of Christ. As ministers, the worldwide, have encouraged their people to trust in God in the darkest hour, God is saying to them, “I am your strength, trust Me!”

  Habakkuk also wrote about God as his strength:

  The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Habakkuk 3:19

  Habakkuk let it be known that God was his strength and his feet were sure, as he walked before God and stood on His promises! Pastors and ministers are quitting because things have gotten tough. Maybe this was their testing ground to see if they were sent or if they just went! Jesus said the shepherd doesn’t run from the trouble, but he runs to the trouble, as David did. David’s confidence when he faced the lion, the bear, Goliath, and the Philistines wasn’t in him; but in the God who had become his strength and his song!

  I’ve been blogging since February of 2018. God told me to blog. In this first year I had 457 views. I thought I was doing something, impacting people around the world with my blog. Today my numbers are much greater, but my attitude is the same. I am doing something, and I am impacting people around the world through this blog, with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Some days my stats show that I have had 2 views, and other days it might show more than 75. I know that if my focus is on the stats, I will not be able to do the assignment that God gave me. Three days a week, I sit and write my blog. Most times I can do it in a couple hours, but sometimes it takes days. Whether one person view a blog, or 500, I have to stay the course!

  However, God has placed a different ministry in my heart and soul. He called me to preach and to teach the gospel. I have seen myself, in dreams, preaching to crowds of people, laying hands on the sick and seeing creative miracles, impacting lives for the glory of God. I have seen visions of the power of God flowing from heaven into my earthly body, and flowing out of my body into His people with miracles following. I never saw me blogging! And if the truth be told, I am further away from my dream today than I have ever been. But I am strong in the Lord, for He is my strength. I can’t see anything happening to bring me to my dream when churches are so empty and the future of how we do church is weighing in the balance, but I will trust God my strength with it all!

  That’s not all I can do! That’s not all any of us can do! That’s what we should be doing at this time, placing our unwavering trust in God as our strength! He will get you up out of the bed when you don’t feel like you have anymore reasons left to get up! He will give you the greatest message to preach when you have no more inspiration left on the inside of you! He will be your strength as you raise your children, work at that job you don’t like, or sit at home when you would rather be outside! He will be your strength and give you strength, when your trust is in Him!

  Being a child of God isn’t for the faint of heart! There are not a lot of tulips to tip toe through! But trusting God as your refuge and strength during times of trouble, will bring you out on the other side with great victory and strength! The devil hasn’t forged a weapon, greater than our God! Decide today, that as He is referred to as the Strength of Israel, He can also be referred to as the Strength of… (whatever your name is)! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, hard times, Strength, trust in God | 2 Comments | Tagged God, hard times, leaders, our strength, pastors, struggling, trusting in God

• Consider Job’s Wife-Part 2

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 15, 2020

  Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.-Job 2:9-10-NKJV

  

  consider-jobs-wife-2.mp3

  In my previous post, “Consider Job’s Wife” I wrote about all the adversities that Job and his wife shared at the hands of Satan. I ended with her comment in verse 9- “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

  Today, I want to pick up at this verse. I believe this statement was the statement of a woman in deep pain. As I mentioned before, she lost everything: children, beloved servants, finances, property, status in the community, all in one day. And when Job got attacked in his physical body, I believe she was making a “God, I can’t take anymore statement!” And not a ,”God is not really God,” statement.

  Job responded to her statement, “But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

  I believe that this is definitely a statement of correction to Job’s wife, but not a statement of judgment. Foolish women are women who do not believe in God, nor trust Him for their welfare. Job was telling his wife, that she sounded as one who didn’t know and trust God. He understood that he was married to a woman of high moral character and she was hurting. So when he told her how she sounded, he was basically saying, “That’s how a woman who doesn’t know God would talk. God has blessed us and now we’re having some hard times, should we reject Him because of that?”

  Now you might think I’m stretching here in my thinking. But let’s look at another key verse in this account of what happened to them. “Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters.-Job 42:12-13

  Look carefully at this verse. The passage tells us that God blessed Job with cattle and with 10 more children. But it doesn’t tell us that God gave him another wife. I believe Job still had the same wife. The wife Job lovingly encouraged during their hard times. Had the Lord been displeased with Job’s wife, He would have given this godly man a more godly woman. Had Job been displeased, he would have put her away. But it doesn’t tell us that. Therefore, we can infer that Job, and the same wife he had at the beginning of this trial, were blessed together, by God, at the end of it.

  I have read this book on several occasions and have not seen anywhere in this account of all that happened to Job, the mention of a new wife. But he most certainly did have to have a wife in order to have 10 more kids!

  What am I saying? We have made snap judgments about his wife being cruel, insensitive, ungodly, and critical, to name a few.  But instead, she was just a wife who was hurting because of so many great losses at one time. And in a moment of weakness, she opened her mouth and made a dumb statement. But Job lovingly, helped his wife get the right perspective on what it meant to trust God.

