Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: righteousness

• Righteous Judgment

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 19, 2021

  

  Romans 2:5-6- “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”

  

  Americans wait with abated breath as the jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial go into deliberation. The prosecutors have rested, the defense have rested, and now the jurors go to work. Cities around the country increase security in preparation for crowds of protests or crowds of victory; either way they suspect there will be crowds. Prosecutors are hoping that the justice served is where the jurors pronounce Chauvin guilty in the murder of George Floyd; while the defense is hoping for a not guilty verdict. No matter the decision, the whole nation, maybe even many around the world are waiting for the jurors decision: guilty or not guilty!

  I want to address the image I chose for just a moment. When thinking of an image for this post on justice, I immediately thought of the balance scales. It is said that the balance scales are representative of the impartiality and the obligation of the law to weigh the evidence presented in the courtroom. Each side is given an opportunity to “present its case” and the law is to look objectively at that evidence, weighing the evidence presented, and come to a conclusion that makes sure that justice is served!

  Justice in our world can often times seem to fail us. We see guilty people go free, and innocent people get locked up; causing us to lose faith in our justice system. The poor, the underserved, the people of color. often believe that the scales have been tipped in favor against them before they even enter the courtroom. But there is a justice system that is fail proof, and that is the justice of God. His judgment is righteous, meaning He makes no mistakes in meting out justice. Sometimes, because of His mercy, we may think His judgments are unfair, but when His mercy is directed at us or our loved ones, we have a different attitude about it. Paul introduces to us, with our key text, how we will all find ourselves before God for judgment and what the criteria for our victory will look like.

  Paul begins this verse by addressing our unrepentant and hard hearts. Few people can truly see themselves as unrepentant or hard hearted, yet Paul starts here. Basically, he is still addressing the Jewish people living in Rome, but his message was applicable to all to whom it applied to in that day and it still applies today! Divorces happen because of hard hearts or unrepentant hearts, Jesus said so! Families are torn apart, lives are damaged, countries go to war, business ventures dissolve because of hard and unrepentant hearts. You know that person who can never say they are sorry? Unrepentant! Or that individual that always has to have their own way no matter the cost? Hard hearted! Self-righteous, arrogant, judgmental, critical, greedy individuals who think they are alright when they are wrong, yet they think they are right? Yep! Definitely hard and unrepentant hearts! People who constantly make excuses for their actions, constantly blaming others for why they do what they do, never able to own up to their wrongs. I believe you get the point! These people, even if it includes us, are the people who are being addressed at this time as storing up wrath for themselves in the day of wrath! Let’s not forget that these words are aimed at those whose moral life places them in a position to think that they are better than others, namely the Jews towards the Gentiles.

  On the day of wrath, there will basically be two groups of people standing before the judgment seat of God: those who obeyed Him, and those who rejected Him. Each group will be judged according to what they did. Some become a little confused at this point thinking that we can work our way to a favorable decision before God to obtain salvation, but I believe that it’s more about what we did as far as obedience to His word. Paul mentions both of these groups:

  Those who obeyed Him or are born again will:

  *receive eternal life
  *glory, honor, immortality, peace
  *and rewards!

  Those who do not obey Him, but obey unrighteousness, or are not born again will receive:

  *indignation and wrath
  *tribulation and anguish
  *eternal damnation

  This judgment, Paul states, will be rendered to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. There will be no partiality based on favoritism or nationalism, judgment will be administered according to the judgment of the Righteous Judge, based on our actions before we got there!

  David had this to say about God’s judgment:

  But the Lord shall endure forever;
  He has prepared His throne for judgment.
  He shall judge the world in righteousness,
  And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness

  Psalm 9:7-8 NKJV

  David just reiterates that God’s judgment will be righteous because He is righteous! Have you ever said or heard someone proclaim that something wasn’t fair? I hear it a lot as a teacher, and sometimes I heard it as a parent. Being fair means to stick to the rules that have already been established; but sometimes you can’t stick to the rules to do what is right; or you have to use a higher authority or rulebook. For example: In my classroom, as a special education teacher, what is good for Arthur is not good for Alice. It may appear that I am being unfair in a situation, but in all honest, I am doing what is right for them; and sometimes I don’t get to explain! But God has a rulebook, called the Bible. Every judgment He makes is right and necessary. He may not always give us all the information we desire in a given situation, but we are to simply trust Him.

  However, that doesn’t mean that we don’t get to know how we are being judged, His word is still the criteria. His word is perfect for converting us, making us wise, and enlightening our eyes. But His word is also right, and His judgments are true and righteous:

  The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
  The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
  The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
  The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
  The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

  Psalm 19:7-9

  He is God! The Righteous Judge, and He always judges rightly:

  Let the peoples praise You, O God;
  Let all the peoples praise You.
  Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
  For You shall judge the people righteously,
  And govern the nations on earth. 

  Psalm 67:3-4 NKJV

  
  And again the psalmist wrote:

  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
  He shall judge the world with righteousness,
  And the peoples with His truth.

  Psalm 96:13 NKJV

  I like justice just as much as the next person; especially not seeing it always served in the natural as it should be. But I always comfort myself with the truth that God is the Righteous Judge. He can’t be bought, bribed, threatened, or swayed to a man’s whims. He serves justice as rightly as it could ever be served. As we go further in the book, we will see more about this subject, and even His vengeance, but for now, I rest my case! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Justice, Repentance, righteousness, Study of Romans | 0 Comments | Tagged eternal damnation, eternal life, Gentiles, God, hard heartee, Jesus, Jews, judgment, Justice, law of God, righteousness, righteousness of God, unrepentant heart, word of God

• Without Excuse!

