Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: provision

• 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

• A Prepared Table

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 14, 2020

  Psalm 23:5- “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” NKJV

  

  Years ago, I was stationed in Italy, while in the Navy. I lived on base and I had my own room. In the room I had a set of bunk beds, a table, a couple chairs, and a refrigerator. I didn’t do a lot of cooking, but I had set my table, prepared at any moment to eat alone, or with a guest. After washing dishes, they would go back on the table and I would be ready once again. I’m not sure where I got that from, but I’ve always loved looking at a table that was set for company or a special meal.

  As I mentioned before, the 23rd psalm is a favorite of mine. I remember a few years ago that I was invited to God’s table, prepared just for me. Here’s how: I was in the midst of some challenging situations and I was spending hours in prayer to keep from walking in my flesh! As I would read the word and pray, I would always find myself hovering around this psalm. Then one night as I slept I had a dream!

  In the dream, I was driving down a street when I saw a man standing on the steps of a church. He began waving at me to come over. I stopped and walked to the church. As he ushered me in the church I realized that I was in a fellowship hall. There was a long beautifully set table. I was escorted to the table that had looked empty when I entered, but was now heavy laden with all types of bread, freshly baked bread. A chair was pulled out and I was invited to sit. It was just me at the table with all this bread. And I knew in my spirit that a table had been prepared for me. Peace flooded my soul and I woke up. Nothing had changed in the natural, but I had a peace that God had prepared a table for me and that He was pleased to my response to what was going on around me.

  God prepared a table for David and anointed him king. He was out in the field with the sheep and a banquet was going on to which he had not been invited. But they didn’t understand that the banquet was in his honor. God had sent Samuel for him, and as the banquet was being prepared no one knew it had been prepared for David.

  It is said that eating and drinking at someone’s table creates a bond of mutual loyalty and could be a culminating token of a covenant, as in the Passover meal that Jesus had with His disciples. It is also said, to be an invited guest of the Lord’s is to suggest that you are more than an acquaintance for a day for it is an invitation to dwell with Him. (Logos)

  David had been talking in metaphorical language about the Lord as his shepherd. Now he is referring to the Lord as his friend. It is an honor to have Jesus as your shepherd, for as such, He provides protection, provision, and healing. To have Him as your friend is an even better position. Friends share with one another, what they wouldn’t just share with everybody. Friends like just being together. Friends are hard to separate, hard to break apart. Friends can be closer and tighter than family. The Bible talks about a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Every one needs one!

  In that difficult season of my life when I was really going through, He invited me to sit at His table and enjoy fellowship with Him over bread. He is the Bread of Life, and bread represents life in dream symbols books. He also told us to pray “give us this day our daily bread”. And here I was at this challenging place in my life and I am being offered bread at a table that has been set, just for me by my Friend.

  Life isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always easy; but Jesus makes it worth the living. He knows what we need and how to provide it. I could not have articulated what I needed at that moment, but He visited with me in a dream that felt so real I smelled the fresh bread. It was as if He had taken leave from His seat by the Father and come for a visit. It was beautiful!

  I have had so many times in my life when I have had similar experiences with Jesus. I get David. His relationship wasn’t about doing stuff as much as it was about time with Jesus. This pandemic has put all of us in a place where we can develop our friendship with Jesus. We certainly have the time! It may start off feeling a little funny, or even a little forced, but the more you take the time to be with Him, He will make the time to be with you. This dream has been on my heart this week and I thought that I would share it with you. My prayer is that you are having these special times with Him already; but if you are not, then I pray that you will begin to pursue that relationship with Him. And one day, you will be invited to sit at the table that has already been prepared for you. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Fellowship with God, Psalm 23 | 4 Comments | Tagged bread, David, encouragemnt, God, hard times, Jesus, love, Prayer, protection, provision, Psalm 23, word of God

• The Lord Is…!

  Posted at 4:11 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on May 12, 2020

  Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” KJV

  

  When our children were in elementary school, I would drive them to school. On the way we would recite the 23rd psalm, pray, and then “give Him some praise!” It was one of my favorite times of the day.

  I’ve come to love this psalm. There is rarely a day that it doesn’t cross my mind; especially when I retire for the night. It has been an encouragement to me on so many levels, at so many different times in my life, but there was a time when it made absolutely no sense to me.

  David wrote, “the Lord is my shepherd.” This statement helps us to see the deep and personal relationship that David had with the Lord. Long before it was established that we are to have a personal relationship with Him, David had discovered one. Every thing David mentions in this psalm flows from the truth that the Lord is his shepherd.

