Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: resurrection

• But You Shall Receive Power!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 14, 2020

  Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. KJV

  

  but-you-shall-receive-power_.mp3

  In Luke 24:49, Jesus told His disciples:

  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

  The Holy Spirit executes the power of God. Jesus knew this! He also knew that the assignment He had given to the disciples, to preach the kingdom of God, would require that they walk in power. Therefore, His last instructions to them were to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high!

  Many people, mistakenly believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is all about speaking in tongues. Well, it isn’t! Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit, but it is not the whole picture. The whole picture is that tongues is evidence of the presence of Holy Ghost power! My wedding ring is not my marriage, but it is the evidence of my marriage! (That may be too simplistic for something so amazing!)

  In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit was released, wasn’t His introduction to the world. The Holy Spirit has been present, since Genesis, where He hovered over the waters; to produce God’s will upon the creation of the earth. The Holy Spirit was at hand when the Red Sea was parted. The Holy Spirit was present at the conception and resurrection of our Lord. And the Holy Spirit was present on the day of Pentecost. The difference being that when He came on Pentecost, He remained on earth to assist Jesus’ Church in the work of the ministry!

  This time in which we are living is the appointed time, the chairos time, of the Holy Spirit. You can live a godly life in Christ and not be filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Your life will be blessed and you will meet Jesus in eternity. I’m not one who believes less of a person because they don’t speak in tongues or more of a person, because they do. I have, unfortunately, noticed in the Body of Christ, that there are many who believe that those of us who speak in tongues are of the devil. I think that is not only wrong, but it is shameful! That’s how the Pharisees acted towards Jesus!

  In order to be a Christian, we must accept the truth of the gospel. Simply stated, we must believe that through the blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are cleansed. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, come in the flesh and that He is God. And we must believe there is no other way by which we can be saved. That’s it! Whether we speak in tongues or not, when we meet that first criteria and give our heart to the Lord, we are born again. For any Christian to look upon another Blood bought individual, and to accuse them of belonging to the devil, is pure nonsense!

  As I mentioned already, Jesus felt it necessary that the disciples, who had walked with Him, be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. If they weren’t of the devil, then neither are the people who are filled today! The disciples were told to tarry, or wait; but after that, there are no other mentions of tarrying for the Holy Spirit. Although, many have tarried and made it a requirement for receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it is not; we just receive Him by faith!

  On the day of Pentecost, which was 50 days after the resurrection of our Lord, the disciples, 120 of them, were together in the Upper Room, praying, worshipping, and waiting for power from on high! As they sat in the meeting, the Holy Spirit came in the room, upon each of them. That’s for the next blog!

  Jesus told them that when they received this power from on high, they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

  When we think of being a witness, we think of the simplicity of sharing the gospel. It is typically how this verse is read and preached, and it isn’t necessarily incorrect. It just isn’t the whole picture! When Jesus was referring to us being His witnesses, He was also referring to us expanding the kingdom in the same way that He did it, by bringing heaven to earth in the lives of the people.

  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 – NKJV

  He was a witness that God was real, and that He is the Son of God. As He went about the villages teaching, preaching, healing, casting out demons, and raising the dead, He demonstrated His power over everything in the earth realm.

  Paul said that he didn’t operate in just great preaching and being able to persuade people to his point of view, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)!

  So what witness was Jesus referring to?

  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 – NKJV

  Jesus knew that His disciples would have to operate just as He did, in order to witness to the truth that He is alive. Jesus had received the Holy Ghost on the day of His water baptism and the Holy Ghost never left Him. He was man, operating as God, by the power of the Holy Ghost! And so must we!

  The apostles couldn’t get a young man free from demons when Jesus was alive, without His authority. After the Holy Spirit came upon them, they operated in great power.

  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people…And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women… Acts 5:12-16 – NKJV

  Now that’s some power! Throughout the New Testament, tongues was understood as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it was the power that gave greater proof and great witness about Jesus!