  Posted at 6:59 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 14, 2021

  

  Romans 2: 1- “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” NKJV

  

  This chapter begins with Paul setting a tone. He’s not telling his readers how wonderful they are anymore. As a matter of fact, just the opposite. He’s probably inciting their anger towards him because he is pointing out a truth they either don’t recognize or don’t want to recognize!

  All of us know good people and people who we don’t consider to be so good. They are in our families, at our jobs, in our churches, our next door neighbors. Mr. Smith down the block has been married to the same woman for 20 years, keeps up with his lawn, and offers to cut the lawns of the older people on the block. We judge him as being good. The lady in the office with the tight clothes, stiletto heels, and too much make up who is too loud, we judge as sinful. The tither and Sunday School teacher, good! The person who is always on the prayer list for one thing or another, not so good! We’ve all done it at some point in our life, and Paul is saying, who are we to judge when we are guilty of wrong doing ourselves?

  Paul addressed all of those terrible sins associated with the worldly Gentiles, and now he is addressing the Jewish population who were trained in religious protocol. We looked at the Gentiles, Paul implies, but now let’s look at you! Paul states that those who believe themselves to be morally upright are without excuse before God, for as they have judged the Gentiles, they are also guilty for practicing the same things. Paul was letting them know that having morality didn’t give them a leg up on the Gentiles or with God. Those little foxes spoil the vine every time!

  Paul reminds the Jews that God judges according to truth! Not our truth, His truth!

  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

  He shall judge the world with righteousness,

  And the peoples with His truth.

  Psalm 96:13 NKJV

  Everything that God calls unrighteous is unrighteous; and all that He declares to be holy, is holy! As the Righteous One, He can never be wrong!

  For some reason, commentators of the book of Romans agree that when Paul was writing this portion of the letter he was probably thinking of some of his secular contemporaries in Rome. Each of them mention a philosopher named Seneca, so I thought I would see why. Seneca was the younger brother of Gallio. Remember Gallio in the book of Acts? In Acts 18, the Jews take Paul to the judgment seat where Gallio is presiding. They accuse Paul of persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. Before Paul can say anything, Gallio basically tells them that he doesn’t care and tells them to leave. At the time of this letter, Seneca, a Spanish born philosopher, had risen to a place of prominence in Rome. He tutored Nero, the Roman emperor when he was a young man. Prior to this, he had been expelled from Rome, but Nero’s mom had him brought back to Rome and made him a tutor. Although he was responsible for doing some good things, he also stood by, without question, as Nero murdered his own mother.

  With this scenario in mind, we can well see why Paul would say that they were without excuse. Judging others as being wicked, while ignoring the wickedness of those who have honored us or placed us in a position of power is wrong! It’s equally wicked! Didn’t we hear a politician say that he could shoot someone in Central Park and his supporters wouldn’t care? Unfortunately, he’s proving that could be so true!

  I mentioned before, how I received an email from a very well known Christian leader. In that email there was an urgent message to pray for the presidential election of 2016. Within the email was a statement referring to the Democrats as evil Democrats. I was shocked! Since then, there have been many many more who have made similar comments, even to the point of saying that those who didn’t vote for a particular candidate was in danger of the wrath of God, or that they were going to hell. It seems to me that Paul was speaking prophetically of the times in which we live. Voting is not theocratic, it is part of a democracy. One vote for every citizen. We have the right to vote as we please. All Republicans are not Christians, nor are they all godly, or evil. All Democrats are not evil, nor do they all agree with abortion or gay rights. And they are certainly not all evil! Paul warns us about being so judgmental, when many of the things we are judging, we are guilty of doing ourselves. So after bringing this point out, Paul asks the question:

  And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

  Romans 2:3 NKJV

  When I mention the judgment of God, what exactly am I referring to? In the Vine’s dictionary, the Greek word for judgment is “krima” and it conveys the thought of “the sentence pronounced, a verdict, a condemnation, specifically God’s judgment upon man”. Peter wrote in another letter these words about the judgment of God:

  For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

  1 Peter 4:16 NKJV

  Christians have become pretty self-righteous and a little arrogant. (Aren’t those sins?) I was working in a restaurant while going to school. Every Sunday night, a group of students from a Christian college would come to the place to eat and hang out. They were pretty obnoxious, to say the least, acting as if they had come into this worldly environment to dominate and exercise their Christian rights. Things were getting out of hand. My manager felt that if I worked that shift, being a Christian, I could probably make them happier. I was a little embarrassed for my fellow Christians, as they were being rude and were developing a bad reputation before unsaved people. I ended up having to really have a talk with them. I explained to them that I was embarrassed that they called themselves Christians with their type of behavior. I mentioned that they were hurting my evangelistic efforts amongst my co-workers. And then I said something about starting the night over and acting like they were really Christians. Well, their leader apologized and had the group apologize. We never had another problem!

  I see this same spirit operating in the church today! And it is sad! I understand that the world runs over us at every opportunity. I understand they have no respect for us or our Jesus! I understand policies are often not made in our favor and often place us in uncomfortable positions. But when we act like they act, (especially in the Name of Jesus), I believe we place ourselves in the position of judge and jury. It is as if we have decided that God is too weak to take care of this situation and therefore we need to do it! Or maybe we think He forgot how to deal with sinners, or He’s just too merciful and no mercy will be extended any longer! Or maybe we really think that we have become God because we have a lot of followers, a mega church, several mega churches, hundreds of books and money we no longer need to check on. Whatever we are thinking, it’s stinking thinking!