  David kept his father’s sheep, and as a shepherd he had personal insight to the life and heart of the shepherd. He was the protector of his sheep. One day a lion came to attack the sheep, and he lit into that lion and killed it. On a different occasion a bear showed up, and David took care of that bear for trying to take his sheep. So David was a true shepherd and understood the responsibility of shepherding his sheep. I believe that one evening he was thinking over his day and said, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

  Jesus mentioned that He was indeed the Shepherd, the true Shepherd, the Good Shepherd. And Jesus remarked that the shepherd gives His life for the sheep! David understood that truth! He would allow nothing and no one to mess with his sheep. He was their protector! And he was willing to give his life for them. Jesus was not only willing to give His life, He gave it!

  David also understood that he guided his sheep. His sheep followed him wherever he led them. They responded to his call and he knew them and the sheep knew him. Jesus also made this same reference to Himself as our shepherd. He said that His sheep knew His voice and would not follow the voice of a stranger conveying to us the intimate knowledge that He had of us and wanted us to have of Him. I have experienced His leading on numerous occasions. One day, in the midst of our district testing week, I was feeling really tired and wanted to give my students a break. I had it all planned out, but suddenly I heard in my Spirit that I needed to continue teaching, so I obeyed. Not five minutes later my principal came in and observed me. He was so impressed that I was still focused on teaching, but in reality, I had wanted a break! My Shepherd whispered to my heart and I listened! It was a powerful reminder of His concern and guidance in my life.

  David took care of his sheep. He made sure that the pastures he led them to eat from was filled with green grass and still waters to quench their hunger and their thirst. Jesus made note of the truth that any one who enters the sheepfold through Him would be saved and find pasture, a place of nourishment, of rest.

  So much is going on in this world today. It seemed as if our plates were full enough with “life” and then the pandemic struck. Now we have another thing to deal with. At first, it was no big deal for many to stay home to keep from getting the virus and spreading it. Now, some people are tired of being at home and can’t wait to get back to their “normal” lives. For some it will never be normal again, because they no longer have a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a friend, an uncle, a daughter, or a son. And right now, having faith in a Shepherd who protects the sheep is a struggle. But He is a wonderful Shepherd and you will trust Him and continue to allow Him to be your Shepherd, you will again rejoice in Him!

  David had struggles. It is often remarked that David was the youngest and forgotten by his father and disliked by his brothers. I don’t know if it is true, but I do know that he wasn’t called to the dinner that Samuel attended until the Lord rejected all of Jesse’s other sons. David came in to dinner, was anointed king, and went back to the sheep and his brothers continued to give him a hard time. But that didn’t stop or hinder David, it allowed him much desired time with His shepherd!

  David said, “the Lord is my Shepherd” and because he was a shepherd he understood what that meant. I’m a teacher. The Lord is my teacher. I fully understand that concept of Him being my teacher. I know that He will stick with me until I get the lesson He needs me to comprehend. I understand that His heart is to help me to succeed and not to fail. I understand that when I struggle with a concept, He is there to guide me through the process and to bring me to a place of understanding and application. So in the midst of the struggles of life, I get that when I don’t understand it, my Teacher is available to me to help me understand it.

  Maybe that is a concept we should all think about. What is it that I am really skilled at? How is Jesus that to me? How can I see Him in me and in what I do daily? Because He is the great I Am, He’s not in a box and can only be discovered through a certain pair of lens. He was David’s shepherd. He is mine. He is yours! But in order to understand the Lord as your shepherd, maybe you need to understand Him in a way that brings it home for you. A carpenter can understand Him as the Master Builder, a nurse can understand Him as a Caregiver, while a comedian can understand Him as one who fills her heart with joy and laughter. I think you get the picture!

  Does that mean that as a shepherd David never had a down day? I don’t think so! But what David never did was lose sight of the truth that he was in good hands with His Shepherd. As are we! He will lead us through this stay at home time, and He will lead us through this pandemic, and He will lead us through life after the pandemic as long as He is Lord. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Our Shepherd, Psalm 23 | 4 Comments | Tagged David, encouragement, hard times, Jesus, Jesus as teacher, protection, provision, Psalm 23, trust in God

• A Place of Refuge!

  Posted at 3:05 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 2, 2020

  1 Samuel 22:1-2 -David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. NKJV

  

  I’ve been reading through the Old Testament and am currently ending Chronicles. I find that I am always amazed at David and his warriors. Those of us familiar with the scriptures know all about David and Goliath! I get excited when David tells King Saul that he had already killed the lion and the bear, so facing this giant would be just like facing them. When David confronts Goliath and tells him that he’s going to cut off his head and give the bodies of the Philistines to the birds of the air, whew! He is the Alpha male type that romance novels, suspense thrillers, war movies are written about. And yet, one day David realized that King Saul was after his life and he ran to the cave of Adullam.

  David ended up in the cave of Adullam. If you look at the picture that I found on Pinterest you can see it wasn’t a comfortable place to find oneself. As people heard about his whereabouts, they went to David. His brothers who had taunted him at the battle against Goliath and ignored him when he was watching the sheep, along with all of his father’s household went to David. Men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented went to him. And he became captain over them.

