Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Marriage

• He’ll Make it Better!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 13, 2021

  Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed” NKJV

  

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  I have to admit that my blog was kind of long on yesterday, but you should’ve seen all that I had to cut out! I’ll try and do better today, but this is a topic that people from all walks of life, every tongue, and every nation can identify with: a broken heart! I look at the person in this picture and think, what would cause a grown man to stand in a shower, fully dressed, and cry his heart out?

  You don’t have to live long to experience a broken heart, but if you’ve lived for any number of years, you have probably had your share of experiences that have caused your heart to break! Well, I have great news for you today! Jesus was sent to heal the broken heart!

  I decided to go online tonight, and I found that there is actually a condition called broken heart syndrome! That was a little surprising, but realizing the many instances of how a heart can be broken, I can see that!

  What’s broken your heart? Maybe you had a loved one who got in trouble with the law, and their lives were essentially ruined as they were hauled off to jail? Or maybe you went to work one day, and when you returned your spouse had taken all of his/her personal items and didn’t even leave a note? Or maybe it wasn’t that drastic, it was just that your spouse lied to you about something that you thought was important? Or your best friend turned out to be your worst nightmare? Maybe your dream job was given to the person you like the least in the company, or the promotion you thought you were getting turned out to be a demotion? The list can go on and on and on, because as long as we interact with people, there is the potential for a broken heart!

  This pandemic has claimed almost 380,000 lives here in America, and almost 2,000,000 lives worldwide. I can assure you that there are a lot of broken hearts today. There are those who have lost their businesses, their homes, their livelihoods, their churches, their health, all because COVID-19 showed up unexpectedly and stayed way longer than we could have imagined. Heartbreak!

  Here’s what the psalmist wrote about the situation:

  Psalm 147:3 -He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow]. AMP

  And again,

  Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart…NKJV

  The disciples come to mind at the moment, of those with a broken heart. Can you imagine the way their hearts must have felt as they saw the Savior being crucified? Can you wonder what it must have felt like to see Him so disfigured on the cross? The One who had healed so many, brought life to others, and gave hope to them all hung there lifeless before them. Don’t you think their hearts had to have been crushed with each pounding of the nails into His hands and feet? Oh my, how I cried when I watched it portrayed in “The Passion of the Cross”. I might have fainted away and died had I witnessed it in person.

  And Peter! What about his heart? As he heard that cock crow for the last time and realized that he had done the very thing he said he wouldn’t do? He wept bitterly! Why? His heart was literally breaking into pieces.

  But Jesus didn’t leave them there with that overwhelming pain. And He doesn’t want to leave you there. Just as He went to them and healed their broken hearts, He will come to you, if you let Him.

  I well remember a time when He came to me. Unfortunately, I wish I could say that it was only once, but it was several times through the decades of my life, that He has healed me. One night, I lay in bed a sobbing mess! As I lay there, hurting over a deeply painful situation, I could hardly breathe. Snot running from nose, tears flowing my eyes, balled up in pain. All I could think was, “O God, help me!” I even whispered that I wish He could just wrap His arms around me and hold me. Not moments later, I felt as if arms were being wrapped around me and I was being held close. I knew it was His Presence. As He held me, He healed me. The pain just began to be absorbed into Him as it was drained from me. The experience was so supernatural, it’s truly unbelievable. But since I experienced it, I know it to be true.

  The disciples asked Jesus one day, “Don’t You care that we are about to perish?” Your heart may be hurting so badly right now that you are wondering if He cares. I can truly assure you that He does. He not only cares, but He came to heal you of that pain!

  Stop carrying around that albatross! It’s too much for you to bear! But it’s just the thing for Him to bear! He truly wants to heal you of all the hurt that you are experiencing, even right now! He wants to remove the guilt, the shame, the paralyzing fear that comes with it. He wants to remove it all! So that you can be free!

  All you need to do is to give it to Him! Cry out to Him, not just in pain, but in faith; believing that He can and He will heal you. For only He can! He will make it better for you! He promised! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation.mp3

  Posted in Healing, Jesus, Luke 4:18, supernatural | 3 Comments | Tagged coronavirus, God, Healing, heartbreak, Marriage, miraculous, pain, pandemic, Peter, Prayer, psalm, relationships, supernatural, trust in God

• A Straight Path!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 23, 2020

  Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” NKJV

  

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  This verse is a great reminder of how we, as Christians, are to live our lives. We can’t afford to be as confused about life as the children of the world are. One minute we are thinking we should go in this direction, and the next minute, we are second guessing ourselves. It’s not of God. He is not the author of confusion!