  Do we really think that God needs us to burn down abortion clinics because He can’t seem to stop people from getting an abortion? Do we really think that we are better than others because we go to church and say that we are saved? Does God really need us to storm the capital and then pray in the room to show how Christian-like we are? I refuse to say Christ-like! And in the words of Paul, do we really think that we are going to escape the judgement of God when it starts in the house of God? I’m just agreeing with Paul! This is inexcusable and we need to do a reality check, or spiritual check, or Jesus check, or something! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in righteousness, Study of Romans, Wrong Thinking | 2 Comments | Tagged church issues, critical spirit, early church, judgment of God, judgmental, Paul, Peter, politics, righteousness, Rome, Study of Romans, the church and politics, Wrong Thinking

• Righteousness Revealed

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 12, 2021

  

  Romans 1: 16-17- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”’ NKJV

  

  When my husband left the military we were without regular health insurance as we were getting re-acclimated to civilian life. Of course, being veterans, we both had veteran’s insurance. When we decided to have a second child, we didn’t want to travel the distance to the VA hospital and decided to take care of the medical bills on our own. An insurance agent was given my name as someone who might be interested in purchasing insurance, so he called me up. As he was trying to convince me that I obviously needed health insurance, since we were paying out of pocket for this baby, I started to become annoyed with him. Finally, after playing nice and him not getting the message, I said, “I may not have health insurance, but I have health assurance!” Then I ended the call!

  The Greek word for salvation “soteria” simply means safety. The message of the gospel is a message of safety for the believer from the snares of the enemy and the wrath of God, for within it, the righteousness of God is revealed.

  Martin Luther felt that the righteous God could only give him what he deserved, punishment for his sins. As a clergyman, he preached the letter of the law, without having any revelation of God or His message. In other words, he didn’t really believe that he was saved. When he finally got the revelation of the righteousness of God, he was freed from the constant bombardment of his sins, his unworthiness, and his need to be punished. After hearing of the experiences that Luther and others have had, many are still walking around with that sense of unworthiness, of being wretched individuals, and just sinners saved by grace. If you are saved by grace, you are no longer a sinner. If you are a sinner, you have not been saved by grace. They are contrary to one another.

  Revelation is important. Paul wrote that the gospel unveils the righteousness of God. Why would the righteousness of God need to be unveiled? Simply put, it had not been made known yet. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Ephesians:

  How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets”

  Ephesians 3:3-5 NKJV

  Paul explained that the revelation of the mystery surrounding Christ had been hidden since the beginning of time. And now, by the Spirit of God, revelation was given to him and others that they might share the message of the gospel.

  Martin Luther defined the righteousness of God “as a righteousness valid before God, which many may possess through faith.” This righteousness comes from God and is His way of making a “sinner” right before Him. The Greek word for righteousness is “dikaiosune” which carries more than one meaning within it. It speaks of the character or quality of being right or just and is used to denote an attribute of God.

  In the book of Deuteronomy, God’s righteousness was sung about as a part of the song of Moses:

  He is the Rock, His work is perfect;

  For all His ways are justice,

  A God of truth and without injustice;

  Righteous and upright is He.

  Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV

  And the psalmist shared this about His righteousness:

  Clouds and darkness surround Him;

  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

  Psalm 97:2 NKJV

  Both these verses let us know that God is righteous. His very nature and the foundation of His throne is righteousness. As such, He chooses to impart righteousness to those who believe Him.

  Luther was correct in his thinking that a righteous God would punish sin. His righteousness demonstrates that He is neither indifferent to sin nor does He regard it lightly. Which is why Paul continues in this first chapter of speaking of the wrath of God on ungodly and unrighteous individuals:

  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

  Romans 1:18-19 NKJV

  There is a whole list of sins following this verse, from being ungrateful, to being a homosexual, and everything in between and all around it. It is all unrighteousness. Paul didn’t categorize the level or depth of those sins, but said that they would cause the wrath of God to be poured out on those responsible for committing those sins. Paul also wrote that there were other ways to be a part of unrighteousness that didn’t fall into the list. Suppressing the truth is unrighteous, he wrote, yet we see more of that in our world today than we want to admit. Ignoring the truth and ignoring those who promote ungodliness, as well as ignoring that which is right, is just as bad as participating in it.

  “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

  Romans 1:32 NKJV

  When you know better, better is expected of you! As believers, our conduct should be in line with the character of our Savior. One who cannot help but do right, because He is right! So it is easy to understand how Luther and others walk away with a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about all the ways we can and do sin.

  However, Luther was wrong in thinking that God would leave us there without hope or assistance. Peter stated that we obtained our precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior:

  “…to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”

  2 Peter 1:1b NKJV

  And Paul made a similar point in the book of Philippians:

  “…not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith”

  Philippians 3:9 NKJV

  Luther finally got what God had been trying to get him to see: not our righteousness, but His!

  The last point of our key text that I want to bring out is the fact that revelation from God and righteousness occurs from faith to faith. Nothing about this statement means we get from God once and everything is settled. This righteousness, and the faith to believe it and live in it grows in faith, or assurance in Christ. This assurance is an enjoyment of the righteousness that God provides us with because we have complete confidence that when He said it is so, then it is! Similar to the assurance I felt in regards to my health when the poor excuse for a salesman called me.