  How would you like to start a team, a ministry, or anything with a group of people who are distressed, in debt, and discontented? Can you imagine all of the attitudes you would have to deal with? Can you just see that David had his own issues, and now everyone with an issue is coming to him? It’s a recipe for disaster, yet David turned it into a recipe for success!

  Hurting people don’t all look the same. Some are hurting and because they are so miserable in their lives, they want everyone else to hurt, so they hurt others. Then there are those hurting people who have been abused and when they find someone to see their value, they can forgive, release the hurt, and grow to their fullest potential. Then there are the hurting people who wallow in their hurts, lock themselves away, and they just give up on living altogether, they are in a perpetual pity party. These men who came to David distressed (worried, dealing with great sorrow or great pain); in debt (owing everyone, having nothing to call their own); and discontented (unhappy, not satisfied with life or the way things were going) all showed up in the cave of Adullam, looking for refuge. A weaker person would have rent his garments, put ashes on his forehead and fell on his face, but not David.

  I’ve been watching the documentary of the Bulls, “The Last Dance”. We all know that Jordan was a special player and at first they tried to make the Bulls a one man show with Michael. Then Phil Jackson comes along and teaches Michael and the others about being on a team. Once Michael got the concept down, got over having a need to be the “star” all the time, he began working with his teammates, along with Phil Jackson, to help them to be the best players they could be. The Chicago Bulls went on to win six NBA championships! There’s is something about leaders who know how to develop their people. (A later blog!)

  In the place of refuge people are seeking safety from being pursued, from danger, or from trouble. That certainly qualified for David! David was on the run for his life because of the anointing and call from God. He was smart enough to know his safety wasn’t in a locale, but in the Presence of the Lord. He wrote Psalm 142 in the cave and he penned that he cried out to the Lord who was his refuge. In another psalm David wrote that the Lord was his saving refuge. In yet another psalm he wrote that the Lord was his rock of refuge. David had already been anointed king, he had already killed the giant, he had already killed his “ten thousands” and now he’s in a cave running from Saul. And yet David did what he had done when he was watching those sheep, he went to God and found refuge in Him.

  Then the people began to come to David. Those who were worried about their future with a king who was more bent on killing David then killing the Philistines found a captain who was secure in what God had promised and was able to help them to trust that things were going to work out. Those who were in debt were promised lands and great fortune as they conquered their enemies and took back what the devil had stolen from them. And those who were discontented found something “big” to be a part, something that they could do to help David, their country, and themselves. They saw their king in the place of refuge and pledged their allegiance to him.

  If you are in a stay at home situation, you are in a place of refuge. It is not a comfortable place to be. I don’t know about you, but there are some things I really miss; going to church, going out to eat, spending time with my other family members, and I’ll possibly miss my scheduled vacation! I get it! Things like this may cause you to feel distressed, not working could be putting you in more debt, and all of it can cause you to feel discontented with your current situation, but it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Not only are there others just like you, as it was with David, but God is with you, with us through it all! You don’t have to stay the way that you are. NO! You have a captain! His name is Jesus! And He is your refuge, your help in the times of trouble. Don’t spend your time in the cave wallowing in self pity, wasting time, and giving up. Get with your captain and let Him bring healing to your hurts, hope for the future, prosperity for tomorrow. He is more than able. He’s a great leader and have led so many others to victory. I can tell you that I am personally embarrassed over the joy I am experiencing! My heart is so filled with peace, while at the same time it hurts for the loss of so many lives and even livelihoods. But I am dwelling in the truth of Psalm 91!

  When we leave the cave of Adullam, we will once again be that warrior, that conqueror, that more than a conqueror that we were before the cave. Some of us are still waging war, as David did from the cave, on our enemy! He hates those of us who are using this time to pray more, to spend more time in the word, to be strengthened by our pastors and others in the body! We will be even better, after this! Continue to allow Him to train you to stand, to fight, to win, to keep your enemy forever running from you while you are in the cave. No matter how long we are at home, it won’t be long. It shall pass! And when the church, the Bride of Christ comes out of the cave, we are going to be a mighty army for the Lord! If we trust Him to be our refuge!Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in hard times, protection, trust in God, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, coronavirus, David, debt, discontent, distress, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, hard times, Healing, Health, Prayer, protection, provision, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory

• Get a Picture!

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

  2 Corinthians 5:7- “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

  Coronavirus is ongoing! Some have perished, and hundreds of thousands are sick with it. And there’s no cure in sight. As a matter of fact, I heard on the news that they are not expecting to have a vaccine until 2022. What are we to do? I believe that this is the time to learn to trust God like never before.

