Wonderful Jesus!

Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
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    • Waters That Never Fail!

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 10, 2021

      John 7:38-39 – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. NKJV

      In my last blog, I briefly wrote on the importance of the well. I was unable to cover all the important aspects of the well, spiritually and naturally, but I can always write another blog in the future!

      My husband was really excited about the well and brought up the point that in third world countries they are not a thing of the past, but are very important in getting clean water to people, even today. Then we started talking about water, which in turn, reminded me of a point I brought up in the last post about living water. In this blog, I will look at the imagery of water in the Word.

      Water is considered a valuable resource in the world today, just as it was in the ancient world. Any historian can validate this truth by pointing out how the great civilizations of the ancient world always formed near a body of water.

      Even when America was founded with the 13 colonies, they were established on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As more land was needed to handle the increase in population, people had to find ways to bring water inland. Wells, cisterns, canals, and tunnels were a few of the ways that water was harnessed to meet the need.

      Just to connect with Black History month, Benjamin Banneker devised an irrigation system that connected the water of the springs near his farm to bring water to his farm. This irrigation system caused his tobacco farm to flourish even in the times of drought. Banneker, known as an inventor, mathematician, and an activist against slavery, learned, at the age of 15, the importance of water to the life of his farm, his family, and thereby, his livelihood.

      An equally important fact about water was the need for a continual supply of it during wartime. Especially when a city was under siege. Hezekiah, when faced with a siege from Sennacherib, had a tunnel built underground to keep the city of Jerusalem with a continuous water supply. I see a spiritual connection with water already!

      Jesus, at the feast, announced that if anyone believed on Him, as the scriptures said, that out of his belly (heart) would flow rivers of living water. This living water was identified as the Holy Spirit, which had not yet been given. But when He came, He became Living Water to all who received Him.

      Zechariah 14:8 – And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

      Zechariah’s prophecy speaks to a time, when Jerusalem will have living waters flowing in the summer and the winter. The disciples were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended. This Living Water that he saw, was none other, but the Spirit of God! Living waters that are not contingent on the time of year or the season, but on those who believe!

      For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17 – NKJV

      John speaks of Jesus, our Shepherd, leading His people to living fountains of waters. Isn’t that what He said to the woman in Samaria? He promised that He would give living waters to those who asked. And we see here that He leads us to living waters. This kind of reminds me of Psalm 23, where David spoke of the Shepherd, leading us to still waters. Even in a moving body of water, there are places where the waters seem still, safe for sheep.

      Isaiah wrote this about water:

      Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

      The Holy Spirit takes the dryness of a soul and make it a flourishing land, causing thirst to be satisfied. He not only causes the individual, or a place to flourish, but He also pours His Spirit and His blessings upon our children. I like being blessed, but I absolutely love seeing my children blessed! This Living Water that we receive from Jesus is so vital to our lives as believers. He provides for us, and for our children, and children’s children. Blessings that are natural and spiritual!

      Isaiah 58:11 – And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

      This verse speaks to my heart. The Lord shall guide me continually and satisfy me in a drought. When I feel dry, like God isn’t listening, or responding to me, I just need to drink from the source of Living Water to find strength to continue on my journey. He promises that I will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. When I think of a watered garden, I am reminded of well kept garden with healthy, vibrant plants. That’s what living waters produce in our lives! And a spring of water that never dries up?? The imagery is powerful!

      I’ve ministered when I felt like I was in a dry place. But as I would begin, I would sense His Presence and the words would just flow. Why? I had no choice but to trust that rivers of living water would flow from me. Every time, He would give His people what they needed, in spite of how I felt. Waters not failing!

      There is so much more that I can share about water, but the space and time does not allow me to be as thorough as I would be in an in-depth teaching. However, I believe you get the point!

      Maybe you are feeling dry right now. This pandemic may have taken a toll on your spiritual life as you have had to shelter in place and limit your church attendance. Or maybe you have not been to church this entire year. Well, I have great news for you, you can still be a flourishing garden as you wait to re-enter the sanctuary and enjoy the blessings of koinonia. Sometimes, the devil would like to condemn us to keep us from enjoying Him; but living waters flow in the winter and the summer. Good times and bad times! Hard times and easy times.

      Maybe you feel like you are under attack! That’s ok! You have reservoirs you don’t realize you have. Tap into the vast source of Living Waters and allow Him to keep you satisfied and flourishing during the battle. People who live around water are healthier and able to endure longer than those who are without water. This is encouraging to note, because you will outlast your enemy when you allow the rivers of Living Waters to guide you and refresh you!

