Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: miraculous

• And They Spoke With Tongues!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 16, 2020

  Acts 2:4- “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” NKJV

  

  Photo from Unsplash

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  My last post found me with too much to say and too little space to say it in. Needless to say, this is a love topic for me. Today, I want to actually talk about speaking in tongues.

  It was the day of Pentecost. The disciples had remained in Jerusalem, as instructed by Jesus. It’s been almost 50 days since their last human contact with Him, but He was very specific to them: remain in Jerusalem until you receive power from on high. So they did.

  During this time, they chose someone to take Judas’ place, in order to have 12 apostles. They spent time in prayer and supplication. There were 120 disciples, men and women, in the place. They had a spirit of oneness among them as they sought the power the Lord had told them about. And when the power came, they knew it!

  Luke wrote, that when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were still all on one accord and in one place. Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and the whole house was filled. Many tend to think this was a little quiet prayer meeting, but last night when the wind was blowing, I thought we were in the midst of a rain storm. Wind is powerful, and I believe this rushing mighty wind, came with force, blowing things and possibly, people around.

  Luke goes on to inform us about this event by saying, that there appeared to them, divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. There were 120 people, and 120 tongues, that appeared like fire. When this happened, Luke wrote, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  We can’t stop there in the recount of what happened. Luke doesn’t! He informed us that there were all kinds of people in Jerusalem that day, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound happened, they all heard their own language. All the people in the house spoke the same natural language, yet now, they are all speaking supernaturally, all kinds of languages that they have not learned. The people who hear them are truly amazed at this strange event, wondering what did this mean?

  They didn’t have to wait long to gain insight to what was happening. Peter stood up and preached a powerful message that caused great fear to come upon every soul, resulting in many signs and wonders. They had come into contact with power from on high, just as Jesus had said. Peter’s key text, as we call it today was:

  “And it shall come to pass afterward
  That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
  Your old men shall dream dreams,
  Your young men shall see visions.
  ²⁹ And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
  I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29 NKJV

  Peter was basically saying, this day, this scripture is fulfilled in our midst!

  The fire is an important aspect of this baptism, because John the Baptist told the people that he baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire! (Matthew 3:11) On this Day of Pentecost, He did just that! The baptism was so great, that after they were heard speaking with tongues, they became a different group of disciples. After the crucifixion they were fearful. After the resurrection they had joy mixed with apprehension. But after the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with tongues of fire, they became a mighty force against the kingdom of darkness. They were transformed!

  Today, tongues have become, just that, speaking in tongues. Not many speak of the baptism with the evidence of tongues and fire. But the fire was as much a part of the baptism as the tongues.

  Tongues were mentioned by Jesus before He left. In His great commission He said:

  ¹⁵ “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18 NKJV

  Notice that He said that one of the signs that would follow those who believe is “they will speak with new tongues”.

  When Peter was sent to Cornelius’ home to share the gospel, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles as they listened to the gospel. Some argue that this baptism was only for the apostles, but not only were they not apostles, they weren’t even Jews. Yet, they heard the gospel, received it, and spoke in tongues! (Acts 10:44-46)

  There are many other examples of individuals receiving the Holy Spirit with tongues. Paul was such an individual. He even said that he not only spoke in tongues a lot, but he wished everyone spoke in tongues.

  The argument today, is that tongues has ceased. The same argument that says miracles have ceased because we are so advanced in medicine and don’t need miracles. That is a topic for another day and another blog. But just as I believe in miracles, I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, accompanied with tongues, fire, and signs and wonders!

  I am thinking that I will have to continue this in another blog. However, let me make this point: If the twelve needed this baptism, and Paul needed this baptism, then we also need it. It makes you stop and wonder if this lack of receptivity to speaking in tongues is why we have to work so hard to do the great commission? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Holy Spirit, Jesus, speaking in tongues, supernatural | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Cornelius, God, great commission, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joel 2:28, miraculous, signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, supernatural

• His Name is Mighty God!

  Posted at 5:43 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on September 26, 2020

  Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. NKJV

  

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  It was about twenty years ago, when I had the unexpected pleasure of seeing the Hubble telescope exhibit at the Adler Planetarium, here in Chicago. I was on a field trip with one of my daughters and I wasn’t all that interested in seeing the exhibit. When the show started, what I saw was God, Mighty God. If I remember correctly, the Hubble allows scientists to see beyond our galaxy to the billions of galaxies in the universe. Not only that, it also helped them to realize that Earth is the only habitable planet in the universe. It is as He said!

  In the Old Testament we see God, the Father, display His might against Pharaoh, against the Philistines, and against the many enemies of the children of Israel over and over again. In the New Testament we can also see, Mighty God Jesus, display His might over the enemies of mankind over and over again. I want to share some of my favorite displays of His might and power.

  Immediately what comes to mind is the crucifixion. Don’t judge me if I am not sequential today! He demonstrated great strength, control, and dedication to His end goal of saving us. He could have called angelic hosts to deliver Him, yet He endured physical and emotional trauma to deliver us from hell’s eternal torment. And just when the devil thought he had silenced God’s Son, He rose from the dead! Jesus, Mighty God, demonstrated His power over sin and death! Mighty God demonstrated His might, with creation of the natural world, and Mighty God Jesus demonstrated His might with the new birth, or recreation of our very being!

  Another favorite of mine is when He walked on water! Now that’s miraculous! Even his disciples, who were able to follow in His footsteps and do many of the things He did, was not able to walk on water. How many times do you think Jesus, Mighty God, walked on water? As many times as He needed to! This demonstrated His might over His creation. He didn’t bow to the limitations of creation, He made them bow to Him! Mighty God! God parted the waters that His people might walk on dry land, but Jesus just walked on it when He needed to get across!