  Since I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, it has been a great pleasure, and an honor to experience God’s power. It has been an ever greater blessing to realize that the Holy Spirit is alive and well, and is still moving through countless believers, in countless situations, to bring witness to the resurrected Savior and the kingdom of God. Next time, I’ll talk more about the actual baptism of the Holy Spirit! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Baptism, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Kingdom of God, resurrection, Salvation, Sin, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, trust in God

• Jesus, the Son of God!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 30, 2020

  Matthew 3:17 – And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” NKJV

  

  jesus_-the-son-of-god_.mp3

  prayer-for-salvation-1.m4a

  I’ve blogged about Jesus, our deliverer from sin; Jesus, our access to the kingdom, and Jesus, our access to the blessings. All of this helps us to understand the multi-faceted purpose of our Lord and Savior. Today, I will blog about Jesus, the Son of God.

  Everything we can ever learn about Jesus is a truth we should hold dear to our heart; but the one truth we must make preeminent is, Jesus is, the Son of God! The foundation of our faith in Him, is wrapped up in the gift of God, His Son, who came in human flesh to die on the cross for us, then He rose from the dead, and presents us faultless before the throne!

  Mark, Luke, and John starts their gospel account acknowledging Jesus as, the Son of God. John expounded on this truth that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. In verse thirty four of his first chapter he wrote, “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (Words attributed to John the Baptist). Then, at the closing of his writings in chapter twenty he stated, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” When I was new in the studying of the word, I was told, and heard many people tell new believers, to start reading in the book of John. I wasn’t told why, just to do it. But I understand now, because John’s purpose in writing this gospel was to present Jesus as, the Son of God, and faith starts and end on this truth!

  The devil started his attacks against Jesus with the phrase, “If You are the Son of God”. At this point, Jesus had not proclaimed anything about Himself; but the enemy knew it to be true, that He, Jesus, was indeed, the Son of God. Satan’s problem was that He didn’t understand why God sent His Son to the earth in the flesh. He had no idea the great plan of salvation that was carried in the bosom of the Son of God. He did however, know it was not a good thing for him. On several occasions, as demons were about to be cast out of individuals, they referred to Jesus as the Son of God; but He would silence them because He wanted no recognition or witness from the demonic world.

  People, who came in contact with Him, recognized Jesus as the Son of God. As Jesus performed miracles, He was worshipped as the Son of God. When He walked on water, and told Peter to come out of the boat, and Peter also walked on water, the disciples proclaimed that “truly He is the Son of God.” When Jesus told Nathanael that He saw him under the tree, Nathanael declared that Jesus was the Son of God. When Jesus asked His disciples who did men say that He was, Peter said that he believed Jesus to be the Son of God. When He died on the cross and the earth responded with anguish, it was said by the centurion that He was, the Son of God.

  More importantly, Jesus said He is the Son of God. After healing the man born blind, Jesus asked the man if he believed in the Son of God, and affirmed that He indeed was the Son. Jesus said that as the Son, He must complete the works of His Father. Jesus also said that He who did not honor the Son, did not honor the Father that sent Him. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He said it was done that He, the Son of God, might be glorified by it. He repeatedly called God, His Father. Before the Sanhedrin, with many accusers throwing lies around, He said nothing; but when asked if He was the Son of God, He assented.

  And lastly, the most important witness is that of the Father. When God sent Michael to Mary, the angel told her that she would give birth to the Son of God. The Father said at His baptism that Jesus is His beloved Son, and He is well pleased with Him. And yet again, on the Mount of Transfiguration, God called Jesus, His beloved Son.

  His birth was a miraculous birth, as He was placed in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit. He was sent by God to save His people from their sins and to give them eternal life. He was focused on obeying His Father and doing His will. He forgave sins, as His Father did. He performed mighty miracles, just like the Father. He raised the dead, just like God. His character was that of the Father: holy and without sin. He is equal with God, one with the Father. He is God!

  All of this is in God’s word, regarding Jesus, His Son. The one truth that no other religion will admit to, is that Jesus is, the Son of God. They will call Him a prophet. They will admit that He was real and did some great things, but they fall short of acknowledging Him as, the Son of God. He is very much the Son of God, and because we believe, He has given us the right to become sons of God. What a privilege and honor to have God as our Father. If you have not recognized the Son of God before today, I trust that after reading this blog, you more fully see Him as He is: Jesus, the Beloved Son of God! And don’t forget, once you believe, you are now,______________, the beloved son of God! (Fill in the blank with your name! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Jesus, Son of God | 0 Comments | Tagged beloved Son, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, John the Baptist, Luke, Mark, Peter walking on wate, resurrection, Salvation, supernatural, the Father, the Son of God, the Word of God, well pleased, witness

• Breaking News!