  Paul concludes this portion of the letter with the phrase, the just shall live by faith. Since we have been declared free, then we are to live that life of freedom by faith! Our feelings will lie to us and tell us that we don’t feel like we are righteous. The devil will lie to us and tell us we haven’t really been made righteous. Preachers may even declare that we are, but yet we aren’t, because we are still in this body. But the just shall live by faith. God said that He makes us righteous through Jesus, and we are going to have to take Him at His word.

  As we continue in chapter 2, many of the things that have already been mentioned will be explained by Paul in more detail. I’m looking forward to what all I can learn and share in this study. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christianity, righteousness, Study of Romans | 0 Comments | Tagged Christianity, faith to faith, living by faith, Martin Luther, righteousness, righteousness of God, Romans, Sin, Study of Romans, wrath of God

• It’s Not a New Message!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 5, 2021

  

  Romans 1: 16-17- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” NKJV

  

  Paul wrote the book of Romans as a letter to the church in Rome. It is said that the epistle was written to the believers in Rome before Paul had ever visited with them. He is not associated with the planting of the church in Rome, but sent this letter as an encouragement to those who were already fellowshipping together.

  I was reading the book of Romans this weekend, and had the thought that I would like to go through the book with you as a look at the life we are called to live in Christ Jesus!

  If you have a hard copy of a good Bible, that has a chapter introduction, it is easy to see the history of the book of Romans and how it fits in the narrative of the gospel message. For example, our text is considered to be the key scripture of the book of Romans. The theme of the book is the righteousness of God; and the presentation of Jesus Christ is as the second Adam. The book of Romans is considered to be the most important, concise, and detailed information in the word about Christian doctrine.

  Some of the most well-known theologians of Church history had an encounter with God through the book of Romans. I came across this testimony of St. Augustine’s conversion:

  Some time in the year 386, Augustine and his friend Alypius were spending time in Milan. While outdoors, Augustine heard the voice of a child singing a song, the words of which were, “Pick it up and read it. Pick it up and read it.” He thought at first that the song was related to some kind of children’s game, but could not remember ever having heard such a song before.

  Then, realizing that this song might be a command from God to open and read the Scriptures, he located a Bible, picked it up, opened it and read the first passage he saw. It was from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Augustine read:

  Not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. –Romans 13: 13-14

  Reading this scripture, Augustine felt as if his heart were flooded with light. He turned totally from his life of sin. He was Baptized by Ambrose during the Easter Vigil April 24, 387. His friend Alypius and his son Adeodatus were Baptized at the same time.

  https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/conversion-of-st-augustine

  In the church of today, it is presumed that this generation isn’t interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have heard it said by many church leaders and pastors that we are losing this generation and have to rethink how we share the gospel. There is truth in that statement!

  However, what Paul wrote is a greater truth: the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t have power, it is power of God to salvation! And the criteria remains the same: you must believe! The same power that was in the gospel when Jesus saved Augustine is still present in the gospel today! The same gospel that saved me, is available today, to save this generation.

  What we may be missing, is that they are not looking for religion any more than we were looking for religion when we came to Jesus! The stale churches, with its lists of dos and don’ts that turned us off, is a turn off to them. The church that finds faults with them and every thing they do is just as unappealing to them, as it was with us. The problem could be that the church we ran from, is the church we have become!

  Now! Having said that, I want to also point out, the gospel doesn’t change for any of us! And it won’t change for them. What needs to change is how we view them and how we get the message out to them. As we have experienced this year long, world-wide pandemic, we have had to make some changes in how we deliver the gospel message. In the beginning, things seemed bleak for the church, but after a year, things are actually looking better in many of our churches. Still Jesus’ words remain in affect: “the gates of hell will not prevail against the church”.

  When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, he knew some things about the people he was addressing this letter for. He knew that the make up of the congregation consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. With this being the case, he understood that there were things that needed to be addressed in regards to their position in Christ Jesus. He also understood that they came from different backgrounds, with different understandings of the law, and he wanted to address those things to encourage them in their walk as believers. But mostly, he understood that they needed a solid understanding of the righteousness of God.

  Paul begins his letter by introducing himself to the Romans. He tells them that he is first and foremost a servant of Jesus Christ. Then he tells them that he is an apostle. Today, we introduce ourselves first with our titles, and then with all that we have accomplished. While this may be church protocol, maybe we can learn from Paul! In both roles, he lets them know that he has been separated to the gospel of God. (God is addressed repeatedly in the book of Romans). Paul explains this gospel message in this manner:

  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David’s family line, and He was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 

  Romans 1:2-4, NLT

  Romans is written in a question and answer format. In order to not to belabor the point, I will seek to point these questions out and discuss the answers. As we move forward in reading and studying this amazing book of Christian theology, I trust that we will grow bolder in our faith, stronger in our convictions, and unashamedly sure of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I’m looking forward to getting into the book of Romans and hope you will join me in my study. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, God, gospel of Jesus, Study of Romans | 3 Comments | Tagged God, gospel of Jesus, Jesus, Paul, righteousness, Romans, Rome, Son of God, Son of man

• New Life! His Life!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 23, 2021

  2 Peter 1:3-4 -As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. NKJV

  

  prayer-for-salvation

  There are times when reading and studying the word, I feel like, this isn’t that complicated, why do people have such a hard time with it. And then there are other times when I feel like, Lord, I need help understanding this. Partaking of God’s divinity is a really tough truth to wrap our brains around. At least it is for some!