  He turned water into wine! Six large water pots, approximately 120 gallons of water was transformed before Him. How did He do it? What transpired to make it happen? How can it be duplicated? I’ve never heard of it being duplicated. He did the impossible! Without touching it, without praying, without speaking words over it, He caused that water to turn to wine! He said, fill the pots with water, draw some out, and take it to the master of the feast. Voila! Top quality wine was made! Might demonstrated just because! True, it was His first sign that He was God, but He could have chosen something different, more earth shaking to do that! God turned water into blood, and He turned it into wine! Mighty God! Are you seeing this? I’m getting excited just writing about it!

  His authority over Satan! One of the funniest things Jesus said, in my opinion, was when He said that He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven! That is so funny to me! Satan has most of the world afraid to mention him, but Jesus let it be known that Satan was nothing to Him. He saw him fall! Every experience Jesus had with Satan, He walked away in victory. Every single one! Demons bow in His presence! When He cast them out, they asked permission of Him to go into a herd of pigs. They asked Him not to torment them before the appointed time. They were utterly afraid of Him. They understood His might!

  There is no sickness, there is no disease, there is not situation, that His might cannot explode upon and bring great victory! None! The Bible only shares about 34 different miracles with us, but over and again he healed the multitudes, making it thousands upon thousands. He caused the people to marvel at Him time and again, as they watched Him operate like the God of their fathers. Whether He was calming the raging seas, or raising the dead, there was no doubt that He was and is Mighty God!

  Now, having said this, what hinders us to believe? Many people confess Him as Savior and Lord, and yet, have not realized that He is still Mighty God! He didn’t stop being Mighty God because He ascended to heaven! His purpose for coming, was to redeem us, and to allow us to see the great lengths He was willing to go to in order to help us! Mighty God saved us, not just that we would miss hell, but that we would know Him and His love well enough to trust Him to show up!

  Can I just say that each of our three daughters are a walking miracle? Can I just say that I am a walking miracle? Can I just say that neither of us would be here today if Mighty God, Jesus, hadn’t shown up? The miracle of my healing isn’t more spectacular to me than their healing miracles. They are all just testaments to His might! He is still the Healer!

  Years ago, we were traveling from Florida to Chicago. It was during the winter and we ran into snow. Our car wasn’t suited for the snowy highway and we found ourselves slipping occasionally, as we traveled. My husband expressed his desire to get to a town where we could stop, before it got dark. He didn’t want to have to navigate through snow and darkness; but the nearest town was quite a ways away. In the name of Jesus I decreed that the One who made the sun stand still could do it again. I don’t know if it stood still for the world, but we had light for the duration of our journey until we reached a city. You don’t have to believe it! It matters not to me; because I know it’s true!

  Another time, when I was a teenager, I was driving in the hills of Tennessee, when He demonstrated His might. It started to rain as the sun went down. My problem was that the car I was driving didn’t have working windshield wipers. It went from raining to torrential rain, causing my vision to be impaired. I finally said to Jesus that I could close my eyes and drive and it would be the same result. The next thing I knew, I was in my parking space in front of my apartment. Clueless as to how I got there, knowing I had experienced a miracle. Mighty God!

  I am learning that there is no greater relationship than the relationship I have with Jesus! It’s why I daily call Him Wonderful! It’s why I daily tell Him there is no other God like Him! I love Him for all He has done in my life, but I mostly love Him because He, Mighty God, loves me. I know that my blog isn’t read by the masses, but my heart is that everyone who does read it, will come to realize a deeper love and intimacy with the One who loves us so much! Just think of this, Mighty God loves you and has demonstrated His love in dying for you. Since He was willing to that, we ought to be able to believe that He is willing to move heaven and earth on our behalf! Won’t you trust Him today? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, His Name, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, Deliverance, Healing, Jesus, love, Mighty God, miraculous, relationships, testimony, the devil, trust in God, victory, witness

• Pray Without Ceasing!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 10, 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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  Praying without ceasing! I was a member of a Baptist Church when I first learned this scripture. Over the years, I have tried to be this person who pray without ceasing. I’m pretty sure that I haven’t arrived yet, but I believe sincerely in the discipline of praying without ceasing.

  There used to be a time in my life when I would get some really bad news and I would say, “All I can do is pray” as if every possible avenue had been tried and I was now left with trying prayer. I truly believe this attitude of, I guess I now have to pray, is the root behind many unanswered prayer.

  I spend a lot of time reading and studying about prayer, people who pray, and the impact of a life of prayer. I want to pray more effectively, I want to see my prayers answered instantly, I want to see God move in people lives and situations, and sometimes, I just want to deepen my communion with the Father!

  The phrase, “praying without ceasing” causes me to infer some things about prayer that will break through our traditions on how to pray: our posture, our voice, our place.

  If I am truly to pray without ceasing, then the posture of prayer doesn’t matter to God. Some people think that prayers must be prayed on bended knees, because it demonstrates humility, and it does. Some people think standing is the position of prayer, because Jesus said “when you stand praying”! These are certainly postures of prayer. However, you can also pray sitting in a chair, riding in your car, walking down the street (I love to prayer walk), or laying out before the Lord, just to name a few! And whichever posture you happen to be in when you pray, God will hear you!