  Trust isn’t just trusting God in the good times, but it is trusting Him in the difficult times. Any person can render trust to another or even to God, when things are going well. But when it looks as if you have been forsaken, as if you have been forgotten, or even as if you have been betrayed, and you still trust-well, that’s genuine trust! And that’s what I believe Job very effectively helped his wife to see; and when she saw it, she was strengthened. There is so much more I can share, about going through difficult times, the husband/wife relationship, being rash with our words, or raising children, but time and space is against me.

  Let me leave you with this thought: God is and always has been a good God. He didn’t set Job and his wife up to fail, but to be successful! And they succeeded. The next time you are hit with a trial, realize the devil is behind it, and if you will trust God, you too will succeed. Sickness and disease, loss of job and income, loss of loved ones, loss of all that you hold dear are painful situations in this life. Most of them are not at the hand of God showing the devil how great your love and trust for Him is. Most are simple a result of us living in a fallen world of sin, and having to navigate the life we live, by faith, in the God we trust! I trust we will never experience pain and difficulty to the level that Job and his wife did, but if we do, we already know that we can win it and receive double for our trouble! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, testimony, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged hard times, Job’s wife

• The Weapon of Praise!

  Posted at 4:33 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on August 1, 2020

  Psalm 8:2 – Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. NIV

  

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  prayer-for-salvation-2.m4a

  I’ve been blogging about weapons that are effective in stopping the enemy! I have blogged about the weapon of our salvation, the weapon of the Blood of Jesus, and the weapon of holiness. In this blog, I want to talk about the weapon of praise!

  The psalmist, David, stated that praise establishes a stronghold (a tower) against our enemies. Can you imagine yourself building a tower, with your praise, that the enemy cannot get over? Hopefully, when you finish reading this blog, you will do just that! In the KJV of the Bible the translators used the word “strength” and not “praise” in this verse. However, to be clear that the psalmist is referring to praise, in this verse, let’s look at how Jesus quoted it in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 21:16 – “And (the Pharisees)said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” NKJV

  When I think of both of these words, (praise and strength) it causes me to draw the conclusion that our strength against the enemy lies in our praise! Get this picture in your mind: The enemy is on the attack, in some form or fashion, then you begin to praise God, and you start constructing a tower with your praise! The longer you praise, the higher the tower, the higher the tower, the harder it is for the enemy to access you! I like that picture!!

  The word praise is sometimes translated as “boast” meaning to boast in the Lord and what He has done, and to boast in who He is! Praise can be carried out in a number of ways:

  • We can praise Him in the dance!
  • We call praise Him with song!
  • We can just walk around and praise Him for who He is
  • We can sit and praise Him for what He has done in our lives
  • We can bow before Him and give Him praise just because we feel like it
  • We can praise Him at church or at home
  • We can praise Him with or without music
  • We can praise Him in the Spirit

  Choose one! Better yet, try them all! The next time the enemy goes on a rampage, praise God like never before!

  The Old Testament reference that comes to mind involves Jehoshaphat! There was an army of people who came up against the king and the people of Judah. When the king heard, he called a fast and prayed. The Lord gave the king a promise, a prophetic word, that he would not have to fight in the battle, and Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, gave Him praise. The next morning, when they got up, Jehoshaphat called for another time of praise. Here’s what verse 22 states: “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated!” Now how powerful of an example is that? Yes, they had fasted and prayed, and that caused them to hear from God! But when they began to praise Him, God defeated their enemies!

  Now, if you have been following me, you know I have to give you at least one more scriptural proof of praise silencing the enemy!

  The verse that keeps resonating in my heart and spirit is found in Isaiah 61. Although these are the words that Jesus said He fulfilled in Luke 4, there is a part that illustrates the victory through praise. Isaiah wrote, “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”. What is the spirit of heaviness but an oppressive spirit from the devil? Isaiah said, when it comes, clothe yourself in praise! Get up from your place of “woe is me” and get in a position of “Lord, You are good! You’ve been better than good!” Hallelujah!

  Everyone may not be able to “apply the Blood of Jesus” in faith as soon as you learn about it, but you can start praising Him right now and be extremely effective against the attacks of your enemy!

  In Psalm 30:12, the psalmist wrote, “You have turned for me mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent. O lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” What was David mourning over? Why was he in sackcloth? Who knows? Much had happened in his life before this point. It could have simply been that God had denied him the honor of building His temple because he had so much blood on his hands. Yet, when David was dedicating his home to the Lord, he began to give God praise and said, “you have turned my mourning into dancing”.

  My sister died many years ago. I hadn’t seen her in decades. One day I was just talking to the Lord when I said, “Father, I don’t want the next time I see Jeannie to be at her funeral.” That’s it! That’s all I said. Not long after that, Jeannie contacted me, came and spent a couple weeks with my family and I, and went back to California. She died shortly after. As I was beginning to allow grief to set in, God reminded me of what He had just done for me. I want you to know, I had such a spirit of praise in my heart at the funeral, it was almost embarrassing. However, I shared with my family that day about why my heart was not heavy, and I had to leave it there! He turned my mourning into dancing!