  Peter wrote in his epistle that God’s divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. It’s scriptural, so it’s truth. But not a new truth for it was first mentioned by John, when he wrote:

  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12 – NKJV

  The take aways from these powerful verses are these:

  1. That when we are born again we are the sons of God
  2. His divine power brings this relationship into existence
  3. It’s as supernatural as the birth of Jesus to Mary

  Interesting to note that Nicodemus asked Jesus a similar question that Mary asked of Gabriel:

  How can these things be?

  Jesus had just finished explaining to Nicodemus the supernatural experience of the new birth. He told Nicodemus that when a person is born again, he is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus wanted to know if a man was supposed to climb back into the womb and be born again. Jesus patiently explained that He was speaking of a new birth, a birth brought about by the Spirit of God.

  As we enter into the season of the Passover, the Easter season, it is important to remember the significance of our born again experience. For many, they never experience the supernatural because their approach to God is so casual; but something supernatural takes place, just as it did when God’s Spirit planted the Seed in Mary’s womb.

  2 Corinthians 5:17-Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…NKJV

  If you are in Christ:

  • You are a new creation
  • Old things are passed away
  • All things are made new
  • All things are of God

  There was, and is, nothing natural about our becoming sons of God. This amazing new birth into the family of God is a result of the gospel. The same gospel that Paul writes this about:

  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 -NKJV

  His divine power, the power of God, is activated when the gospel is shared and received. That power is sufficient to give us salvation, or new life. This was hard for Mary to understand, and it is even harder for us to wrap our brains around. The gospel message is God’s power released upon our lives to bring about the new birth! That’s beautiful! A birth that makes us a new creature in Christ called sons of God!

  Another point that Peter makes is that this power that gives us new life, also gives us all things that pertains to life and godliness. Here’s an even bigger mystery. The power of the old man is destroyed, giving way to the new man and all things that pertain to life and godliness.

  Things that pertain to life. When we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, we have eternal life, just as Jesus explained to Nicodemus. This new life is eternal. Paul explained it like this:

  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 – NKJV

  The life that we now live, we live by faith in the Son of God. His life overtakes our life, giving us the power to live this new life. A life that is pleasing to the Father. A life that’s in Him. A life of sacrifice, peace, love, joy…His life!

  Things that pertain to godliness. A life lived in godliness. One that allows His divine nature to be seen in our being. A godliness that chooses His way, His thoughts, His word, His actions, His attitude over our own. A godliness that turns it back on a life of sin, which is no life, to live a life of righteousness.

  All of this was obtained, by the divine power of God, when we became born again believers. Many still glory in their old nature, their sin nature. But if you are in Christ, your DNA has changed! You are a new creature! The old is gone, and the new has taken front and center. Begin enjoying the truth that you have really been changed. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in 2 Peter 1:3-4, Divine Nature, Jesus, power | 0 Comments | Tagged crucified with Christ, Divine Nature, divine power, Galatians 2:20, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, life and godliness, miraculous, Paul, Peter, righteousness, Salvation, supernatural

• Celebration Time!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on January 22, 2021

  Luke 4:18-19 -“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; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” NKJV

  

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  For me, it’ really been an interesting time looking at the ministry of Jesus through Luke 4, which is really an echo, or fulfillment, of Isaiah 61. Isaiah’s list is longer than the one Jesus read, so since Jesus stopped here, for now, so will I!

  Tonight’s blog is on the acceptable year of the Lord!

  The word acceptable, in the Greek, is “dektos”. According to the Vines, “dektos” “denote that most blessed time when salvation and free favors of God profusely abound”. This expression would have meant nothing to a Gentile in that day, but it held great significance for the Jews.

  Leviticus 25:10-12 -“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.” NKJV

  The year of Jubilee was significant in that it provided three major benefits: personal liberty, restoration of property, and blessings.

  In the year of Jubilee, if you were a slave you would be set free. No matter how many years were left to your bondage, you would be free! If you had to sale your property, for whatever reason, it was restored to you in the year of Jubilee. And the harvesting of the land was halted, that everyone could enjoy the fruit of the land, representing blessings or favor to all.

  The only drawback to the year of Jubilee was that it came every 50 years. So if you were in year 45 or closer to the Jubilee, I am sure that you could look forward to it and the blessings it brought. If you were at year 2 to 5, after the year of Jubilee, you might have pleasant memories. But if you went into slavery, or lost your property 10 years after Jubilee, or the year after Jubilee, the road ahead would not be filled with hope! Jesus came and announced that in Him was the fulfillment of the year of Jubilee. No more waiting for Jubilee, because Jubilee had arrived and was looking at them! It’s celebration time! But in truth, they didn’t see it that way!

  First, and foremost, He came to liberate us from the bondage of sin.

  Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

  His death, burial, and resurrection provided us with liberty from that bondage. He who knew no sin, became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

  This reconciliation of man to God, restored us to our rightful place in God, giving us an inheritance with Jesus.

  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29 – NKJV

  Once we were made righteous, we had access to all that was Jesus’, thus all that the Father had! Every promise, every blessing, and immeasurable favor, was opened up to us! This was the best news of all! Jubilee personified! For us! Let’s celebrate!

  Two things that stood out to me in this study: Jesus is our Great Physician. Physical healing, emotional healing, mental healing, social healing…if it has a name, Jesus heals us of it! And He is our Redeemer! Salvation, deliverance, protection, reconciliation is all wrapped up in Him. The entirety of the gospel message is really encapsulated in these two truths. It’s a theme repeated over and again throughout scriptures. However we find ourselves in life, we will need Him as our Physician or our Redeemer. And we will always find Him available.