  I like to read the classics, and one of my favorite is, “Christ, the Healer” by F.F, Bosworth. In his book he wrote, “Walking by faith is walking by sight of a better kind…We see with the eye of faith the glorious things that are invisible to the natural eye. Faith is the most rational thing in the world, because it is based on the greatest of facts and realities. It sees God; it sees Calvary, where disease and sin were canceled. It sees the promises of God and His faithfulness.”

  Years ago, when I was a youth minister, one of my teens was involved in a terrible accident. Her skull was cut up to relieve swelling, and all kinds of things were going on. But when we went to visit her in the hospital, her mom had a picture of her posted to her hospital machines and she said basically, “That’s who I see. My daughter completely whole.” I want you to know, that’s what she got! Her daughter completely whole. She refused to believe what she saw in the natural as the end of her daughter’s life and embraced what she saw by faith!

  Dr. Sandra Kennedy shared a similar testimony on Sid Roth. She said her dog accidentally bit her in the face. I don’t remember all the details, but her face was not normal and her speech was impaired. She placed pictures of her smiling face every where in her house and decreed that she was completely restored. And one day she was!

  We did a similar thing in our own life. Our daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis. She was even placed in a body brace to correct it. But then we placed her X-ray on our refrigerator so that every time we say it, we would say her spine was straight, in Jesus’ name! Or we would command it to be straight. And she went for a check-up and the doctor said it was straight. Glory to God!

  These are serious times. They are challenging all of us in ways we couldnt’ imagine, but God was not caught off guard and neither is He worried! He said the just shall live by their faith! Even in a pandemic!

  I like how John Osteen explained the walk of faith. He said basically that you don’t deny the facts of what is happening because they are real. You just choose to agree with what God has to say about things. That’s walking by faith!

  I think about the woman with the issue of blood. She went to see Jesus that she might be healed. I don’t think the Bible tells us all of the details, so let me just add what I think could have happened. When she got there she saw the crowd, and actually heard Jairus ask Jesus to come and heal his little girl. He’s leaving, what will she do now! At that point she could’ve said, it is just not for me to be healed. But she didn’t. She had come to be healed and she was going to be healed. So she said within herself, if I could just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed. He doesn’t have to see me, He doesn’t have to talk to me or lay hands on me. If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed. So she pressed through the crowd until she got near enough to touch His hem, and she reached out with the hand of faith, touched it, and was made whole. She saw herself, in her mind, touching the hem of His garment and being healed. And so she was.

  Maybe it is time for you to get a picture. What are you believing God for? Is it healing, get a picture of you completely healed. Is it a spouse, get a picture of your honeymoon spot, or a wedding dress! Maybe it’s your finances-well get a picture of your bank book see a balance on it you want to see! Maybe you can’t get a physical picture, but you can see a mental picture of you working, of you pregnant, of you in your new home. Whatever it is, it’s time to look through the eyes of faith. It’s time to see God, to see His promises, to see His word come to pass in your life. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, God’s faithfulness, Healing | 1 Comment | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, encouragement, Faith, Healing, Jesus, miraculous, provision, testimony, trust in God, word of God

• His Mission in Life!

  Posted at 4:05 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 2, 2020

  Luke 19:9-10 – “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” NKJV

  If you read my blog on yesterday, you know that Jesus had much to say about who He is: teacher, prophet, Messiah, Son of God, to name a few. But today I want to share why He came. According to our verse for today, one of His primary reasons for coming was to “seek and to save” the lost. It’s one of the church’s primary mission to do the same. But in His own words, He came for so much more and I would like to share the other reasons in this blog:

  Jesus said that He came:

  • To establish His kingdom- Mark 1:14
  • To fulfill the law-Matthew 5:17
  • To forgive sins-Matthew 9:6
  • To call sinners to repentance-Matthew 9:13
  • To die on the cross-Matthew 16:21
  • To rise from the dead-Matthew 16:21
  • To bear witness to the truth-John 18:37
  • To preach the gospel to the poor-Luke 4:18
  • To heal the broken-hearted -Luke 4:18
  • To set the captive free-Luke 4:18
  • To give sight to the blind -Luke 4:18
  • To send fire on the earth-Luke 12:49
  • To bring division-Luke 12:52
  • From God-John 8:42
  • That we might have life, and that more abundantly-John 10:10

  Again, this may not be an exhaustive list. There may be other places in the gospels where Jesus talks of all He came to accomplish while in His body, but these are the ones that I found in my search.

  Why am I even blogging on who Jesus is and what He came for? During these troubled times of the world’s focus on COVID-19, I thought it would be good to take the time and focus on Jesus. Who He is to you and what He came to do in your life. When looking at Him, everything else grows dim.

