Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: pandemic

• 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!

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  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

• Time to Sing Again!

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

  Psalm 137:1 – “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. NKJV

  

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  The year of 2020 has been a year that many can’t wait to see come to an end. Don’t you remember the excitement for 2020, about a year ago? So many voices were shouting out that this year would be the year of greater vision, greater insight, greater anointing. Maybe for some, this was true; but as a nation, not so much!

  COVID-19 reared it’s vicious head on December 31, 2019. By the end of January it was declared a global health emergency. As we enter the year 2021, unfortunately, it is still dominating the news, our lives, the way we interact with one another, and basically, the way we interact with the world around us. Millions have been infected, hundreds of thousands have lost their lives, and they said there is more to come. Jobs and businesses have been dissolved, mortgages and rent payments have been missed. It’s a lot to take in. Thankfully, we now have vaccines, as we try to find a new normal amidst the pandemic and hope for getting our lives and economy stable again.

  Apparently that was not enough to throw our world into a frenzy, because in the midst of the pandemic came the riots against racial injustice. Not just in America, but around the world. People piling into the streets to demonstrate their anguish and frustration over the systemic racism became the norm for a greater part of our summer. In Australia, America, Europe, and Canada, citizens took to the streets to demonstrate their inability to sit around and continue to watch it happen to them and those around them.

  With all of that going on, can you believe that we still had the normal things to come at us: hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires, and earthquakes? Normal life situations in the home and on the job. Stuff just kept coming at us! It’s a lot to take in. It’s a lot to think about. It’s a lot to have to deal with!

  And then in America we had the election of all elections! Trump versus Biden! We have never paid such close attention to all the steps involved in the transitioning of power from one president to another as we have this time. Lawsuits, attacks on our democracy, Republicans against Democrats, and Democrats against Republicans. Accusations of a stolen presidency and claims to not give up the White House! Suicide bombing in a major city! Whew! I don’t know about you, but for me it has been a bit much! And 2021 isn’t looking to start out a whole lot brighter!

  The children of Israel were headed to captivity in Babylon. They stopped by a river of Babylon to rest for some reason, and while they were resting, the psalmist said they wept! They couldn’t believe they were in captivity. They couldn’t believe they had to leave Israel. They couldn’t believe that God hadn’t protected them although the prophets said that He would. (God actually said that they had been lied to). They experienced a lot of loss themselves. Loss of home and ancestral lands, loss of positions, finances, community standing, family members, and their freedom. They were stunned, overwhelmed, and sadly disappointed. Anybody feeling like that today? It was too much!

  Psalm 137:2-3 – We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” NKJV

  The children of Israel was in such a bad place, they didn’t want to sing anymore. As a matter of fact, their captives asked them to sing a song, but they had hung their harps on the trees and asked how were they supposed to sing the Lord’s songs in a strange land? Can you imagine the defeat they must have been experiencing at that time? The situation was real, the pain was real, the frustration was real, the loss was real, it was all real. And they didn’t have any reason to sing from their point of view!

  Situations, people, and life may change, but there is really nothing new under the sun. There are many people around the world today, after going through this year, feeling the same exact way. I was just reading someone’s Facebook post where she wrote that she hated 2020. I have heard people say they can’t wait til this year is done. They want it so over with! I understand the emotions behind the words. I understand the sentiment.

  But in Jeremiah 29, God told the children of Israel, through a letter:

  Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. Jeremiah 29:5-7 – NKJV

  In other words, keep living! There’s nothing you can do about your current situation, He goes on to say in the letter. It’s going to last for 70 years. So don’t diminish, increase!

  These words spoke to my heart this week and I haven’t been able to shake them. With all that has been happening, and may continue to happen, (and God knows we don’t want to see this for another year, let alone 70 years) as believers, we can’t afford to sit down and weep. We can’t allow the circumstances of our world to get us so depressed that we lose our ability to sing praises to God. This has truly been a turbulent year, in many cases, we have experienced a lot of losses, but we made it through and can boldly look forward to the future with hope.