  I’ve written some pretty long posts during this study, so I’ll be brief tonight. Schambach had a saying, while he was ministering on the earth: “You don’t have any trouble! All you need is faith in God!” For some reason this saying just came to me tonight. I will say it like this: When you have trouble, of any kind, reach out with your faith to God! Jesus has paved the way with the cross and has come to give us all of Him and all of the Father!

  Let us not be like the Pharisees! Let’s recognize the truth of Jesus’ words spoken so long ago and recorded for us to have! He has fulfilled the scripture that says He is our all in all! Let’s receive Him for the truth that He is and begin to celebrate Him like never before! And then, let’s just celebrate! Celebration time, come on! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, Jesus, Luke 4:18, ministry of Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged acceptable year, Believer, blessings, encouragement, Faith, freedom, God, Grace, Healing, Jesus, ministry, reconciliation, restoration, righteousness, Salvation, slavery, Year of Jubilee

• Whose Side Is God On?

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  And:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• So Much More!

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

  Romans 14:17 – “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. NKJV

  

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  There is so much more to the Holy Spirit, that I can’t even begin to exhaust the subject of Him. As I have mentioned before, there are some really great books out there. One of my personal favorites was written by John Bevere. I encourage you to study the word, to find out His role in your life, but it wouldn’t hurt to read a book, either! Thanks for hanging in there with me, as I’ve tried to share a few truths I’ve learned about the Holy Spirit.

  I believe passionately in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. I’m sure I’ll come back to Him again and again! I also feel strongly about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But today, I want to talk about Him from this perspective: there is so much more!

  Our text for today states that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking. This is a perfect chapter to demonstrate an important aspect of the Holy Spirit, for in it, Paul is admonishing the body of Christ. He tells us that we are not to get carried away in what we eat or don’t eat because this is not what the kingdom of God is about. Understanding that at that time, they were coming together as a body of believers, made of Jews and Gentiles, and had concerns over the issue of what to eat and not to eat.

  They were also concerned over holy days and holidays. Again, Paul stressed the relative unimportance of these days, in relationship to the overall goal of being one in Christ. Much as many of us are still arguing over things like: to be immersed, or to sprinkle; to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, or just in the Name of Jesus. Should we be allowed to wear pants, or in today’s fashion world-leggings- or jogging suits to church? So many little issues that clog up the overall goal of advancing the kingdom of God. Should sin be allowed to infect the Body? Certainly not! But those things that are irrelevant in the whole scheme of salvation, should not be allowed to separate us!

  The kingdom of God is God’s rule and way of doing things. Jesus came preaching the kingdom, and commissioned us to go and do likewise. There’s much in the kingdom, and it will be my topic, soon, but for today’s post, I’m more focused on the end of the verse. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost!

  The kingdom of God is righteousness. Righteousness is being in right standing with God. This is accomplished by coming into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ! In the Strong’s the rendition is “the state of him who is such as he ought to be; the condition of being acceptable to God.” That’s what Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made available to all who believe, that we would be acceptable to God. In a state of sin, we are unacceptable, but as believers, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 5:21)

  If we keep this verse in context, it also deals with our right relationship with others. It’s important to remember that God requires of us all to do the right thing in regards to others. Judging people on what they eat or don’t eat, the color of their skin, their economic state in life, isn’t right, and it isn’t godly. The Holy Spirit helps us to get this right in our relationships with others. Especially the household of faith!

  The kingdom of God is peace. Peace is a place of security, safety, prosperity; the state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ. In Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the guarantee of our redemption! Have you ever purchased a home and had to give a deposit to guarantee the seller that your interest was sincere? The Holy Spirit guarantees your salvation, He is your assurance policy. He also is there providing security, safety, and prosperity to those in the kingdom.

  In relationship to the context in which it is written, being at peace with one another is important. Arguing and being in constant dispute over things that bring division and discord, like food and drink, and what days to worship, and how to worship, is pure foolishness and doesn’t lead to peace. In the kingdom of God, peace that flows from the Holy Spirit should be flowing through us to others. Not a facade of peace, but the real deal that demonstrates our connection with the Spirit of God. We are to be people who want safety, security, and prosperity in our lives, and in the lives of those around us.

  The kingdom of God is joy! Cheerful, calm delight, and gladness is the kingdom. Joy isn’t based on what is happening around us, it is based on what is happening in us. Joy goes deeper than happiness, for it is rooted in our inner being. Happiness is external and subject to change. When there is joy in our lives, we are better equipped to spread joy to others. The Holy Spirit causes that joy to stay fresh, enabling us to radiate it, even when we are not thinking about it, or we don’t appear to have a reason for it. Everyone loves being around a joy filled individual. They look at life and see hope, and all that is good around them.

  In light of this verse, we are to bring joy, not pain and chaos into the lives of others. Hurting others, because of our need to feel superior, is not radiating from the Holy Spirit. Joy is meant to be spread to others, just as love is. When we purpose to allow joy to shine from us, in the midst of troubling times, it’s magnetic. People are drawn to it! People are drawn to the kingdom.