  After we give our lives to the Lord, we are to start trusting Him, relying upon Him, and leaning on Him for the direction of our lives. Today’s blog will focus on “and He shall direct your paths.” The Amplified Bible states it like this:

  In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

  Proverbs 3:6 AMP

  The word “yashar” in the Hebrew covers a wide range of the direction that the Lord has for those who trust in Him. It means to be straight or even; to be (to make) right, pleasant, prosperous:—direct, fit, (make, take the) straight (way), be upright(-ly).

  In other words, the Lord will cause your path to be straight. His direction will even cause you to be right, to be pleasant, to be prosperous. He will direct you, make you fit, or make your way right. All of this point to one thing: when He’s leading you all will be straight in your path, or things will work out for you!

  David understood this principle to be true. He and his mighty men had gone out to battle with the Philistines. However, most of the Philistines did not trust David to truly be on their side, and did not want David and his men to go into battle with them against the Israelites. When David returned to Ziklag with his men, the camp had been raided and burned to the ground, and all the people had been captured and taken away. David’s men were furious with him and wanted to stone them.

  This was a hard time for David, just as it was for his men. However, he couldn’t afford to make a wrong decision about his next steps, so he inquired of the Lord.

  And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?’ “Pursue them,” He answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

  1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV

  If you are familiar with this passage, then you know that David truly did overtake the raiders and did rescue them all. Not a life was lost, not a possession destroyed. He trusted God to lead him and his way was made prosperous, and his path was made straight.

  Ezra is another man who comes to mind. He asked the king’s permission to go to Jerusalem to help with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The king gave him permission and restored the treasures of the temple to him. When he left for Jerusalem he had many treasures and a host of individuals and their children; but no human protection. He said that he was ashamed to ask the king for help after declaring that God’s hand was on them because they were looking to Him. So on the way, he declared a fast to seek God, and God answered him. They made their way safely to Jerusalem without incident.

  I have found God to be just as faithful in my life. I go to Him about the big things and the little things, and the things in the middle. I will share only two:

  In my young adult years, it appeared that all of my friends were getting married. I really wanted to join them in the state of matrimony, and as I was praying about my life, God told me to join the Navy. I didn’t want to join the Navy. But I obeyed God. After I signed the papers, God spoke to me and told me that I would meet my husband and that he would be an officer. That gave me a sense of encouragement. As I obeyed God, He led me to my husband in an airport in Sicily. He was an officer, a gentleman, and a believer! And for extra measure, he was handsome! That’s how God operates! We have been married for over 30 years!

  My husband wanted our daughter to go to high school in the seventh grade. She would have to travel by bus or train to go on the other side of the city. I wasn’t happy about this. Not wanting to smother her, or be in disagreement with my husband, I asked Him what should I do. He gave me a dream, and in the dream she was taking the admission exam. I noticed a man kept going over to her and redirecting her as she answered the questions. I woke up troubled and said to the Lord, I don’t believe in cheating and neither do you, so what are you saying. He responded that He would be with her in that test, assisting her and she would excel. I knew that meant that she was supposed to go to that school, so she would get in. I had peace about the situation and it turned out to be a great school for her.

  Life was a little dysfunctional for me growing up. Maybe you can identify with that statement. One of the things I really needed from the Lord was some stability and a lot of guidance. Asking Him to lead me is no small matter in my life, in our lives. Praying about a situation is not the last thing we do, but the primary thing that we do. Over the years we have seen Him work out situations that seemed impossible. We have seen Him cause our way to prosper. We have had obstacles moved out of our path, and we have seen Him straighten things out that only He could straighten out.

  This blog didn’t necessarily go in the direction that I had intended when I started it, but the Lord knows. Maybe I will be able to share more on the subject later. My hope is to encourage you to begin to trust Him with everything in your life so that you can watch Him make your path straight! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in direction, Proverbs 3:5-6, trust in God | 0 Comments | Tagged direction, encouragement, Marriage, Prayer, proverbs, trusting in God, Victorious Living

• Whose Side Is God On?