  It was in this letter that these words of encouragement are found:

  Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. NKJV

  Whatever 2021 holds, God has thoughts of peace towards us and not of evil. He has a future filled with hope in it for His people. That alone will give us a reason to sing again. Or maybe you need to hear these words from the Savior:

  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. -John 14:27 -NKJV

  There are plenty of verses in the word that can bring you comfort, encouragement and strength. It’s time to hold tight to them and to sing like never before. You may be wondering, like the Israelites, how can we sing under these conditions? We may not know what 2021 will bring, but we know the One who will bring us into 2021. We have suffered in 2020, but, we can by faith, expect great victories in 2021. We’ve lost some things and some loved ones, but as we continue living in the midst of our challenges and adversities, we can look forward to greater things in Christ! And that’s reason enough to sing right there! Jesus, whom we have just celebrated for coming into the world, is still alive and well, and on the throne. He hasn’t left us, and He never will. We may not understand it all, but when we trust Him, we know He will bring us through and cause our hearts to sing again. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in coronavirus, encouragement, Holiday Celebrations, Hope in God | 7 Comments | Tagged attacks, Attitude, coronavirus, encouragement, hard times, pandemic, Peace, praise, race riots, racial tensions, systemic racism, world pandemic

• His Indescribable Gift!

  Posted at 4:44 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on November 25, 2020

  2 Corinthians 9:15 -Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV

  

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  It’s the holiday season! Thanksgiving Day kicks the season off! Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving Day commemorates the support that the Native Americans provided to the first English settlers, that literally saved their lives. However, it has evolved into so much more, as most people take this time to be thankful for their friends, family, and the wonderful things that have happened in their lives. For the believers, it’s another day that we have an opportunity to give Him thanks!

  In this blog, I want to stop and give my personal thanks for His indescribable gift, Jesus! Thank you, Father for Jesus!

  When Paul wrote this particular part of his letter to the Corinthians, he felt a need to remind them of the benefits of being generous supporters to those in need. He had boasted to other churches, according to his writing, about their plans to give this offering, to those in Jerusalem who were struggling. Since he was writing them anyway, he wanted to let them know that he was fully expecting them to do what they said they would do, otherwise, they would all be embarrassed throughout the Church.

  Paul continues to write that when we give of our substance, it causes people to give thanks to God, for the giver, for the gift, and for His blessings in their lives. While at the same time, it’s the giver’s opportunity to demonstrate how blessed he has been by God, causing the giver to give expressions of gratitude. So let’s talk plain!

  Every believer should be a giver. Not just in tithes and offerings to the church, but as a lifestyle. When we are givers, meaning no one has to beg us to give, we are an expression of the abundance of blessings that have come to us. Not only that, with our giving, we say thanks to the Father for giving so much to us, that we have to give to others. This is what being blessed truly looks like! We bless others because He has blessed us!

  I learned the blessing of giving as a young person. I was attending Bible school and was struggling financially, but I had made up my mind that I was going to trust God to provide. One weekend a group of leaders in our church went to visit another church in Georgia and I went with them. As we were leaving Georgia, someone slipped some money in my hand. I really needed that money and I was so thankful to God for providing it. As we traveled back to Tennessee, we saw a young lady on the bank of the highway. We pulled over to offer her help, and I was chosen to go and speak with her. Long story short, she didn’t want us to take her anywhere but she was in a tight spot in life. Worst off than me. I slipped that money in her hand and got back in the car. It was an amazing feeling to help someone who needed it more than I did. I thanked the Lord for Him setting things up so I could be a blessing to someone with a greater need. Whatever my need was, it was supplied. And He hasn’t stopped supplying! Thank you, Lord!

  Paul gets so excited about this circle of blessings and thanksgivings that he ends this section of the letter by saying, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” If we read this too fast, we may think that Paul is thankful for the money, and be that as it may, it isn’t what he is talking about. He is thankful for Jesus!

  Paul uses the word, “anekdiegetos” (an-ek-dee-ay’-gay-tos) which means indescribable or unspeakable. This word is found only in this verse. It is, as if while he was writing about the blessings of being a blessing, he came to a personal place of thanksgiving, and had to stop and give Him thanks! And since in his mind he couldn’t think of an appropriate word at the time, the Spirit of God gave him one! Anekdiegetos! A word that began to be used after the Spirit gave it to Paul!

  I remember a time when I was talking to the Lord in prayer and he taught me a new word. I got to the point when I realized I had said so much that I was speechless, and didn’t know how to proceed. And this word came to my spirit: encapsulate! For some odd reason I not only heard the word, but sensed its meaning. For those of you who already know this word and its meaning, you may not be impressed, but I was. Encapsulate means to express the essential features of (something) succinctly, or to give a good wrap up. So I can identify with how Paul was writing about the power of giving and a new word came to him, anekdiegetos!