  I can give you example after example of the power of praise over the enemy. When we are praising God, the enemy runs away, because he can’t stand to be in a place where praise to God is going on. Also, when you praise God, you don’t have time to think about what the enemy is saying and doing, thereby, silencing him! And don’t forget that tower that is built when you give God praise! It’s blocks the enemy’s access to you!

  Let’s say that you are not in a place to even give Him praise right now. It happens! At this time, you just put on some praise music, and just be in the atmosphere of praise. It worked for Saul. When the evil spirit came upon him, David was called in to play some music for him. It was probably one of David’s psalms that he played for Saul, because the enemy left. He didn’t want to hear it. Not even in instrumental form!

  David wrote, “Let the poor and needy praise your name,” in Psalm 74. There is no state, no condition, in which we cannot give God praise. The best praise will come from your lips. Sometimes, it will have to be a sacrifice of praise more than a praise party. However it starts out, know that your praise is a powerful weapon against the enemy! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, praise, the devil, weapons of warfare | 0 Comments | Tagged attacks, David, Deliverance, encouragement, hard times, Jehoshaphat, Jesus, praise, Spiritual warfare, the devil, the enemy, victory, worship

• A Thief, A Robber, A Destroyer!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 18, 2020

  John 10:10- The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly! NKJV

  This blog is an updated version of a previous post. You can now read and/or listen to my blogs. I hope hearing the blog is a welcome addition!

  

  a-thief_-a-robber_-a-destroyer.mp3

  The devil, known as Satan, the evil one, the accuser of the brethren, that old dragon, and the prince of this world, to name a few, is our adversary! Plain and simple. As I wrote previously, many people try not to think about or even acknowledge his interference in life, or his utter dislike for them! I can assure you, ignoring him doesn’t make him go away, it emboldens him! He’s like a scorned lover who yells, “I will not be ignored!”

  An adversary is one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute. That certainly describes the devil. He is our opponent. Plain and simple. He is a constant threat to us and all that we hold dear, because of the fact that we are special to God. Not just those of us who are born again, but mankind in general. He hates us all! It’s interesting to note how eagerly some people will align themselves to the devil, only to later find out, he has no loyalty or love for them!

  Jesus called Satan a liar, a thief, a robber, a murderer, a destroyer, and an accuser of the brethren! Since that is how Jesus identifies him, then we should know that he is never interested in anything but our demise. He and his demonic team has no good thing within them, and are incapable of good!

  Our adversary the liar. He tells us we’re sick, we’re dying, we’re never going to amount to anything, no one loves us, everyone is against us, God isn’t faithful, and the list goes on and on. When you hear this stuff, know it is coming from him! Don’t listen to that! Cast down those lying thoughts! (Check out my previous post to learn more).

  Our adversary the devil is a thief. “A thief is someone who steals something from an individual in secret.” He comes to steal the word of God that encourages us when we read the Bible, hear a great sermon, or read an inspiring blog! He comes to steal our joy, our peace, our reputation, our witness, our children, and everything else that God has given us to bless us, by any means necessary. He tries to wrap it up in other things like people and circumstances, but it is him and his team! Don’t let him do it!

  Our adversary the devil is a robber. “A robber is like a thief, in that he steals from you; but different in that he can be seen by the victim. A robber also employs the technique of using injuries or threats to take what he wants. That’s how he uses accidents, drug addiction, job loss, divorce, prolonged illness, and a host of other things. He’s bold when he does it and doesn’t care if you recognize he is the one behind it. Then he threatens you with fear, taunting and tormenting you, until you cave under the pressure! But it’s just an attack from the devil and you don’t have to give in to it!

  Our adversary is a murderer! Yes he is! Don’t ever think that pain or sickness is just to make you uncomfortable, or is just a process of living. He is trying to kill you! And if he can’t kill you, he will certainly put as much on you as he can get away with! Don’t accept anything he throws at you as no big deal. It is a big deal! Resist seeing everything through glasses that are covered with ignorance and unawareness!

  He’s a destroyer of all that is good! He wants to destroy your witness, your home, your family, your finances, your business, your name, your peace, your relationships, and your health. I’m telling you, there is nothing in your life that is off limits to him! He leaves chaos and destruction everywhere. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires have all been attributed to an act of God! That’s him lying and deflecting blame. It’s his nature to destroy, not God’s!

  And lastly, he’s the accuser of the brethren! That’s right! He stands before God, day and night, making accusations against us. Make sure he’s wasting his breath! Don’t give him anything to accuse you of! But whether there is a legitimate reason or not, he will find something to say against you! It’s what he does! This is a perfect picture of him in his role as adversary. And if he can get us accusing one another, well, he is even happier!

  So what is a person to do, knowing that the adversary is constantly on the prowl looking for a way to attack us physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually? Especially when he can attack in ways that makes us feel like the full force of hell is upon us! Keep reading or listening, because that will be in my next post! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Satan, Spiritual warfare, the devil | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, blessings, Christian, God, hard times, Jesus, protection, relationships, Satan, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, testimony, the devil, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory, word of God

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