      And don’t forget! What He provides for you, He wants to provide through you. Don’t just drink and get full! Look for ways to allow rivers of living water to flow out of your belly into someone’s else dry place! Get refreshed and let’s do this! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in encouragement, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, blessings, children, encouragement, God, hard times, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem, Jesus, living waters, pandemic, provision, Sennacherib, Spiritual warfare, water
    • There Is A Name!

      Posted at 1:09 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 17, 2020

      Ephesians 1:21 – “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” NKJV

      The News is buzzing every day, all day, on every channel about the coronavirus. I get that we need to be kept informed of all that is happening and am personally watching the news and listening for any changes that are taking place in the world. But there comes a point when we have to shut out all of the negative news and remind ourselves of the truth of God’s word!

      This morning, as I was waking up, a song popped in my head, “There Is a Name” by Byron Cage. (I just finished listening to it for the fourth or fifth time today!) I’ve not been able to shake it from my spirit and so I knew I just had to remind you, as the Lord reminded me today, there is a Name, Jesus!

      Paul wrote in Ephesians regarding Jesus, that He is seated in heavenly places far above all principality, power, might, and dominion, and above every name that is named! Coronavirus is a name, and He is above the name of coronavirus!!

      Today, we have officially began our “at home” stay because of the coronavirus with the expectation of returning to work/school at the end of the month. However, before leaving the school today, the President gave a press conference in which he stated that this may go on til July! That is mind boggling!

      We can accept all that he and the scientists of the world say as truth, or we can accept what God has said is truth. Jesus is the Name above every name. At His Name, every knee must bow! We can become afraid of coronavirus or we can command it to bow to the Name of Jesus! I believe that we can take a stand against this diabolical attack against our world in Jesus’ Name and command this virus to dry up and dissipate!

      You might be asking, “What makes you think that it will be any different for America, then it was for the other nations?” I have an answer! Remember Sennacherib’s messenger to Hezekiah, and how he asked Hezekiah the same thing? Well, I do! He told Hezekiah that things didn’t work out too well for those other countries and so there was no point in him thinking that they would work out differently for Judah. But Hezekiah dared to believe that God was still keeping covenant with His people and cried out to Him. And God delivered him and Judah from Sennacherib!

      I say to you tonight, stop focusing on the bad reports! Should you take precautions? I think you should! Should you honor the quarantine? I plan to because I believe it is the right thing to do. But am I planning on sitting back waiting to be struck down, or waiting for those I know and love to be struck down? I don’t think so!

      We have what the world needs right now! This is our time to show that we are serving the One and True Living God and that we are readily placing our trust in Him! Jesus doesn’t have the answer to the coronavirus, Jesus is the Answer! His Name is above coronavirus, meaning that His Name has greater authority than the name of coronavirus.

      As we were preparing to leave our class today I mentioned the coronavirus to my students. I wanted to make sure they understood why we were leaving school for the next two weeks. One of my students said, we need to pray about this! I wish I could’ve stopped and prayed right there on the spot with him but since he made an observation and not a request, I agreed and kept it moving!

      Church of God….we need to pray! And we need to keep praying and speaking words of life over ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, and our nations! We’ve been given the Name that can counter what coronavirus is doing. Let’s use it in faith, knowing…there is a Name!!! And it hasn’t lost it’s power! Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!!

      Posted in Believers, Christian, coronavirus, Healing | 1 Comment | Tagged Believer, Christian, Ephesians 1, God, hard times, Healing, Hezekiah, Jesus, Prayer, Sennacherib
    • Battle Fatigue!

      Posted at 2:04 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 28, 2020

      Isaiah 37:3 – They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.” NIV

      If you have been following me through this battle with Hezekiah and Sennacherib, you know that a lot has been going on. This has been a battle that has spanned months, if not years.

      Hezekiah has cleaned up Judah, getting rid of the idols and restoring the worship of the One True God. That was a battle in and of itself! Then he rebelled against Sennacherib, in essence, letting him know that he wasn’t going to do his bidding anymore. Then Sennacherib attacks all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them, taking the people into captivity. Hezekiah repents of his rebellion to Sennacherib and pays him tribute, or compromises. Sennacherib isn’t satisfied and he sends a large army to take Jerusalem. Whew! A lot is going on!