  Posted at 12:42 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 12, 2020

  Revelation 1:18 -I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. NKJV

  

  As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, let’s not get caught up in the fact that we couldn’t go to church, we couldn’t get dressed up in our new clothes, and we couldn’t be with family and friends for dinner. These things are all wonderful traditions that make this time a special time. Especially being in church with people of like precious faith!

  Let’s take time to rejoice that He is alive! That’s the most important truth of the Bible. Paul said that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith is a delusion and we are yet in our sins; if in this life only we have hope in Christ, then we are of all people the most miserable! (1 Corinthians 15)

  So, let’s rejoice that He is risen and is alive forevermore. And if you have a loved one, friend or family, who has recently left this life because of the coronavirus or for any reason, and that person died in Him, then know that they also have life eternal and you can and will see them again, for He is the Resurrection and the Life!

  Rejoice! Our Savior is risen! And He is alive! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Easter, Jesus, Resurrection Sunday | 1 Comment | Tagged Christian, Easter, Jesus, resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation

• The Passion of the Christ!

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

  Mark 15:15 – Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. NIV

  One day, in my prayer time, I asked the Lord if He could give me a visual of His crucifixion. I had read it for many years, but didn’t really understand what He had gone through, and being a visual learner, I desired to see the crucifixion. In my own mind I think I had envisioned a dream or a vision, or even a clearer picture of what happened to my Lord, but nothing happened.

  Then one day I heard about a movie coming out, “The Passion of the Christ,” about the crucifixion and I was excited about it. I felt that the Lord had Mel Gibson had put this movie together, led by God on my behalf, in order for me to see what the crucifixion was like! (I know, it wasn’t because of me, but since it was an answer to my prayer, that’s how I feel!)

  I don’t think there are too many Christians alive today who have not seen the movie, and if you haven’t seen it, you should! I promise you from the time they starting beating the actor portraying Jesus, to many hours later, I was completely messed up. I was horrified at the whipping and it broke my heart. I cried uncontrollably and I could not be comforted. They just kept on beating him and beating him and I knew that what my Savior had suffered for me, for mankind was much greater than we could have imagined! Spoiler alert: There was one point when they had beat him so bad, he fell to the ground. But then he picked himself back up for them to continue the beating. I just knew that I knew that the “strength” portrayed was the strength that Jesus would have conveyed through it all! Now that blessed me to no end!!

  What is the passion of the Christ? I most certainly did not know the answer to this question, until I asked it after the movie. You have to cut me some slack, as I wasn’t in a “religious” church and this phrase was new to me. Anyway, the Latin word for “passion” is “passionem” and literally means “suffering, enduring”. And therefore, the passion of the Christ is all about the sufferings He had to deal with after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem all the way to the cross.

  So what were some of these things:

  * He was betrayed by Judas, one of the 12
  * In the Garden of Gethsemane, no one prayed with or for Him
  * He was arrested in front of His disciples, and they fled the scene
  * He was before the Sanhedrin and they falsely accused Him, spit on, and beat on Him
  * He was disowned by Peter three times, one of the 12
  * He was condemned when a murderer was freed
  *He sustained an intense scourging, including a crown of thorns
  * He was made to carry His own cross in His weaken state
  * And then He was nailed on a cross between two thieves

  Let me tell you what I thought it meant! I thought it meant that Jesus was so passionate about saving us, that He was not willing to let anything keep Him from the cross. His passion was revealed in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed so intently that He sweat drops of blood. His passion was revealed when He said that He could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver Him, but He wouldn’t. His passion was revealed, when they beat Him and He said not a word. His passion was revealed as He hung on the cross and extended mercy to the thief! Now that’s passion!!! Not suffering passion but a passion to redeem us from our sins, our diseases, and all that would hold us captive to will of Satan. He was so passionate about dying, because He couldn’t wait to get up out of that grave and return to the Father!! Wonderful Jesus!!!