  Lightfoot, a well-known commentator to many theologians, wrote that it’s not possible for us to spend all of our time with words of prayer on our lips; but, we can remain in the spirit of prayer, recognizing that we are dependent on God for everything! This leads to my second point. Some believe you are not praying, if you are not opening your mouth, for when Jesus taught the disciples to pray He said, “And when you pray, say…” While using your words are an important part of praying, your heart’s cry or desire, can get the job done! After all, if you go about praying out loud all day, you’ll look like a crazy person! I have prayed many prayers in my heart that I have seen God answer! Do I pray out loud? Most definitely! But, there have been times that words could not express what was in my heart, or I wasn’t where I could pray them, and yet God heard, understood, and responded!

  Praying without ceasing keeps us from being locked down to a location. My sister-in-law, Pastor Caren, teaches on “The Secret Place”. Whenever she does, it causes me to want to pray even more. Even still, you don’t have to be confined to praying in one place. Jesus’ instructions to us to pray in the secret place is vital in developing a personal prayer life. However, if that was the only place we could pray, we could not pray always. The car, the church, the bank, the restaurant, the shower, the garden, the beach, are all great locations for prayer. Any place, is a great place, to talk with God. Enjoy the secret place, but if you find yourself in the bathroom and someone is crying their heart out, it’s okay to stop and pray. God is in the bathroom!

  Smith Wigglesworth, an evangelist in the early part of the 20th century, walked in supernatural miracles which included the raising of the dead, and creative miracles of body parts being restored. Once he was asked how long did he pray? Here’s the discourse from a book written about him:

  “Tell us, how long do you pray every day?  “Well, the apostle replied, “I don’t ever pray any longer than twenty minutes.” What?” his questioners exclaimed. After pausing for effect, Smith Wigglesworth continued, “Yes, but I never go twenty minutes without praying”.

  I think we can all agree that Wigglesworth was a man who prayed without ceasing! It is even said, about his prayer life, that people couldn’t take being in the room with him when he prayed, because of the presence of God! That’s powerful!

  We should get to a place where we are talking to God about everything that is happening in our day. He wants to be involved in every part of our lives. Some say, it would be ridiculous to ask God what to wear! I have heard more than one testimony of someone asking, of Him answering, and of it being a benefit in more ways than one. But it’s not necessary to ask Him what to wear, He gives us free choice. However, throughout the day, there will be many times when talking softly to the Lord will make things go so much better!

  Is there a reason to pray continuously?

  • Luke 18:1-Jesus Himself said that if we are always praying, we won’t faint! That means constant communication with God, through prayer, gives us the strength to make it through the tough times in life!
  • Luke 21:36- Jesus says that we should not allow our hearts to be weighed down with the cares of this life to the point that we will miss His return! However, if we are praying continuously, we will not be drinking and carousing, but watching for His return and will not be caught unaware!
  • Ephesians 6:18 -Paul talked about the armor of God, then he said that we are to pray with all kinds of prayer! It is a strategic weapon against our enemy and his attacks, and praying always enables us to be watchful for all the saints! Have you ever been praying about one thing, when God interrupts your prayer, bring someone to your heart or mind, and you begin to pray? Then you find out that it was at a crucial moment that had a major impact on their life? Wow!

  I know some prayer warriors. They can be in the middle of a celebration, hear of a need, and go into serious combative prayer. My mother-in-law wouldn’t let you out of her sight without her praying for you. It’s a beautiful thing to have so many people in your life who can pray at the drop of a hat, because they live a life of prayer. I thank God for them! The word of God tells us to pray without ceasing, for this is the will of God concerning us! Let’s get started today! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Bitterness, Prayer, will of God | 4 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, God, Jesus, miraculous, pray without ceasing, Prayer, Smith Wigglesworth, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, testimony, the devil

• God’s Requirements – Part 3

  Posted at 2:03 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 5, 2020

  Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? NKJV

  

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  I have truly enjoyed studying this verse. Micah is not typically a book of the Bible that I spend time “deep diving” into, but I may have to change that! Micah wrote that God has shown us what is good, letting us know that He is our example. He went on to share what God requires of us. We’ve already looked at the first two: to act justly and to love mercy. In this blog, I will address the last phrase of this verse, “and to walk humbly with your God”.

  In the Message Bible, this portion of the verse is rendered, “and don’t take yourself too seriously-take God seriously!” As I was meditating on this verse, preparing to write this last blog, God brought King Nebuchadnezzar to my mind. King Nebuchadnezzar was a king that took himself too seriously.

  In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had two dreams. In the first dream God revealed to the king that his kingdom would be a strong and prosperous kingdom. God used the imagery of a statue, and the king was represented by a golden head. Somewhere in the course of his days, he thought it a great idea to build a gold statue of himself for everyone to bow down to. When the Hebrew boys refused to bow, the king had the furnace heated up and then had them thrown into it. However, God stepped in and saved the young men, causing Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge that He is the Most High God!

  The next dream we read about, the king himself wrote, in a letter. He had a dream about a tree that reached to the heavens and covered the world. Then one day, holy beings cut the tree down, leaving a stump, while the tree turns into an animal for 7 seasons. When Daniel was called to interpret the dream, Daniel didn’t want to tell the king that this tree represented him, and that God would cut him down, he would lose his mind, and he would live like an animal for a season of times. But Daniel told him and tried to encourage him to turn from his prideful ways. However, the king did not. And so, the dream came to pass. At the end of the letter, it is obvious that the king has been restored to his right mind, and has come to understand that there is no God like the Most High God. You should read the book to understand the depth of his pride, but suffice it to say, with all that God had done for him, he thought that he had done it; and his pride got him in trouble with God.