  My girlfriend, and talented psalmist, wrote a song years ago: “Focus on Jesus”. In the chorus she wrote: Focus on Jesus, He’s the One who cares! No one cares for us like Jesus does. No one loves us like Jesus does. None can provide like Him. Don’t let this pandemic overtake your every thought and activity, keep your focus on Jesus!

  Some of these statements Jesus made seem to be a little hard to swallow, but that’s out of context. In context, He demonstrates over and over again that He is a loving Savior, who expresses the heart of God, through the tenderness of the Holy Spirit in all that He does.

  Years ago, I was invited to share with a group of college students during their weekly Bible study. My prayer before I went there was to show them the heart of God, the love of Jesus. As I was teaching, all I wanted was for them to fall in love with my Jesus! All I want through my blogs is for you to fall madly in love with Jesus because He is madly in love with you.

  There’s no way I can blog almost every day and “hit the spot” every time. But if every time you click on, you see how much I love Jesus and I can convey to you how much He loves you, then my mission has been accomplished. It’s why I am blogging, it’s what I want my life to display.

  Last night, Don Lemon, interviewed a pastor out of Florida. I was a little nervous to hear what he would say, seeing that some of them are refusing to honor the stay at home order. This particular pastor shared that he was honoring the order because he felt the necessity of honor the civil law. He also expressed how he didn’t want to see his people get sick or to carry sickness to their families. But then he said an amazing thing: He said that this didn’t mean that he and his congregation was afraid of COVID-19, because they are not. He and his congregation stand ready to assist anyone in need at this time, even at the risk of contracting the virus and potentially dying. I sensed his love for the Savior, and his desire to demonstrate that love. God’s people can be pretty amazing when called upon.

  If during this time you are presented with an opportunity, yours truly included, to demonstrate His love in a practical way, do so! The world is waiting to see Jesus do what He came to do! And they will see it through us! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Jesus, love of God | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, coronavirus, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, provision

• A Canopy Of Glory- Revised!

  Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 24, 2020

  Isaiah 4:5-6- “And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and rain.” KJV

  I was thinking about my next post, when the Lord reminded me of this post from 2019. I went back and read it and was amazed at how it fit where we are today. So with a few revisions, I am reposting this blog today.

  I was reading in the book of Isaiah, visiting a beloved friend, when I read this verse. Isaiah was one who understood God. He understood His majesty, His heart, His plans, His purpose, His words, His desire to know us, His desire to be known by us. He understood God. I have said before, “If you want to understand Jesus, read the gospel of John; but if you want to understand God, read the book of Isaiah.” Sometimes I just want to read about the One who is the Lord of Glory! And tonight I want to talk a little about that glory!

  The word “canopy” can be defined as “a protective covering”, and for my blog tonight, it’s the meaning I want to use. Recently, I was teaching a literacy lesson using a text about the rainforest. In this text, it talked about how in a rainforest or even a jungle, the trees grow so close together that they create a canopy in its top branches. This canopy can be well over 100 feet from the ground. When you view this canopy from on top it looks like a large green field, but when viewed from underneath, it is where the plants and the animals live, the life of the rainforest.

  In the above verse, Isaiah is talking to Jerusalem of a time when they will be in utter desperation because of the hard times that they will experience. Hard times brought on by their sins. But then he goes on to write that the time will come when God will bring a cleansing to His people. And when they are cleansed they will be His holy people.

  Now before I go any further, let me remind you that if you have been washed by the Blood of Jesus and your sins have been forgiven that you are His holy people. Peter said it like this, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” So now this prophetic word that Isaiah spoke to the people of Jerusalem becomes a prophetic word for the believer.

  Isaiah prophesied, that once you were made holy, the land would produce for you it’s best. And if that is not enough, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would place a canopy (a protective covering) of His glory over His people- a cloud by day and a fire by night! Now where have we seen this before? When the children of Israel left Egypt for the Promised Land!

  So here we see the Lord of Glory again promising that His Glory would be before us protecting us as it did the children of Israel! This is awesome news! If we can get in position in the canopy of His Glory, it is where we will find the best of life.

  Shocking news come across our ears daily and some unusual things have been happening in the world today because of the coronavirus, and if we are not careful, fear will grip our hearts. But the prophet Isaiah encourages us with these words that once again, His glory will go before us and be behind us, and He will place a canopy of protection over us! He promises to be our shelter, our protection from the storm and rain, and even from the heat. That promise includes protection from worldwide viruses!

  As we are at home on lockdown, I find myself in my prayer time thanking God for this promise. As I worship Him I thank Him that I, my family, my friends, my church, the Body are all under His canopy of Glory and that protection is ours. This is wonderful news, from a wonderful Savior, for His people because although we are practicing social distancing, the real truth is that God is our Protector. This message was relevant when Isaiah spoke it and it is surely relevant now! Thank God for His canopy of glory that is over you and me during this unusual time in our world. Hearing of the deaths of so many is almost unreal, watching the numbers of cases around the world is mind boggling, but I just keep focusing on the One who has promised me protection, and I am thankful for His canopy of Glory that is full of life. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, coronavirus, encouragement, protection | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, coronavirus, encouragement, hard times, protection, provision, the Glory of the Lord

• Miraculous Provision

  Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 23, 2020

  Matthew 14:18-21 – “He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” NKJV

  It’s really hard to give one verse and then to talk about a miracle. Especially since sometimes the details are the best part of the actual miracle!