  Paul is writing to believers, and He is letting us know that in the Holy Ghost, we have access to righteousness, peace, and joy. That’s the kingdom! And as kingdom citizens, we should display righteousness, peace, and joy to others! I leave you with this thought:

  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 – NKJV

  He’s so much more than we ever thought, or could imagine! Taking time to get to know Him better, and allowing Him to have a place of importance in our lives will benefit us more than it will benefit Him. He’s just waiting for you, for us, to give Him a chance to show us so much more! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Holy Spirit, joy, Kingdom of God, Peace, righteousness | 2 Comments | Tagged Holy Spirit, joy, Kingdom of God, Peace, relationships, righteousness, the Blood of Jesus, word of God

• God’s Requirements!- Part 2

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 3, 2020

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

  

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  In my previous post, I left out a very important insight. Micah starts this verse by writing, “He has shown you, O man, what is good”. This is really key and should not have been overlooked. I apologize. For the thing that God is requiring of us, He has already demonstrated it to us. My last post referenced how God requires that we act justly. The thing I forgot to mention is that He requires it because He is a just God. He gave us laws, judgements, testimonies, statutes, or whatever you choose to call them; in which we are to live by. He added blessings and consequences to those. He demonstrated how He is just, and then He required it of us. That brings us to tonight!

  His second requirement is that we are “to love mercy”! This is pretty easy to receive, but often times harder to give. Yet, He, being our first example, is the God of mercy. I like the song Alvin Slaughter sang years ago, “Mercy Refused”, written by David Baroni. In the song it states:

  Justice demanded satisfaction, the law had been broken again and again. Judgement required immediate action, death wanted payment for sin. Mercy refused, and love took my place; there on the cross, where justice met grace. Mercy refused to let me die, Jesus the Lamb was crucified, though rightfully, death wanted me, Mercy refused!

  How adequate the words of this song describes the mercy of God towards mankind! In explaining the difference between grace and mercy to my children, or in a Bible class, I like to say that “grace is getting what we don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting what we do deserve”.

  Just recently, someone called me from her job. She had forgotten to pay the meter and had been at work for almost the entire shift when she realized it. As she went between worry over a ticket and praying she didn’t get one, I just came in agreement with her that she wouldn’t get it. I stayed on the phone with her as she walked back to her car. When she arrived at the car, the ticket that should have been on it, wasn’t there! Was she ever grateful and excited! God’s mercy! It could have even been His mercy through an individual. Nonetheless, that person, by law, deserved a ticket, but received mercy instead!

  As I laid in bed the other night, thinking about the first blog on God’s requirement, the Spirit whispered this word to me, “chesed”. I am not a student of the Hebrew or the Greek language, but I knew that was the word for mercy. It was as if He was approving my topic, and leading me. The word “chesed” is not only translated to mean mercy, but it also means steadfast love, kindness, faithfulness, and loyalty. God makes it plain to us that He requires that we demonstrate kindness, mercy, steadfast love, faithfulness, and loyalty one to another.

  In the book of Zechariah 7:9, it is written,

  “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, everyone to his brother.”

  This verse is similar to Micah, in that it mentions both justice and mercy are to be shown to everyone. In the Message Bible it reads like this:

  “Well, the message hasn’t changed. God -of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: “‘Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don’t plot and scheme against one another—that’s evil.’

  Isn’t that it in a nutshell? We are not to take advantage of one another, we are not to scheme against one another, it’s not right! It’s not godly! It doesn’t get any plainer than that! We are to treat one another right! We are to treat one another with love and demonstrate compassion. In our present climate in America, it won’t always be easy, but it is the right thing to do, because God requires it of us!

  I couldn’t help but think of David and Saul. In 1 Samuel 24, David is in a cave with his men when Saul goes in to relieve himself. David’s men tell him that God had delivered his enemy, Saul, into his hands. David cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe, and then he gets a check in his spirit, that let’s him know he is not to touch Saul, nor allow his men to touch Saul. After Saul leaves the cave, David comes out of the cave and let’s Saul know that if he wanted to kill him, as some said, he had the perfect opportunity to do so. David would have been justified in killing Saul, since Saul pursued him so diligently for that same reason. But the case of justice and mercy once again clashed. While it may have been okay to kill Saul, since “all is fair in war”, so to speak; it wasn’t God’s heart. God required of David, to extend mercy. Was it easy? Maybe not! Yet, in doing so, David pleased God!

  Proverbs 3:3-4 – Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. NKJV

  Are you looking for favor and high esteem? The Bible tells us not to forsake mercy and truth. As a matter of fact, we are to wrap it around our neck and write them in our heart. In other words, they are to be important to us! Living God’s truth and walking in mercy pays greater dividends, then trying to please man. That’s what David did. He had hidden the truth of God’s word in his heart and knew mercy was required of him. Just because we have a right to be angry, or a right to get somebody back, doesn’t mean we should. Do what God requires by extending mercy, and He will give you both favor and high esteem with Him and with man!

  One last important verse on mercy that I just have to share:

  He who follows righteousness and mercy, finds life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:21 NKJV

  Wow! Isn’t that something to ponder on? When we are kind and show mercy as a way of life, we find life, right standing with God, and honor! We shouldn’t just be following facebook, Twitter and Instagram! We should be following righteousness and mercy! Then we will find life! I don’t know about you, but I am going to do a better job with acting justly and showing mercy. In one scripture, the Bible says that it is good for us! Aren’t you ready for some good in your life? I just told you how to get! Fall in love with demonstrating mercy to others! Stay tuned for what God has to say to us about this last requirement! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Justice, love, Mercy | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, blessings, consequences, encouragemnt, esteem, favor, God, kindness, love, Mercy, Micah, obedience, righteousness, will of God

• The Medicine Cabinet

  Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 18, 2020

  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

  Have you ever stopped to really listen to commercials selling pharmaceutical drugs? It can really be laughable if it wasn’t so alarming. A well known drug for allergies can cause severe allergic reactions, severe dizziness and trouble breathing. A medication for high blood pressure can cause a loss of potassium, leg cramps, gout and the need for other medications. Other side effects are depression, cold hands and feet, insomnia, symptoms of asthma, and in some cases, kidney failure. Some times I have to wonder if we are not better off without the medicines since the side effects that accompany these medications are often worst.