  Nebuchadnezzar had this to say about the true and living God:

  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:37 NKJV

  When God said that He requires of us to walk humbly before Him, that’s what He meant! Unfortunately for the king, he had to lose his mind before he could truly understand that because of his pride, God had to take him down a few notches. Is that what you or I need to realize that we are to walk humbly before our God? I certainly hope not!

  In the book of psalms, it is written:

  The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. Psalm 10:4

  How plain is that? When pride enters our heart, we feel we have no need for God, His word, or His counsel. He is not a part of our thinking, even to the point that we feel above the need to have to seek Him. What a sad state of affairs for an individual to find himself in!

  A well known proverb about pride states:

  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

  Isn’t that what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar? Before his destruction, we saw his pride! First, with the golden statue and the decree to throw people in the fiery furnace if they didn’t bow at the sound of the music. And then, we saw it with the warning of the tree. Although warned to deal with the pride in his life, or face being humiliated before his people, Nebuchadnezzar hung on to his pride!

  When pride comes, then come shame… Proverbs 11:2a

  Nebuchadnezzar had to learn this lesson the hard way! But not just King Nebuchadnezzar, many men and women have to learn this lesson the hard way. My mama used to say, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall!” Isn’t that so true? The greater the power a person has, the harder their fall, the greater their humiliation! We see it on a regular basis these days. Politicians, corporate leaders, pastors, church leaders, CEOs, celebrities, principals, billionaires, millionaires, and the common person too! Success, money, and power, in every arena of life, causes that demonic spirit to rise on the attack! And if it isn’t dealt with in private, it will humiliate and bring shame in the public!

  Here’s what God has to say about the humble:

  The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:9

  It’s quite obvious that the prideful person can’t hear from God, because he doesn’t seek God. Yet, God guides the humble person in justice. He’s there to assist the humble person in “acting justly”. And He teaches the humble person how to walk and live in His way! What a comfort and a blessing to know! The word also tells us this:

  The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147:6

  We don’t have to get ahead in life by mistreating people and forgetting God. He clearly lifts up the humble person, and he clearly casts down the wicked. Someone might say, “It doesn’t look like it”! Well, as believers, we don’t walk by what we see, but by what we believe. And if we learn to trust God and His word, we will see the humble lifted, and the wicked cast down to the ground! Didn’t Jesus say that He saw Lucifer cast down from heaven? Lucifer’s pride got in his way! Didn’t the same word of God say that Jesus, who humbled Himself, was given a name above all names, and was highly exalted? We must begin to accept God’s word as the truth that it is!

  I leave you with this word, from the word:

  A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23

  It’s been a real blessing to look closely at this verse. I want to live a life that honors God, and this verse has helped to identify some ways in which I can do that! Act justly-do the right thing where people are concerned; love mercy-stop hating, forgiving one another, and demonstrate kindness to others; and walk humbly before our God-understanding that He exalts the humble and brings down the proud! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in God, God’s Requirements, Humility, Pride | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, encouragement, exalted, Forgiveness, God, Humility, Jesus, Justice, king Nebuchadnezzar, love, Mercy, miraculous, obedience, Pride, the devil, Victorious Living, word of God

• At That Name!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 6, 2020

  Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” NKJV

  

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  I am still blogging about our weapons against the devil. There is no way I can end my “series” without mentioning the Name of Jesus! I’ve written about our salvation, as our first line of defense against the devil. I’ve written about the truth that we can use the Blood of Jesus against the enemy. I’ve mentioned that praise silences the enemy; and I’ve even blogged about our lifestyle as a testimony against the enemy. There are other weapons we’ve been given, the armor of God, the word of God, and fasting and praying are in the line up. They are all powerful, but I’m not sure that I will address them all. However, I simply must talk about the Name of Jesus!

  This particular text is packed with nuggets about Jesus, but I am only zeroing in on the the Name of Jesus against the enemy. Paul wrote that God had given Jesus the Name. Using the article “the” we can determine that His name is not just any name, but the specific Name that has been given to Him by God, which is above every name! By every name, Paul intended us to understand that he meant every name.

  But just in case we didn’t get that, or understand that to be true, he further elaborated that Jesus’ name is above every name in heaven, above every name on earth, and above every name under the earth! That’s the part I am getting at with this blog, that Jesus’ name is above every name under the earth. What do we think of when we think of who lives under the earth? We think of the devil and his demonic kingdom as being under the earth! But just in case you want to say they are anywhere else, well, that’s covered also!

  What happens at that name? Every knee must bow! All inhabitants must bow at His Name! And because of this truth, we have the authority to use His name to command demons to bow! I was reading in one of my books about Smith Wigglesworth, where I came across a testimony that illustrates this point, beautifully. A group of men went to pray for someone who was sick. They went into the sick room and they prayed every thing and every way that they knew how to pray; and nothing happened. They left the room feeling discouraged. As they were outside talking about what “didn’t happen” and how they had tried “everything”, one of them spoke up and said, they hadn’t tried the Name of Jesus. So they went back into the room, and started saying the name of Jesus, very softly. But then they continued saying that Name until fervor and passion overtook them and they were shouting the Name, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” Something happens at the name of Jesus! That sick person rose up completely healed because of the Name! That sickness that was draining him of his life, bowed to the Name that is above every name! Jesus!

  Another testimony of the power of the Name over demonic activity was shared in Wigglesworth book, Faith That Prevails. He was preaching in Toronto. After one of the services, a man met him at the place where he was staying. He told Wigglesworth that three years prior his nerves were shattered and he couldn’t sleep and his life was miserable. Wigglesworth told him to go home and sleep in the name of Jesus. The man slept all night and was completely healed! There is still power in that name!