  Many years ago, I sat in a service listening to a missionary. He spoke of the salvations and the many wonderful people he met and ministered to. But then he began talking about a miracle that he witnessed. He shared how they had prepared food for a certain number of people but as it came time to feed them, more than double showed up. So they began praying over the food and it turned out to be more than enough. He knew Jesus had multiplied food again! I knew I wanted to know that Jesus and was the first at the altar!

  By again, I’m referring to our passage for today! Jesus had a crowd following behind Him to be ministered to and He realized they were hungry. We know from other accounts that the disciples wanted them to go somewhere else and eat, but Jesus had a different plan. They saw a young lad with five loaves and two fish and Jesus said it was enough. The disciples had to have been thinking that there was no way that they could feed all of those people with so little. Yet, He did!

  Jesus took the meal and blessed it. Right here is a shouting moment! Anything that Jesus blesses is going to multiply! There’s no stopping that! Then He broke the loaves of bread and gave them to the disciples and they passed it out. But in the passing it out, they never ran out. They fed five thousand men, plus the women and children that was with the men. But even if they had only feed 5,000, that’s amazing. On top of that, there were twelve baskets of food remaining. The kid not only had more than enough for lunch, but quite a bit left over for his family and to share. That’s God! More than enough!

  So many people are out of work right now. We’re headed for some tough times if things don’t turn around quickly. But I just want to remind you that the One who performed this miracle in the book of Mark, is still capable of performing miracles of provision today!

  I heard another time, that a young lady had taken a suitcase of clothes to an orphanage to distribute to the children. Only she saw more children then she had clothes in the suitcase. But guess what? The clothes never did run out. How’s is that possible? Jesus! And I think she took that same suitcase to other orphanages and did the same thing.

  When I was in Bible school I had a roommate. We had to pay rent and tuition, and we had to eat. I was working at Pizza Inn making minimum wages and tips. (I think it was about $1.15 at the time). So we didn’t have a lot of extra anything! It was announced that we would be having a work week at the church. Men from all over the States came to work on the headquarters. I didn’t think anything of it because I didn’t have any involvement with all of that. As I was leaving class, I waved to them and said hello to others, but then God spoke to me.

  God told me to take them something to eat for lunch. We didn’t have a lot, but I went to our apartment, found some bread and meat and made sandwiches and Kool-aid. It just happened to be enough for the men that were working. I hadn’t even stopped to count. It just was! For the rest of the week I took them lunch every day, at my expense, and met some really nice people. But the really special thing that happened was that God told me that I would never go hungry. And I never have, although I struggled to take care of myself for several years. He’s always provided!

  He may not multiply your fish and bread, but He can surely stretch your money. Or He can send you groceries. (I have heard several of those types of testimonies, also). Or someone can invite you over for dinner or pay for your food in the grocery line. He has so many creative ways of taking care of us. And I have experienced a few of them!

  Another time, after I got married, I wanted to give my daughter a birthday party. But I didn’t want to ask my husband for the money because he was the only one working and I thought it would be a good time to exercise my faith. So I asked God for the money. Not long after that, we went out for ice cream and my husband spotted a wallet near my feet. It was empty of everything but money. I told the workers there that they could have my number and if the person came back looking for the wallet they could call me and I would return it. But I made it perfectly clear that they would have to be able to tell me exactly how much was in the wallet. The call never came, and I had a party for my baby on Jesus!

  I am fortunate that although I am out of work, I am getting paid. (My pastor would say it is because I am a tither). I know this is nothing but God! I have experienced His goodness to me so many times that I would have just trusted Him to do some other wonderful thing in providing for us if I wasn’t getting paid. He hasn’t failed us yet, and He never will!

  If you are struggling at this time in your finances, because of the coronavirus, this is a good time to use your faith. Begin to talk to the miracle worker, who can turn a little into a lot or who can turn nothing into something. He sees it as His personal responsibility to provide for us, so ask Him today for what you need! Then trust Him to provide it! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, Faith, miracle, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, blessings, encouragement, Faith, feeding of five thousand, Jesus, miraculous, provision, testimony, trust in God

• God’s Excited About You!

  Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 3, 2020

  Isaiah 62:5 – As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. NIV

  This scripture leaped in my heart yesterday. When that happens, I blog about it!