  Jesus truly is indescribable. I am in a bible study with a young lady, and as we were talking about Jesus this week, she said that she didn’t realize that Jesus had done so much in so little time on the earth, or that He was so young when He died. In her mind He had lived forever and ever! Precious to hear some of the things people say when they are first learning of our Savior!

  I love Thanksgiving Day! The food, the fellowship with friends and family, the sense of gratefulness that permeates the atmosphere. Although we can’t celebrate it in our usual manner, we will still celebrate! My heart is filled with gratitude for all that He has done since the last celebration: new babies in the family, new jobs, loved ones who recovered from the coronavirus, and His amazing protection over us all. But more important than that, I am thankful for Jesus!

  His amazing love, His sacrifice on the cross, the wonderful miracles He performed and are still performing, the souls that He saved from hell who now know the Father and have access to His amazing love! His abundance of grace and mercy, His patience, His steadfastness, His glory, His comfort…There is so much to be thankful for when we think of Him. Because of all that He has done, and does for us, it should be easy to be people filled with gratitude and people who willingly give.

  As we officially enter the holiday season with this great day of Thanksgiving, let us remember to give not just to those who can return it, but especially to those who can’t! This pandemic has caused many to be without their jobs and some to be without their home. When He presents an opportunity to you to be a blessing, don’t let it pass you by! It truly is more of a blessing to give then it is to receive. And if the opportunity presents, give them Jesus! They will be eternally grateful for this Indescribable Gift! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Giving, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, Thanksgiving | 0 Comments | Tagged blessing to others, coronavirus, encouragemnt, Giving, hard times, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, pandemic, Paul, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

• I Will Trust in the Lord!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 16, 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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  Trust comes easy for most children. As they are fed, clothed, and held by their parents and family members they learn to trust them. When I was thinking about the concept of trust, I immediately thought of a parent telling their child to jump into their arms, or a father raising a kid in the air and laughter ringing in the room. Simple, child-like trust is a beautiful thing to watch in action. As children become teenagers, young adults, and later adults, not all of them still trust their parents in the same way they did as kids. Some don’t trust at all!

  When we first come to the Lord, we may start off with childlike trust in the Savior. He has saved us, forgiven us, and given us a new lease on life, but one day we wake up and we don’t feel quite the same way. What happened? We allowed the circumstances of our lives to eat away at that trust!

  In both the natural and the spiritual realm, things happen to challenge our trust. One day kids wake up, and their parents aren’t as perfect as they first believed. I well remember a situation with our oldest daughter when she was about five. She was taking piano and voice lessons with our minister of music, who is a close personal friend. She was learning a song, and my friend told her to ask me to play it for her so that she would be more comfortable with it at her next lesson. When my daughter told me this, I got out my tape player to let her hear the song. She said, “No mommy! She wants you to play it on the piano!” I said to her, “No! She wants me to play it on the tape player!” She was insistent that I was to play it on the piano. When she discovered I couldn’t “play” the piano, she was so disappointed. She said, “You can’t do anything!” If you think she was devastated, I want you to know I wasn’t too thrilled either! Of course, she has forgiven me for not knowing how to play the piano, and will not have to worry about her daughter saying the same thing to her!

  Although my example is mild, and meant to be humorous, we know that many children, teens and young adults experience a variety of times when parents don’t live up to their expectations. Some children have overinflated expectations of their parents, which causes disappointments, as my daughter had; and some just expect their parents to be good, honest, loving parents. Unfortunately, that’s a tall order for some parents!

  When we come to God, we expect to see the mighty miracles, hear the thunder roll, see our every trouble removed because we are now Christians. We don’t want heartache, failure, or disappointment now that we are saved, and yet, we sometimes see more of that, then we see of the other. Trust is waning because expectations are not being met!

  In Proverbs, Solomon didn’t write, “When things are going according to your expectations, trust in the Lord!” No! He simply wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!” The Hebrew word for trust is bâṭach, pronounced “baw-takh'” and it is a primitive root word which means: to hie for refuge. I was going to overlook this definition and go straight to the part that means, “to trust, be confident or sure:—be bold”. But let’s not! In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition for hie is, “to go quickly; hasten”. When we put this all together, Solomon is saying that when we trust in the Lord, we go quickly, we hasten to Him for refuge! Isn’t that interesting? I think so!