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 13, 2020

  Joshua 5:13 – “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “ Are You for us or for our adversaries?”NKJV

  

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  For some reason this popped into my mind as I sat down to blog, “Whose side is God on”? And then this verse was brought to my mind. Having been down this road before, I knew what I was supposed to blog about tonight!

  In the text for today, Joshua was ready to go into battle against Jericho. Apparently he was taking a stroll, or praying, or thinking about strategies for the upcoming battle, when suddenly someone was standing before him. He didn’t know it was an angel at first, but he asks, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”

  How many times have we gone to God asking the same question? “God, whose side are you own?”

  People take their sports seriously in America. Football, basketball, baseball, and every other kind of sport is serious. I well remember watching the playoffs during the Bulls many championship seasons, and feeling those tense moments when the game wasn’t going in our favor. It wasn’t strange to have someone say, “God is for the Bulls! We’re going to win this thing!” Maybe jokingly, and maybe not, but they felt the game was just that important to them so it must’ve been important to God. And since they were believers, He had to be on their side! Or because the quarter back was a believer, or the pitcher, or the coach… You get the point!

  How about in the dispute of marriage? Two believers are having a really tough time at it. They are both sure that they are right, and they are both sure that God is leading them. They dig their heels in feeling confident they are hearing from God! Whose side is He on? How would you know?

  Well, in this particular instance with Joshua, the angel responded that he wasn’t on either side, because he was on the side of the Lord! I don’t believe the angel has changed positions, nor has God! If the sports fanatic asked him that question, he would respond the same way. If the spouse asked him that question, he would respond the same way! The Lord changes not!

  You see, Joshua was sent by God to fight the battle of Jericho. Technically, Joshua was on God’s side. Interestingly enough to note, that even though Joshua was carrying out the will of God in going up against Jericho, the angel reminded Joshua that he was on the side of the Lord, and only on God’s side!

  I’m going there tonight! Whose side is God on in this presidential mayhem? Is He for the Democrats or the Republicans? Who did He want to win and what will He do about it? God’s on His side! He’s for the Democrats and the Republicans and He gave us the choice to pick our president!

  Sometimes we vote and we elect a Republican for President, and sometimes we elect a Democrat. It is inevitable since we have only two major parties, that it happens that way. It’s called a democracy!

  As Christians we understand that God cares about a righteous nation.

  Proverbs 11:10 – When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. NKJV

  And:

  Proverbs 29:2 – When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. NKJV

  Righteous leadership always benefits the righteous! But with all that is going on in our country, its getting increasingly more difficult to determine who is righteous. And that’s a shame!

  I mentioned before that in the 2016 election, Democrats were referred to as the “evil Democrats” by too many church leaders. And here we are four years later and it is still happening! We’ve learned nothing in four years!

  I believe that in this culture of politics, we have become one another adversaries, and I think it is wrong. We still are not to wrestle with flesh and blood! This is not a theocratic situation where we got together before God, He told us who the leader would be, and we chose them, anointed them, and released them to lead. Nope! It’s a democracy! And we have voted and chosen our new President. Half of the country is not happy, the other half is very happy! We all think God is on our side! But He isn’t! He is on His side!

  It’s always great when our candidate win! However, in a democracy, once the vote is cast, the deal is done! I agree with President-elect Biden, it’s time to put the harsh words and the name calling aside, and join forces to unite our country! Hear the words of our Savior:

  Mark 3:25 – And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. NKJV

  Jesus told it true! If we keep fighting like this, we will destroy ourselves and no foreign power will have to. We cannot afford another civil war! Let’s unite! Let’s continue the mantra, “one nation under God” and let’s do all we can to make it so! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, righteousness, Unity | 0 Comments | Tagged angel of the Lord, choosing sides, democracy, house divide, Jesus, Joshua, leaders, Marriage, President-elect Biden, righteousness, sports fanatics, theocracy, trust in God

• Put it to the Test!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 17, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

  

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  In this letter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is full of advice. In actuality, his advice is more accurately called exhortations, or words of encouragement meant to push the believer into becoming more mature. The part that I want to look at today is, “test all things”.