  Thanks be to God that there is a medicine that have long lasting, eternal side effects that are not harmful to your physical body! The Word of God! I’ll talk more about that in a minute.

  Now all medications come with instructions. Some require that it be taken four times a day, while others may just be daily! The medicine of God’s word is the same. It comes with instruction! In our verse for today, the writer encourages us to pay attention to His words. Now we understand that we are paying attention to the word of God when we are reading and meditating on it. After paying attention to the word, we are to be willing to learn all that we can from it. If you have never heard this before, be willing to learn what the word teaches about healing. We are to keep the word in our sight and to keep it in the center of our heart. Again, this is not a passive or just for the moment attention to the word. It is a commitment to the word. All of these instructions are for how we are to take the word to get the best results!

  Then he tells us what the results are for taking the word: they are life to those who find them, and health and healing to all of their flesh! Healing means I am getting healed from some attack on my body, and health means that I am kept from a need to be healed. So the word of God produces life, health, and healing to those who find them; both present and future results of allowing the word to be your medicine.

  In God’s medicine cabinet, what we call the Bible, are countless scriptures regarding His promise to heal us. One of the most well-known scriptures on healing is found in Exodus 15:26-“…For I am the Lord who heals you.” Another favorite of mine and well known verse is Isaiah 53:5- “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” In this blog, I can only mention a few of my favorites, but you can do a search for healing scriptures and get an entire list of them. Also, you can probably look up a YouTube video of someone reading them, so I won’t redo what you can find elsewhere.

  I do, however, want to return to the instructions on taking the word. No one told me anything but to get the healing scriptures and to confess them over myself. (I actually own Kenneth Hagin’s “Healing Scriptures” in hard copy and ebook.) But through the years I have developed some “techniques” for taking the medicine of God’s Word that I will share.

  • First, I get a list of healing scriptures. I either grab a book off my shelf or google a list. Sometimes I just go from my memory of the scriptures.

  • Then, I begin to worship Him and thank Him for the validity of His Word, for His faithfulness to His word, for His healing power throughout the years, etc.

  • I then go through the list one verse at a time, making it very personal. For example: “ Lord, you promised in Your Word that if I would obey You and Your word that You wouldn’t allow the sickness and disease that is on the world to come upon me. That You would reveal Yourself and be to me the Lord that heals! I am so thankful for that and I receive that Word as truth. As I have endeavored to obey Your word, I have placed myself in right standing with you to be healed. I receive it for myself, or my family, or my friend right now in Jesus’ Name! And I continue to go through the list of verses in like manner.

  • As I am going through the list, I will come upon a verse that will quicken me. It is at this verse that I will stop and camp. Let’s say that the verse is 1 Peter 2:24 today. Then I will begin to stand with tenacity on that verse. I will remind my body that Jesus hung on the cross and carried this thing in His Body on the cross so that I wouldn’t have to bear it, so I fully resist it! I will remind my body that when He died on the cross it was in order for me to be dead to my sins and therefore dead to sickness and disease! As I live in Him I am the righteousness of God and I live to righteousness. So irrespective to what sin the devil wants to hold charge against me, I plead the Blood and I decree that I am righteous! Now sickness and disease you leave my Body, you are trespassing and I command you to go!

  • If the symptoms don’t leave immediately, I don’t say or think, this isn’t working! I just keep attacking each symptom with God’s word knowing that it will bow to the uncompromising word of God! This medicine is strong! It goes between joints and marrow, it is quick and powerful, it’s sharper than a two-edge sword. There is no defense against the Word of God. Nothing can withstand it when it is wielded properly. So start swinging the sword of the Word at this coronavirus today! I know I am!

  Now back to side effects! The side effects of the word of God is that the more you use it, the more you will want to use it. The more you see it work in your life, the more you will apply it to your life. The more you take it, the stronger your physical and spiritual beings will become. And most importantly, the stronger your trust, and therefore, your relationship with God will become! Then as your faith grows, you will be able to reach out to others who are sick and share your medicine with them because your doctor, the Great Physician won’t mind at all. In fact, He will highly recommend it!

  If I could write a blog that wouldn’t be extremely long, and potentially boring to you, I would go through all of my healing scriptures and tell you some things I have seen, maybe in shorter doses I can. But let me share this quick testimony:

  Our daughter inherited eczema through her dad’s bloodline. And after years of us putting creams on it and praying over it, she had had enough. As a matter of fact, she came to me and said that I didn’t pray over her like I prayed over the people at the church and she wanted to be healed! So the Lord gave me the strategy of us combating it daily with the word. One day I would have a verse, the next day she would, and we would pray that verse over her. Then, one day we prayed and it was a wrap! No more was she tormented in her flesh with that skin rash. Not only that, but her skin cleared up! She was made free! The word works! Don’t let the devil try and convince you that it doesn’t!

  At this time, while we are gearing up in America for more and more cases of the coronavirus, and other countries are dealing with the heart of it, I think we should gear up for our vaccine against it! Get into God’s medicine cabinet today, and get His word working on your behalf! He has carried your sins and diseases and with His stripes, you were HEALED! Wonderful Jesus!

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  Posted in Believers, Christian, Healing, Health | 8 Comments | Tagged 1 Peter 2:24, Believer, Christian, encouragement, Faith, Healing, Health, Isaiah 53:5, Prayer, Proverbs 4:20-22, righteousness

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