  Isn’t this the picture of a child who dearly loves his or her parent? When something comes up in a child’s life, they quickly run to their parent knowing that it’s going to be better when mom or dad gets involved! This is how we are to be with the Father! Instead of falling apart and becoming discouraged, we are to hasten to Him for refuge knowing that it’s going to be better because of Him!

  Now let’s look at the rest of the meaning of trust! Trust implies a confident assurance in God that allows us to be bold before trials, tribulations, and persecutions; knowing that God has us in the midst of it all! It’s easy to see why Solomon instructed us to trust “with all of our heart,” because in this way, we leave no place for doubt, confusion, or fear to set in! Have I always trusted like this? That would be a negative! But I will to trust in Him more and more! Meaning I set my will to trust God as I grow in my ability to receive His love for me!

  Isaiah wrote in chapter 12 of his book that it was his will to trust God!

  Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. (Verse 2)

  Isaiah purposed that he would trust in God, and he would not be afraid because God was his strength and his song! That’s what our trust in the Lord needs to look like! We should train ourselves to say, I will trust, I will not be afraid!

  Anyone who has heard of Job understand that he went through a difficult time in life. Some say it lasted less than a year, but it was still a painful time. Here’s what Job said during his trial,

  Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…Job 13:15

  Again, it was Job’s will to trust God! He wasn’t happy with his situation. He didn’t feel like he was getting a fair shake for one who had lived righteous before the Lord. But putting all of that aside, he said that it didn’t matter if he died, he would die trusting the Lord!

  David had this to say about trust:

  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us! Psalm 62:8

  There is that reference to “refuge” in relationship to trust! When we trust Him, in spite of what is going on around us, He is a refuge for us against those things that try to destroy our trust in Him!

  Scripture tells us in Psalm 125:1,

  They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abide forever.

  When we trust the Lord, we will not only be bold, as the definition tells us, but we will not be moved by what we see! We will only be moved by what we believe, or what we are trusting God to do!

  Anyone can trust during the good times. It’s how most children learn to trust their parents, because things are good! It’s during the difficult times, the hard times, the challenging times that we must say, “I will trust in the Lord”!! Solomon knew the life his dad lived trusting God! He also knew the blessings, the well-being that came with trusting the Lord. But most assuredly he knew what it was like to “not” trust in the Lord with his whole heart!

  We are living in some challenging times in this world. We have political unrest all over the world, a world-wide pandemic, world-wide economic woes, and world-wide attacks on the church! If there has ever been a time when we need to “will” to trust the Lord, this is that time. Stop fretting over what you have no control over today, and hasten to the Lord for refuge! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Proverbs 3:5-6, Refuge, trust in God | 4 Comments | Tagged body of Christ, children, David, economic crisis, encouragemnt, hard times, I will trust, Job, pandemic, Solomon, trust in God

• Healed By the Word!

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

  Psalm 107:20 – He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. NKJV

  

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  I know that I have been writing about grace, but tonight I am thinking about healing. The pandemic is raging war in our world, and we need to understand, like never before, that God is our Healer!

  In this verse, the psalmist wrote that He, God, sent His word and healed them. I want to look at what this means for us. Let’s look at the literal word of God in relationship to healing.

  Proverbs 4:20-22 – My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. NKJV

  If we are looking at the literal meaning, when the psalmist states that He sent His word, it is validated here in Proverbs that the logos, the written word of God, has healing in it. Look closer at this verse in Proverbs. The writer is referring to the word of God when he states that it is life to those who find them and health to all their flesh! The written, literal word of God is life and health to those who find them. When we are attacked in our body, with COVID or anything else, we can stand on the word of God for our healing, and for our health.

  Another way of looking at “He sent His Word”, is looking at Jesus!

  John 1:1,14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV

  God sent Jesus, and Jesus came with healing. Malachi 4 prophecies that He will have healing in His wings! Jesus was the embodiment of healing. When He was present, He was to heal! The New Testament is filled with examples of Jesus bringing healing. The miracle of healing that I want to mention is the one with the word.

  A centurion went to Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant. Jesus told the centurion that He would come and heal the servant. This is what the servant said to Jesus:

  Matthew 8:8-9 – The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. ” NKJV

  And guess what happened? You’re right! The sending of His word healed the servant! However, we choose to “interpret” this verse in Psalm 107, the truth of the matter is that the Word of God brings healing!