  The very first time I heard this scripture I heard it referred to in the context of our salvation. I still believe this is true. Especially since Jesus mentions a marriage of the Bride, Paul mentions a marriage, and John mentions a marriage in Revelation! Let’s take a look:

  As a young man marries a you woman, so will your Builder marry you! In the YLT, the Builder is referred to in this verse, also. Jesus is the Builder! So how does a young man marry a virgin? Generally speaking, through a covenant. And how do we become saved or born again? Spiritually speaking, through the Blood Covenant of the Lamb.

  Now this is what I heard in my spirit. People try to act like living for God is so difficult to do, they even say they don’t know how. This is not altogether true. When a man marries a woman, whether they have been schooled or not, they know basic things and when people get saved, they also have a sense of some basic things.

  When people get married, they understand that they have come together in covenant as a man and a wife and that there are to be no others. They understand that the sanctity of marriage is part of the package. Now, rather they keep it or not, it isn’t because of ignorance, because when you marry someone you are saying that you are no longer available to the single population. People truly understand that they can’t go out with old boyfriends to dinner, have dates with the opposite sex, or get involved in physical intimacies outside of their marriage. Whether you have seen a good marriage or not, whether you have studied the institution of marriage or not, whether you understand all the ins and outs of the relationship or not, you understand these basic things.

  The same is true for salvation. When people get saved, it’s good to have a teacher, (make sure you find a good one), but rather you have one or not, you understand that coming together with God means this is to be a decision to live holy. You really don’t need anyone to tell you that after you get saved that you need to go to church and to go on a regular basis, yet people have to be hounded to attend church and to do so faithfully. You pretty much understand that even if you don’t know all the types of prayers and how to pray them all, that you should be praying. It’s pretty much a given that if you are going to be a Christian, rather you understand what you are reading or not, you are to read the Bible. People can act as crazy as they want to, but we all come with a sense of knowledge even when we don’t know how or why we know it. We don’t generally live in a bubble. With the exception of those who are not exposed to any form of religion, or church, we live in a community of people and have some pretty good ideas of what church is about. I know sinners who can give a good rundown on the Christian disciplines. So we are without excuse in our relationship with the Lord!

  As a young man marries a virgin! The Christian faith is entered into in much the same way as a couple getting married. You make an exchange at the altar of rings to denote your unity and your commitment to one another. With your mouth you confess that you will give yourself to one another and no others with the intent to spend the rest of your lives together. When I got married it was for better or for worst, for good times, and through bad, for richer and for poorer, for the rest of our lives, til death do we part. A lifelong commitment! We understood that. And when we give our lives to the Lord, that’s the same type of covenant commitment that we are to make to Him. Yet too often, we break the marriage covenant and the covenant of salvation with God as if it’s no big deal.

  But for those of us, who hang in there, we get to enjoy a wonderful honeymoon, so to speak, with the Savior. The rest of that verse lets us know that as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so the Lord rejoices over us! That’s an encouraging thought! The picture of God the Father rejoicing over us because He is so glad to be a part of us and to have us be a part of Him. Can you imagine Him treating Himself wrongly? No! Can you imagine Him denying Himself anything? No! Can you imagine Him being lax in His responsibilities towards you? No! So stop acting like it! He’s rejoicing over you!

  My husband is a really good man. He’s been that way since we met. He has been generous with money and attention all of our 33 years. He takes really good care of me and our daughters. Without me asking for things, he will provided them. Without me being concerned about things, he takes care of them. He’s a keeper! But you know what? God is even better to me! I can’t imagine Him letting my husband take better care of me than He takes of me. Not happening. I can’t imagine Him withholding things from me to teach me a lesson, when He loves me so much. It’s unthinkable. And I can’t imagine Him not being there for me, when He has already promised me that He would never leave me. He’s more committed to this covenant relationship than we could ever be! And more importantly, He’s excited about it, and He’s excited about you!

  We make salvation so complicated, when it really isn’t that complicated. God hasn’t saved us to keep things from us, but to give us every spiritual blessing and some natural ones thrown on top for good measure. His aim is to love us so much that we would have no thoughts of another lover. He has given His all for us and will spare no expense to show His adoration for us. He is just that good! (See my previous post!)

  When we first married, my husband used to say often, “I can’t believe we are married!” He was just so happy about it! And I would respond, “Well, you better!” Sometimes I think, “WOW, God! I can hardly believe that I am your child! I am so thankful, so happy to be a part of your family, your kingdom!” And I can hear Him saying, “You better believe it!” Because I can only access and achieve that which I believe is available to me! And the same goes for you!

  God’s great salvation is the best He has to offer. There’s no better “deal” out there. No greater Savior! No greater Husband! No greater Provider! No need to wait to see what any other religion has to offer you, for they can never offer you access and relationship with the Living God. If you have not accepted this great salvation, please do so now, so your honeymoon can begin! And if you do it right, it never has to end! Wonderful Jesus!