  There have been times in my own life that I have used the name of Jesus and seen sickness bow to that Name! I was ministering to a lady who was in great pain. In the Name of Jesus, I commanded that pain to bow and to leave her body, and that pain left her body! It was if I just saw that pain bowing before Jesus as if to say, “You’re the Boss!” This has happened on more than one occasion . I know that faith is a huge part of it, but we have been given authority to use His name, and I am learning how to do just that! One commentator says that the words used in this verse depicts everything paying homage to Jesus! Can’t you see it?

  In Acts 3, Peter and John used the name of Jesus to heal the lame man. “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” When everyone was looking at Peter and John as if they did something wonderful, Peter said, “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know”. I can’t explain how it happens, I just know that it does.

  But it’s not just demons of sickness and physical disabilities that the Name of Jesus has dominion over; it’s any demonic activity! In Mark, Jesus Himself stated that in His name we would cast out devils! I’ve only personally experienced this a few times, but there are countless testimonies to people casting out demons in His Name!

  Kenneth Hagin, who is with the Lord, shared a story about using the name of Jesus. He said the Lord came to him and was trying to share something with him, but a demon showed up and kept jumping around distracting him. Finally, he got irritated enough that he commanded the demon to leave in the name of Jesus, and the demon left. He was waiting on God and God was waiting on him! We are responsible for dealing with the devil, his demons, and all their activity! Not God!

  This teaching is so vitally important for the Body. I trust that you are growing hungry to know more about how to withstand the attacks of the devil. I encourage you to read some books or listen to teachings that give more insight into these powerful weapons of warfare. Personally, some crazy things have been happening to let me know that someone must be getting blessed! I’ll stay on my assignment and I trust that together we will all begin to stand like never before against our enemy. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Spiritual warfare, the devil, the Name of Jesus, weapons of warfare | 2 Comments | Tagged casting out demons, Deliverance, encouragement, Healing, Jesus, miracles of healing, miraculous, Satan, Smith Wigglesworth, Spiritual warfare, the devil, the enemy, the Name of Jesus

• Secret Weapon!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 30, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

  

  secret-weapon_.mp3

  Are you a fan of westerns? I am! I grew up on the Lone Ranger series, as dorky as it looks today! My daughter discovered that the Lone Ranger was actually a Black man, and decided she wanted to honor his work and memory. Her latest release is loosely based on the character of the Lone Ranger and his friend Tonto; or in her case, Sly and Jamie! In the first three books of the series, Sly is in and out of the stories, helping runaway slaves; but book four is his story. I mention him, to give her free advertisement, and to make a point: Sly, had a secret weapon! Whenever Sly got in a tight spot, he did daring things to help the runaways, or to stop a lawless individual, all without getting hurt. Why? His secret weapon! Jamie was always in the background, giving the appearance that Sly was on his own, and just when Sly needed him, he would show up! One day, Sly was without his secret weapon and things got messy! You’ll have to read the book if you want to know what happened to Sly!

  A secret weapon is something or someone that no one knows about and that will give you an advantage over your competitors or enemies. I’m calling today’s weapon against the devil a secret weapon because many Christians conduct themselves as if they are unaware of it, and it’s so powerful! That’s the weapon of holiness. That’s right! It’s been a secret weapon for far too long, and now we need to become more aware of it in order to have an advantage over the devil.

  In John 14:30, Jesus spoke these words, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” As I read this verse, I thought about the blogs I have been writing, and I knew I had to include this verse in this section! Jesus said that the “ruler of this world is coming”. This title is another name for the devil, our adversary. Jesus knew that the enemy was getting ready to attack Him with a mighty blow, and He says, “he has nothing in me!” Wow! What is Jesus saying?

  For Jesus, this was no secret weapon, it was how He lived. And as such, the devil was unable to get a place in His life! The devil came to bring death to Jesus, but he didn’t realize that he couldn’t take Jesus’ life. However, Jesus had to die, for us, so He gave up His life. The devil thought he was doing something, that he had finally outsmarted God and Jesus, but had he known the power of the cross, and the blood that was shed, he would have never allowed Jesus to get on it!

  As I was reading to find examples of the truth of this principle, I found Albert Hibbert’s book, “Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret of His Power”. On page 93, he wrote the following words:

  “To discern satanic activity, we must live in the Presence of Him Who is holy; otherwise, we will very likely fall victim to Satan’s wiles. If we maintain the same attitude toward sin and all its by-products that Jesus had, we need never fear the devil or what he can do. Rather, he will fear us.”

  Smith Wigglesworth was a man of great power. If you have never heard of him before, allow me to introduce him to you. Smith and his wife worked in ministry together for the Salvation Army, when salvations really were its objective. Then one day Smith received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After that, his life changed, he changed. The Holy Ghost began manifesting His gifts wherever Smith went and mighty miracles broke forth. Creative miracles, the dead rising, miracles of healing, and divine salvations, just to give you an idea of his ministry. Hibbert interviewed him in writing this book and asked him about what he did in his spare time. Wigglesworth said he spent his time in the presence of God, and that kept him ready to be used by God to destroy the works of the devil!

  Jesus lived in the presence of the Father. When He wasn’t meeting the needs of the people, He was stealing away to be with His Father. When He was with the people, His only concern was to do the will of the Father. With such God consciousness, He had no time for sin, for His personal gratification of the flesh. His attitude towards sin was that it needed to be forgiven or dealt with; not enjoyed for a season!