  Hear what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:

  Psalm 119:49-50 – Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. NKJV

  Again, we see the word giving life! The logos of God’s word and the Word made flesh gives life! What a truth to hang on to in these times when the virus seems to be out of control. Fear won’t keep us healthy or get us healed, but the Word will!

  I want to pray for you right now and release healing over you:

  Father God! I thank You today that You are our Healer! You have said that Your word is life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh! In the precious name of Jesus, I release Your word right now that declares that “by Your stripes we are healed”! I release Your word today that says “You heal us of all of our diseases, just as you forgive us of all of our sins! I pray for everyone who read this blog, that they will covered by the Blood of Jesus to keep them from the attacks of the devil. For those who are already under attack, I release my faith in Your word, to bring healing to their body. Do what only You can do through the power of Your word today! I release healing, health, restoration, and wholeness to your people, and especially to those who follow this blog. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen! And thank you Jesus! Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Healing, Health, Jesus, the Word of God | 3 Comments | Tagged centurion, coronavirus, Healing, Health, Jesus, life, pandemic, prayer for healing, the Blood of Jesus, the Word of God

• 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

  

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  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

• 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

  

  in-everything-give-thanks_.mp3

  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

• Joyful in My Savior!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 26, 2020

  Habakkuk 3:17-18 – “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” NIV

  

  Have you ever enjoyed a fig straight from a fig tree? I have! As kids, we ran around the neighborhood enjoying the fruit of fig trees, pear trees, and even plum trees. I probably ate healthier when I was younger, then I do now! Those are some of my fondest childhood memories. Eating fresh fruit from a tree is a delight that few people know. I’m glad for the experience!

  Habakkuk is a short book in the Bible. God and the prophet is having a discourse; the prophet asks a question, God answers. The prophet wants to know when justice will be served on the wicked. He, like so many today, wonders why God seems to not answer him, intervene in what is going on, and save them. God responds by telling him how amazed he and the people will be when they see what will happen by His hand. Not accomplishing what the prophet thinks He should do, but accomplishing His will!

  Habakkuk then appeals to God’s character of being a holy God and basically tell Him that his answer is a little harsh. What He has planned, punishment of Judah by the hands of the Babylonians, seems too much! He waits for God’s answer, standing watch to hear His response. God gives Habakkuk a vision. He tells him to write it down because it will happen at its appointed time. And reminds him that the just shall live by faith!

  Throughout this discourse two things are noted: God as a Warrior God, and the prophet as being in awe of Him as he intercedes for His mercy. He recalls to mind who God is, reciting His attributes of purity, holiness, and that the Babylonians attacking Judah to punish them seems problematic to him.

  Then the prophet begins to sound like a psalmist as he states, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

  He came to the conclusion that He could safely trust that God knew what He was doing. (Go figure!) He knew he needed to live by his faith, which was based on God’s character and not what he was experiencing! Everything that they needed for their livelihoods, crops, sheep, and cattle would be taken or destroyed. Life as they knew it would be over. But Habakkuk came to the place where none of it mattered more than his trust in God.

  Sounds similar to today! I’m not saying that this pandemic is the hand of God! I truly don’t believe that for a second! But I am saying that this pandemic has thrown the world for a curve. And everyone is ready to “get back to normal”. They say people are going crazy. They need to get back to work, back to church, back to living! This is one of those times when I will say, “I get it!”

  But here’s my point: Though the economy is not thriving, though I am to stay at home and limit my activities, though I am to wear a mask when I go out, though I am not able to go to church or work, though I can’t go out to eat at my favorite restaurant, though I can’t hang out with friends and family, though we have no vaccine in sight and this might go on for even longer, yet will I praise Him and be joyful in my Savior!

  Habakkuk didn’t minimize the state of his beloved Judah, nor the things that they had to endure. Neither do I minimize any thing that’s happening in the life of the people who read this blog, or those who haven’t been enlightened enough to know that they should (just kidding); but I trust God. I trust His character, I trust His history with mankind, I trust His word that this is not how it ends, and I trust His love for us. Not sure when all this will be over, but I know it will. But even if…I will yet praise Him! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in encouragement, hard times, Victorious Living | 6 Comments | Tagged Faith, fig tree, Habakkuk, hard times, love, pandemic, trust in God, victory, vine

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