  My husband shares the story of one of our first dates. He and I went to a pizza place to eat. When we placed our drink order, he asked for a beer. I didn’t say anything while the server was present, but afterwards I remarked on the fact that I was surprised he ordered a beer. To be perfectly honest, I told him that if a Christian friend of mine was to walk past us, I would be embarrassed. He said that he didn’t have to have the beer and that he wasn’t a drinker. Years later, when I mentioned this event, he said it was a test to see how I would respond in an uncomfortable situation. I can also honestly say that I never saw him drink beer again, so I can accept his explanation. He put me to the test, and I passed the test! One of many according to him! But I want you to know that I had some tests of my own!

  In life, we will find ourselves in many situations where we will have to put something to the test. During a courtship is a perfect time for testing. Having warm fuzzy feelings for an individual is great, but I can assure you that the feelings don’t last with the wrong person. It’s easy to take people at face value, when you think you are in love, but people can be pretentious. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people got married, only to later say, “I don’t know this person”! That advice was free!

  When looking into the word, there are a few things that we are to test, starting with ourselves! This test, according to the Vine’s is for the sake of “approving”. Paul is basically telling us that we get to give our approval of all things in this life. Many want us to believe that we should just take everything that happens, especially in the church, without having an opinion about them, but I don’t agree! And neither does Paul, for he said to test all things! When it comes to people, however, I think we should definitely understand what things we are testing!

  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – NKJV

  Isn’t it interesting that Paul encouraged us to examen ourselves so that we would know if Jesus was really in us! We all feel like we can tell if someone is saved or not. I’m certainly guilty of this opinion. Here, Paul is saying, “examine yourself”. You know if you are the real deal or not, for the proof really is in the pudding. In the faith isn’t talking about how you believe God for things, but if you are a member of His family. Put it to the test! I can tell you one thing, this pandemic is helping us to “examine” ourselves, rather we wanted to or not, to determine if we are in the faith!

  Another thing we can test is our spiritual leadership! Yes we can!

  But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 1 Timothy 3:10 – NKJV

  In the church, almost anybody can be a deacon, it seems, today. Years ago, I was attending a church, when a deacon said from the pulpit that Mary was not a virgin. On that note, I found another place to worship. We can’t just attend church because of our soul ties and connections. If the word isn’t being preached, and the leadership isn’t living a godly life, they have failed the most important test! Put them to the test! Jesus commended one of the churches in Revelation for this very thing:

  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; Revelation 2:2 – NKJV

  This isn’t being judgmental, it’s testing them. Not with paper and pencil! Not by being judgmental! But watch their life and listen to what they say! If that person can’t hold up to the test of the word, then you should pray about your next steps. I have been blessed through the years to have some really good pastors, but I put them to the test, without them knowing it! So don’t be ridiculous in the testing! Had the congregants tested Jim Jones and people like him, they would have been spared a horrible end!

  Then there are spirits! There are so many spirits that we have to test them and see if they are from God or not!

  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 – NKJV

  Yes! I believe in the gift of prophecy, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t test the spirits of the “prophets” or the spirits behind situations. Try the spirits! If it’s of God, it will stand the test, and if it’s not of God, then it won’t!

  God gives us permission to put Him to the test in the area of tithing:

  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10 – NKJV

  He is so confident in the blessing of the tithe that He said you could put Him to test with it! Go ahead and start tithing and see if He won’t bless you!

  And then there is the trying of the word! Everything that we are told that the word says, doesn’t necessarily mean that the word says it. This is where studying the word comes into play, to prove if what we are being taught is so:

  Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11 – NKJV

  Paul knew he was telling the truth, and yet he was impressed with the Bereans studying the scriptures to see if what he taught was true. I’m skeptical of people who get upset when they know people are checking out what they say in the word. One thing I love about the ministers I know, they get happy when they see or hear others studying the word. I can remember as a kid, that I saw Jim Jones throw the Bible on the floor. Ah! It’s time to leave! Why does this keep coming to my mind tonight? Is someone involved in a ministry that is questionable? If that’s you, put it to the test, and then do what God tells you to do!

  I have to close, but I leave you with the words of Solomon:

  All this I have proved by wisdom… Ecclesiastes 7:23 – NKJV

  Proving all things involves the wisdom of God. Whether you are testing a person’s character because you want to marry them, or testing yourself, wisdom from God will be your top priority. Don’t walk around thinking that you are being used by the devil when you privately “test’ something by the Spirit of God. Notice, I said privately! And as you seek wisdom from Him, He will help you to prove all things! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in encouragement, God’s Requirements, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged bad leaders, Believer, Berea, blessings, church leaders, Dating, Marriage, Paul, prophecies, relationships, testing, Tithing, will of God, wisdom, word of God

• I Married My Delilah!