  This is holiness! I know a lot of people think holiness is about what we wear or don’t wear, and the things we watch and listen to. Those are by products of holiness. Holiness is living your life free from sin, as Jesus did, as God does. It’s not always easy, but the pursuit of holiness is a powerful weapon that gives us an advantage over the devil. I know you’ve met the individual who lives to see how close they can get to the world and still be saved. That person is making himself vulnerable to Satan’s attacks! However, the person who is living a set apart life for God, is strengthening his advantage over the enemy! Don’t we need one? Is not there a cause to have an advantage?

  We gush over the lives of the “old timers” and the way God used them, they are great examples. But they were just men and women who allowed Jesus to be the guide for all they did and said. Holiness was a high priority and because of that, they walked in much authority over the works of the devil. They came under attack, but when they were in their rightful place in Christ Jesus, he was no match for them. When they took their eyes off of Jesus, they found themselves sinking much as Peter did.

  There’s so much to holiness. I can’t cover it all, but maybe later I can go more in depth on the subject. I just thought it was interesting to note that Jesus knew His life was lived in such a way, the devil had no ability to hurt Him. It should be a goal for each of us, as it gives us an advantage, and it’s a powerful weapon against the devil! Don’t ever let the devil catch you without your secret weapon! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in holiness, Jesus, Spiritual warfare, the devil, weapons of warfare | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, Deliverance, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, holy, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miraculous, protection, Salvation, Satan, Sin, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, the devil, victory

• Jesus, The Prophet Like Moses

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 25, 2020

  Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” NIV

  

  jesus_-the-prophet-like-moses_-2.mp3

  prayer-for-salvation-3.m4a

  Moses was quite the prophet. He is still held high in the esteem of both the Jewish and Christian faith. He was most definitely one to love and hate, loved by the Israelites and hated by the Egyptians! As the new Moses, Jesus is loved by those who believe in Him, and hated by those who feel threatened by Him!

  The Bible confirms for us through the words of Matthew, Peter, and even Stephen that Jesus was in fact, that prophet like Moses. When Stephen was defending his belief in Jesus, before the mob that stoned him, he quoted the verse in Deuteronomy, as a reference to Jesus. Acts 7:37 – “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’” After the lame man was healed at the temple in Jerusalem, Peter also used this verse to describe Jesus, as the promised Messiah, the Prophet like Moses.

  Let’s look at ways that Moses’ life paralleled Jesus:

  • Moses was born when the male children were being killed by Pharaoh; the male children were slaughtered by Herod after Jesus’ birth.
  • Josephus wrote that Pharaoh was told of a Hebrew boy who would be born and who would bring down the Egyptian kingdom, while liberating the Israelites. Herod was told about the birth of the king of the Jews, whom Herod tried to annihilate for fear of losing his kingdom.
  • When God told Moses to return to Egypt, God told him that those who sought his life was dead. Similarly, when the angel spoke to Joseph, he told Joseph to return home because those who sought the life of Jesus was dead.
  • Moses went on the mount to receive the laws of God, and Jesus went on the mount to deliver the Sermon on the Mount.
  • Moses fasted for forty days and nights, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights.
  • Moses performed many miracles, Jesus performed many more miracles.
  • Moses provided manna in the wilderness, Jesus provided bread and fish in the wilderness-first to 5,000 and then to 4,000, and He is the spiritual manna.
  • Moses parted the Red Sea, Jesus walked on water.
  • Moses healed Miriam of leprosy, Jesus cleansed ten lepers at once, and healed many others.
  • When Moses left the presence of the Lord, his face shone and he hid it behind a veil, when Jesus left the Mount of Transfiguration, his face shone like the sun.
  • God made a covenant with the children of Israel called the Mosaic Covenant, and Jesus established a covenant with us, called the New Covenant!

  The most powerful way that Moses was like Jesus, or that Jesus is the second Moses, is that they were both deliverers. God gave Moses the assignment of going to Egypt and telling Pharaoh to “let my people go”. Moses did this through a series of miracles, the last one saw the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea.

  Matthew 1:21, states that Jesus would save His people from their sins. That’s exactly what He does when He is believed upon, He delivers people from their sins. The natural Exodus, was a type and shadow of the spiritual Exodus; where we are translated out of darkness into light! The Passover feast pointed to the death of the Messiah. What Jesus did at Calvary was far more powerful than what Moses did during the Exodus. Moses’ deliverance was natural, Jesus’ deliverance is spiritual and is everlasting! Jesus died, then went to hell and made a public spectacle over our enemy, the devil, triumphing over him, as conqueror!

  Moses delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, and God gave him the Law to give to them. Jesus came in fulfillment of that Law and gave grace and truth! Where the Law was binding under Moses, grace was freeing under Jesus! Where the Law was filled with blood sacrifices, Jesus shed His Blood, once and for all! Where the Law was a shadow of things to come, Jesus was the Word made flesh, a bodily fulfillment of that Law! Where the Law was a constant reminder of sins, Jesus brought a constant reminder of grace and mercy!

  Jesus, the Prophet like Moses, was a far better Moses! These are the correlations that spoke to me, and I hope they help you to see that Moses, in all that he did, he did to point the children of Israel to the true Messiah, Jesus the Christ! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, Jesus, Moses | 0 Comments | Tagged Deliverance, deliverer, Exodus, freedom, Herod, Jesus, leprosy, miraculous, Moses, Pharaoh, prophet, Salvation, slaughter of the male children

• It’s in the Name!