  Note on salvation: If you have not asked Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, please do so today! It’s really easy! Just tell Him how much you need Him and want Him to be a part of your life. Tell Him that you realize that you won’t begin living until He becomes your life! Tell Him how much you really, really need this love of His that He offers so freely. And don’t forget to tell Him that only He can save you and free you from the clutches of sin. Then ask Him to do it! I promise you that He will! If you do, leave me a comment so that I can rejoice with you over receiving this great Savior and His great salvation!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, Jesus, Salvation, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, God, Isaiah 62:5, Jesus, love, provision, Salvation

• The Shout of Victory!

  Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 11, 2020

  Joshua 6:16 – And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!

  You would be hard pressed today to find someone who has not heard of the battle of Jericho. Songs and movies have been made about this great victory; but just in case you are one of the few who have not heard, I will give you an abbreviated account.

  The children of Israel had arrived at the Jordan. It was time to go across into the land of Canaan to take possession of their promised land, their inheritance. Joshua sent two spies to check out the land, and while they were doing reconnaissance they met Rahab. She hides the spies, lies to her countrymen, then makes a deal for her life and the lives of her family members (chapter 2).

  Then the children of Israel arrives at the Jordan and again God parts the waters as He did with the Red Sea. Do you think the people of Canaan was oblivious to this parting of the river? I don’t think so! I think this only heightened their fear of Joshua and the children of Israel. Sometimes when we are in a battle, all we see is the obvious; but we have to realize that God is strategically handle the situation on our behalf. The Canaanites were already afraid of the God who parted the Red Sea and now He is parting the Jordan! This was no coincidence!

  After they cross over the Jordan, the manna ceased. The interesting thing to note about the manna is that God had miraculously supplied manna for them while in the wilderness, but in the promised land, provision was waiting and they had no more need of manna. Some say they no longer needed a miracle so it stopped! I think that the possessing of the land was quite miraculous and the miracles didn’t stop, they took on another form!

  The city of Jericho was on lockdown! There was no natural way to get inside the city without assistance. Archaeologists have proven that the city was surrounded by two walls and that houses were built in the walls. They also discovered that the Canaanites could have lasted for years under siege because they had a great water supply and had stored up many provisions. This was probably known to the spies and told to Joshua, Joshua didn’t know how he was going to win this battle, he just knew that he would!

  God gave Joshua some unusual instructions for attacking Jericho! Joshua was told that they were to march around the city once for six days. When they marched, the procession was to be led by the men of war, followed by seven priests playing seven trumpets in front of the ark (continuously), and behind the ark bearing priests there were to be more men of war. Not a sound was to be made otherwise! Then they returned to the camp. I can just imagine the look on the faces of the people of Canaan. They had to be wondering what in the world were the children of Israel doing? What kind of battle strategy was this? Why do they keep blowing that horn? And the sounds of the feet marching was probably magnified to them inciting fear beyond reason! What were they waiting for? What did they hope to accomplish with all of this marching? Simple instructions and frightening at the same time.

  However, on the seventh day the instructions changed. They were to march around the city seven times and when they heard the sound of the trumpet, all the people were to shout with a great shout, then the walls would fall flat! Can I just stop here to say that I wonder what Joshua was feeling at these instructions? Joshua, a mighty warrior, who have fought several battles with the Lord, is being told that his strategy for his first major war as leader of Israel is to march around the city?! Whatever he was feeling, he obeyed God! That’s a lesson all by itself!

  I remember reading a testimony of a person who was told by God to hit someone with a banana and they would be healed. Of course, the person thought that this was pretty ridiculous and couldn’t possibly be from God. Later that day, I think he was at a conference, the speaker said something like, “If God tells you to get a banana and hit someone with it, you need to obey God!” He instantly knew he was being rebuked, but moved to obey God and saw a miracle! Joshua needed no such confirmation! He trusted that this strategy would get the job done! There is no record of a discourse like Moses had with God at the burning bush when he said he couldn’t speak! No, Joshua simply obeyed God and the walls came tumbling down!

  Battles are tough! But they don’t always have to be. One word from God can turn your entire situation around. That’s why I love reading about the battles in the Old Testament. They help me to understand that God’s instructions are as unique as the situations. He is no cookie cutter God and what He told Bertha to do to win her battle, may not be what He tells you! Some battles are won with much fasting and prayer! Some are won with speaking the word! But some are won with a shout! Joshua understood that his sure victory was in hearing from God! And that’s the lesson I take from this battle! If you are facing a battle or in the midst of a battle, your victory will depend on your battle plan! Make sure it’s the one the Lord is backing! Shout,for He has given you the city! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Victorious Living | 1 Comment | Tagged encouragemnt, Joshua, miraculous, Prayer, provision, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory

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