  Posted at 4:14 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 25, 2020

  Judges 16:6 – “So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.” NKJV

  If you read my previous blog, “Flee Delilah”, then you already know that Delilah is not God’s perfect will for any of us. He doesn’t want us to marry the Philistine whose heart is not towards Him and who is oftentimes sent by the enemy to bring destruction in our lives. Having said that, what do I do if I am already married to Delilah?

  Well, first and foremost, you probably need to spend some time repenting to the Lord. Your Delilah, if it was the case of a Delilah and not a “chameleon” hasn’t changed. Let me explain. A chameleon would have hidden his or her true motives and character from you, making your “choice” one that you could say “I didn’t know” about them. Where as, the Delilah would never hide. You knew from the beginning who that person was and yet you married that individual anyway. You are as responsible for your situation as Samson was. Therefore, you need to repent before the Lord.

  After repenting, you need the counsel of God. Spending time in His word, His Presence, or becoming a responsible member of a faith teaching church will be necessary in moving forward. Even if you have already been considering divorce, you still need to redirect your heart and affections to the Lord before making this life altering decision. But here is why I chose this topic today. As I completed my last blog, I heard in my spirit, “Oh no! I’ve married my Delilah!” And I thought, I don’t want people to think that I am encouraging them to get a divorce. Divorce doesn’t have to be the answer. There’s another way!

  Years ago, in a couples fellowship, where we gathered to discuss what the Bible teaches regarding marriage and to be with other couples, I heard an amazing testimony. Now because it was some time ago, I won’t remember all the details, but I remember the impact it had on my marriage.

  The couple hosting the fellowship showed a video of Andrew Wommack sharing this testimony. This lady worked in a grocery store. A customer somehow developed an interest in her, I believe he even told her that they were supposed to get married. He was into all kinds of stuff, but mostly demon worship. They got married and during the course of the marriage, his experiences with demonic manifestations increased. Even to the point of him leaving his body. Well, one night he tried to kill her. The police was called and things were bad. I believe her neighbor was a member of Brother Andrew’s church and somehow he was called to the scene. When he got there he began to talk to her about her options, one of which was trusting God to work the situation out. She decided to trust God with her situation. I wish I remembered all the details! But here’s the point: God saved that couple and turned that marriage around and I believe he became a pastor or evangelist. Now that’s deliverance! As a young wife, I decided that nothing could ever get that bad in my marriage, so I had no excuse to ever entertain thoughts of divorce.

  Even in the midst of our mess ups, God can bring victory and total deliverance. That’s what He did for Samson. In his mess, God allowed his hair to grow and he brought greater destruction on the Philistines in the end than he had in his lifetime. I don’t think God wants all of our answers of victory to end in our demise. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that He doesn’t. He’s a good, good God! And His mercies endure forever!

  Don’t think there is no hope for you, your marriage, or your future. Jesus has promised that He is our Blessed Hope! If you can believe that He can turn this situation around, then you will have to trust Him to do it. You may go through some more difficult times and even feel like giving up, but He can turn it around! He has strategies untold and in His Presence are the answers that you need.

  I’ve seen marriages restored. Not because of the Delilah syndrome, maybe more of the chameleon syndrome. But the marriages were not good. But God is! And I have seen Him do the impossible with the impossible situations and make them the better!

  I’ve seen divorces. I’ve seen few people rejoice over a divorce. It’s hard on the family, on the couple, on friendships, and especially on a church body. But it some times can’t be avoided for a variety of reasons. I don’t believe in divorce, I’m not advocating divorce, but I’ve supported loved ones through the process and know that some people absolutely refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. That’s their choice to make. I’m just making the point that I am not encouraging you to divorce your Delilah! That’s between you and the Father!

  But should you choose to believe God in the midst of everything that is happening, you will need fortification for the battle. And it will be a battle. But with Him, who can be against you. There’s hope for Delilah! And you just have to trust God that He will deliver you and your Delilah and give you a brighter tomorrow! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Divorce, Marriage, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Delilah, Divorce, encouragement, hard times, hope, Marriage, Prayer, trust in God

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