  Posted at 4:03 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on May 30, 2020

  Matthew 1:20-23 – “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). NIV

  

  Have you ever stopped to wonder why Isaiah said that His name would be Immanuel, but He is actually Jesus? When I first came to know the Lord, it was one of those questions I had. Well, you may be in the advanced class and know this already, but I just wanted to share, in case there are those who are still wondering.

  In the Bible, names had meanings that represented a message that God was sending, or a calling/ministry on an individual’s life, or a memorial to something that was going on. I think of Ichabod, which means the glory has departed from Israel. So every time someone referred to him, or he heard his name, or thought of his name, he was forever reminded that on the day of his birth, his dad, his uncle, and his grandfather died, and the glory departed from Israel. Poor baby! Another interesting time of naming kids happened when Hosea and Gomer had children. He had a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah, which means “not loved” for God had decided that He would no longer show love to Israel. How messed up would a young lady be with this name today, if she knew that her mother had named her “not loved”? But for the record, God wasn’t saying the daughter was not loved, just that He would no longer show love to Israel.

  The name Jesus was a common Hebrew name. (Actually in Hebrew, it is Yeshua, and in the Greek, it is Joshua). When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, to calm his fears in regard to marrying Mary, and to inform him of the unique assignment he and Mary were being given, the Angel told him to name the baby, Jesus. The reason Joseph was to name the baby Jesus was because He, Jesus, would save His people from their sins. Then Matthew informs us that this is in fulfillment of the prophetic word given by Isaiah.

  Well, from what Matthew said, we can understand that the virgin conceived. After all, that was the whole point in the angelic visit, to assure Joseph that Mary hadn’t been dishonest with him. She was truly pregnant by Holy Spirit, and had never been touched by a man, in an illicit affair. So this point was made without a doubt, but the name isn’t Immanuel, it is Jesus. We are told that He will save the people from their sins, but not how He is God with us! And yet, he does!

  The truth that a virgin conceives is a supernatural occurrence. It is out of the norm. It can’t happen. But it did, because God made it happen. He placed the seed of Himself, into Mary, and when Jesus was born, “God with us” became a reality. Throughout the book, Matthew continues to share through the encounters of the Jews with Jesus that He is no ordinary man, but He is, in fact, God. He heals the sick, He multiplies food, He walks on water, and He expels demons; bringing God into the everyday lives of the people. Not the super religious, not the rich, but the lives of the common man. And so He is God with us!

  Matthew ends his book in a way that sums it all up; chapter 28, verse 20 – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus proclaims to His disciples, and the world, that He is with us always. He, God the Son, is with us! Thus we have the proof, the solidarity of what God said through Isaiah, and what actually happened, that the virgin did conceive and His name is Immanuel. Remember, a name is as much about who we are called, as it is about what we are called to do. So although we call Him Jesus, for He saves us from our sins; we also call Him Immanuel, for He is God with us always!

  Back to the name Jesus! It was a common name, but once the Son of God took on this name, it became a holy name, a name above every name, the most powerful name known to man. Demons tremble at that Name, disease disappears at that Name, power is released at that Name. There is no other Name given amongst men, whereby we can be saved, but the Name of Jesus! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Holy Spirit, Immanuel, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged angelic visitation, Christmas story, dreams, God, God with us, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miraculous, names, Salvation, supernatural, virgin birth

• The Blessing of His Word!

  Posted at 5:43 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on May 23, 2020

  Psalm 119:11 – “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” NKJV

  

  Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. What makes it such a wonderful psalm is that it speaks of the blessings or benefits of the word of God. Today, I would like to share a few benefits of the word! As you can see from the picture, it is a psalm I have marked up in my personal Bible!

  1. That I might not sin against God- The psalmist wrote the importance of hiding God’s word in our heart, we call it memorizing scripture, that we might not sin against God. How does that work? As you go throughout your day, your life, the word that is in your heart will be quickened in your spirit, at just the right time, to help you.

  2. That I might see wondrous things in the word- The psalmist asked God to open his eyes, not his physical eyes, but his spiritual eyes, that he might see wondrous things in the word. Asking God to open your eyes while reading the word keeps it fresh and interesting. Things He reveal to you during your time of reading become the cornerstone of your faith. It’s one thing to be told He is good, and another thing to have Him reveal that to you through His word!

  3. Strengthen me according to your word-In this verse, the psalmist admits to having a heaviness in his soul; but he recognizes that God’s word will bring him strength. As a matter of fact, this is a request for the word to do just that, strengthen him!

  4. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.-There are a lot of people who would rather have someone explain the word to them, than for them to get in the word. The psalmist understands that when God teaches His word to him, he will have a tendency to keep it. Again, being told to live holy, and getting an understanding of why He wants you to live holy through His word, has a greater impact on your life.

  5. Remember the word to your servant, upon which you have caused me to hope-This is a powerful verse. God’s word tells us that we can remind Him of the word upon which He has caused us to hope. Whether that word is a word about salvation, healing, deliverance, strength, if He gave it to you, and caused you to hope on it, you can remind Him of that truth! Prophecies come to encourage us to wait on God. His word is a sure word of prophecy!

  6. Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven- This is a truth of God’s word that every single believer needs to know. It is forever settled! It doesn’t change from year to year, from generation to generation, from situation to situation, the word is settled in heaven! This truth about God’s word is the anchor of faith. It can be trusted because it it does not change!

  7. Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.- Delighting in the Lord is medicinal. When affliction comes upon us, and we delight ourselves in the word of God, it keeps us from perishing in the midst of that affliction. Reading His word should be a delight, not a chore! When we delight in it, the word produces all that we need.