  Which ever view that you have, know that you are special to heart of God! He loves us so much! Since I’ve already mentioned a song this week, I’ll mention another:

  Oh, how He loves you and me!
  Oh, how He loves you and me!
  He gave His life, what more could He give,
  Oh, how He loves you, oh, how He loves me,
  Oh, how He loves you and me!!

  I’m pretty sure that you can find this song in another blog. It’s one of my personal favorites. I’m so glad He loves us and I’m so glad that His passion drove Him straight to Calvary that I might have the opportunity to return that love to Him forever! Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Easter, Jesus, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, Easter, encouragement, God, Jesus, resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, the Blood of Jesus

• Tell Me Your Story-Brannon Carnes

  Posted at 11:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 27, 2019

  Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

  I was praying on Saturday evening when I heard the Spirit of God whisper, “Tell me your story!” As I continued to pray I saw my blog and was given the idea to ask my followers to send in their stories, aka testimonies. The following morning we had a guest speaker, Pastor Brannon Carnes share a most amazing story. I knew then it was a confirmation from the Lord and I was to share it. I hope this excerpt from his story bless you as much as I was blessed:

  Testimony of God’s Resurrection Power: Brannon Carnes

  The setting is hot, humid and without a single natural breeze (in Sierra Leone, West Africa). I am leading worship for the second time. I am opening my mouth as I have done for almost 30 years, leading God’s people in worship. However, there is something that’s about to happen to me that would change my life forever, an attack that I’ve never experienced before.

  The moment I stopped playing the keyboard and singing, I start to experience a dizzy sensation. I thought to myself, “How could this be happening to me at this moment?” In my own estimation, I felt I had been drinking plenty of water, and I knew I had eaten enough food. Nevertheless, I was beginning to quickly lose touch with reality. I was not feeling well at all with no logical reason.

  My eyes began to close. I had no feeling left in my natural body. I felt nothing and I was in control of nothing. Everything goes completely black. I then entered a dream-world. It felt like I was taking a nap.

  In this dream, someone was reaching down to me, as if to pull me out of a hole. I opened my eyes but all I see are the eyes of the man pulling me out. I didn’t recognize this man, neither did I know where I was. The truth is, Pastor James Ward had picked me off of the floor and placed me in a chair.

  At this time, I remember opening my eyes and thinking, “where am I?” Pastor James was in my face shouting, “Are you with me? Are you 100%?” Later, he told me that I was looking at him but I wasn’t coherent. My eyes were glazed over and I was drifting. He mentioned that my eyes started rolling into the back of my head and I was unconscious again.

  Pastor James said that my body became lifeless, I went completely limp. He checked for a pulse and found none…the lady standing to my right was a nurse. She also checked for a pulse and found none. Pastor James mentions that the first thing to pop into his mind was an image of my wife’s face and he being the one to tell her that I died in Sierra Leone.

  Pastor James immediately jumps into warfare mode and begins to war for my very life. He was praying intensely, fervently. The urgency eventually took over the service and in seconds the entire church begins to pray.

  The nurse, who also happened to be one of the key intercessors of the local church, begins to call down fire from heaven. My body starts shaking…then from out of nowhere I see a ball of fire come down from heaven and hit me in my belly! And I was completely alive! I’ve never felt more alive in my life up until that moment! Pastor James asks the question again, “Are you with me…are you 100%?” The tears weren’t streaming down my face, but squirting out of my eyes as I shouted a resounding, “Yes!”

  I was taken to an upper room for me to cool off…A medical doctor came in and took my pulse. He just happened to be attending the morning session of the conference. He said my blood pressure was a bit low, but would check me a little later in order to get a more accurate reading.

  Whenever asked how I felt, my response was, “I feel as if nothing happened.” I did feel great! There wasn’t even a trace of fatigue, no side effects. I didn’t even feel any pain from hitting my head on the floor. The Resurrection power had taken care of everything. All systems were not only back to normal, they felt like they were brand new.

  Wonderful, wonderful, Savior!! Thank God He is still the same today that He was yesterday and will be forever!

  If you have an amazing story, do tell! Since it is my blog, I reserved the right to edit it for grammar, to shorten it for quick reading, to choose when to post or not to post! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christian, miracle working power, testimony, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Christian, encouragement, Faith, miraculous, resurrection, testimony

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