  8. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – How many of us need direction on a regular basis? I do! The word will lead you in the way to go. It will keep you from having regrets in your life as you allow it to light your path. I can testify over and over again to the word being a lamp to my feet, a light to my path. I have very few regrets in my life as a result of allowing the word to lead me. It’s direction is priceless.

  9. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep your word.-This is key to your victory. When you really know the word, you have the power to turn from evil. You understand by the word it is wrong to commit sexual sin of any kind. When you are convinced of that truth, you walk away from it. Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler wrote a book years ago, that I used in my teens ministry, “Beyond Belief to Convictions”. It’s time to stop just believing the Bible is the word of God and to having a conviction in your soul that it is so!

  10. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.- His word gives us hope! It is our hiding place during the storm. It is our shield against attacks! It is our safety net in life. And because of the power of God’s word to protect us, we can hope in it for all we need.

  Today’s post is a little long, but I just love talking about the Word! And I have only written about ten of the one hundred seventy six verses of the psalm! So much available to us through His word! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in the Word of God, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged encouragement, Faith, hard times, Healing, miraculous, protection, provision, Psalm 119, Salvation, testimony, trust in God, victory

• But Then God…!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 19, 2020

  Psalm 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” NKJV

  

  The word afflictions is translated from the Hebrew word, “ra” and can be used to mean adversity, calamity, distress, harm, hurt, misery, sorrow and trouble, to name a few. What type of evangelism experience would you have if you walked up to an unsaved person and said, “Hey! I want to tell you about all the trouble, the hurt, the misery, and sorrows you are going to go through as a believer”? You will be ineffective in your attempt to win that person to the Lord! No one wants to buy into trouble. But the wonderful thing about affliction, is that the Lord delivers us out of all of them!

  Jesus said it like this, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In other words, we as Christians are inevitably going to experience some things, but the promise of God is that He has already overcome the world, and that includes its troubles!

  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; but then God gave Pharaoh a dream that only Joseph could interpret, and he was moved from the prison to second in command of Egypt. Moses’ mom had to put him in a basket in the Nile River because she couldn’t bear to see harm come to him; but then God had Pharaoh’s daughter find him, fall instantly in love with him, and she raised him as her own. The children of Israel were standing at the Red Sea, with the sea before them and the Egyptians behind them; but then God parted the sea, that they could walk over on dry land. And then God drowned the Egyptians in the sea! The children of Israel came to a place where there was no water; but then God told Moses to strike the rock and water gushed out to meet their needs.

  Job lost every thing he had except his wife and his life; but then God stepped in and blessed him with double for his trouble! The Hebrew boys were thrown in a furnace that was turned up seven times hotter; but then God stepped into the furnace and not a hair on their head was singed. Daniel was thrown in the lions’ den; but then God closed the mouths of the lions, and Daniel went to sleep. Jonah was swallowed by the large fish, but then God made the fish throw him up!

  Goliath had the Israelites shaking in their boots, but then God sent David to the camp and he killed Goliath! David was in the cave of Adullam seeking encouragement from the Lord, but then God sent him 400 men who became his mighty army! David was running from Saul for his life; but then God took care of his enemy, and gave him the kingdom.

  Five thousand people went to hear Jesus preach, and ended up staying so long they missed their dinner; but then God multiplied two loaves of bread and five fish, and fed them. Taxes came due, and Peter was concerned about how to pay them; but then God had a fish find a coin, and led that fish to Peter’s net. Saul was a persecutor of the church; but then God stopped him on his way to Damascus, and turned him into Paul the apostle. Jesus was crucified and hung on the cross; but then God raised Him from the dead, giving salvation to us all.

  You see, I can’t think of a single person who sees a trial and then shouts, “This is going to be a good one! Let me at it!” I know I don’t! But we should! The minute we see the devil prowling on the attack, we need to start looking for the “but then God” moments! It is in the midst of all of these troubles, trials, difficulties, hurts, sorrows and disappointments of life, that we see God stepping in on our behalf, bringing mighty miracles of deliverance! Andrea Crouch sang these words in a song, “If I didn’t have any problems, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them!” This is so true, and yet many of us struggle through our difficulties, barely able to believe that God could possibly loves us, since we are hurting so much! I want you to know He most certainly does!

  Am I saying that we should ask for, look for, or even desire afflictions? Absolutely not! My pastor likes to say, “You are either going through a trial, you just came out of a trial, or you are about to go in a trial!” Every time I hear it, I cringe! I don’t like trials! But I love the victories! I love the testimonies! I love the shouting and the dancing that follows every time! Guess what? You can’t have one without the other!

  This pandemic feels unreal! It’s hard to comprehend all that has happened in such a short period of time. In just a couple months there have been over 320,000 people who have died as a result of this virus, while almost 5 million have contracted it worldwide. That’s mind boggling! On top of that, millions are unemployed! Not what we were looking for in 2020! But I am confident, and I am so convinced, that there is going to be a “but then God” moment in the lives of all who can believe! Hopefully, even in the world!

  This is not panic time! It’s time to believe like never before! It’s time to trust in the faithfulness of God like you have read about in the examples above, even in God’s word! It is time to say, and continue to say, that this is a great time and place for a…but then God! Trials and tribulations that we will face may not be a wonderful place to start an evangelism opportunity, but it most certainly can be a wonderful place to end it! Whatever Satan has up his sleeve, hang in there for your “but then God”! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, hard times, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged coronavirus, Daniel, David, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Hebrew boys, Jesus, Job, miraculous, Moses, protection, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory, witness

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