      With all that Hezekiah has done, restoring righteousness to Judah, building up the city against war, encouraging his people to trust that God was on their side, he has shown himself to be a king whose trust was in the Lord. He may have gotten a little frightened and compromised, but at the heart of all he had done, was a king who believed in God.

      Now, with our key verse, we see a king who is weary. He has grown tired of the constant need to be on guard, the constant need to be battle ready, the constant need to encourage himself and his people, and it’s the worst time ever to be weary because war seems eminent.

      The Bible doesn’t explain to us where Isaiah has been during all of this time, but now Hezekiah feels like he needs some encouragement. He sends messengers to Isaiah and tells them to say to Isaiah that he is at a place of distress, rebuke, and disgrace and he feels like a mother who is about to deliver a baby but she has no strength left to deliver it.

      Now, you have to have given birth or at least been with someone who has given birth to fully understand this. I have had three children and I totally understand what Hezekiah is saying.

      My second child was my longest labor. It felt like forever, but it was really about 30 hours. Most of that time I was in the hospital on pitocin which was used to help my contractions become stronger. I kid you not when I say my contractions were hard and frequent for so many hours I thought I was going to lose my mind!! The nurses kept coming in to check on my progress but nothing was happening. Finally, my sister-in-law, who worked in labor and delivery at that hospital, but who was supposed to be watching my firstborn, showed up. She took one look at me, knew I didn’t have the strength to deliver my baby, and she turned around and got me a surgeon who could give me a C-section! I was delivered!!! And I was oh so grateful to be done.

      Back to Hezekiah! He is saying the labor has been too long and he has grown weary and he needs help in delivering this baby! Do you know how Hezekiah felt? I know this feeling naturally and spiritually. And if you have never experienced it, just keep living!

      Spiritual battle fatigue is real. There are some battles that end so quickly you don’t even realize you were in a battle; but there are some that seem to go and on and on. I’m thinking of a battle of sickness, or a battle in a relationship, or a battle with finances, or a battle with a boss. You have done every thing that you can think of and every thing that others can think of. You have prayed and you have stood on the word. You have confessed and you have put a praise on it. You have bound the enemy and you have put him under you feet, but the battle still rages! What do you do?

      It is at this time that you need a word from God. You may need to seek out someone who can intercede on your behalf. You may need to go to your pastor. Whomever the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, you need to get with them and trust them to be able to hear from the Lord because your strength is failing you. I’ve been in need and I’ve been the mediator and it’s a blessing to have people who will help you win a battle.

      That’s what Hezekiah did! He sent his people to the prophet Isaiah, and Isaiah had a word for him from the Lord. God sent Hezekiah a word that He had heard the blasphemous words of the Assyrian king and that Sennacherib would return to his own country and be cut down with the sword.

      That word encouraged Hezekiah and he was able to pray what was on his heart to the Father and continue in the battle. You know what happened! It ended for Sennacherib as Isaiah prophesied. Sennacherib’s own sons killed him! I’m not saying that God is going to kill anybody on your behalf, but He will come through for you. When you are feeling your greatest fatigue in the battle, know you are about to win your greatest victory. Stand strong, call in reinforcements, and don’t give up on God. Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Hezekiah’s battle, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, hard times, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living
    • Don’t Count Yourself Out!

      Posted at 3:38 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 21, 2020

      “2 Chronicles 32:8 -With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. NKJV

      As I mentioned in my previous post, a lot is going on in this battle. I have already mentioned that Hezekiah was a righteous king, doing all that he could to restore the statutes of the Lord in Israel. He tore down everything that was contrary to the Lord, and rebuilt all that was destroyed in an attempt to stomp Him out.

      I like what verse 1 in this chapter of the Bible let’s us know. “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah…” I wrote about this in my last post, but here we see in the word that the attack came after his righteous stand. Just like it does with us today! And at first he compromises with the enemy to try and get him to back off from the battle, but verse two lets us know that Sennacherib had come with a purpose to make war against Jerusalem.

      Each telling of the battle has some really interesting points, but tonight I want to deal with what happened after the compromise. According to verses 3-8, Hezekiah came up with a plan. That plan was not to give in and let Sennacherib totally destroy all that he had accomplished, but to prepare for battle!

      First, Hezekiah realizes that the Assyrians came to battle and he consults with his leaders and commanders. Can I stop for a moment and say that Hezekiah was wise enough to know that he didn’t know everything, or that he could accomplish far more with his team alongside him? Too many leaders in the church and in the world have a complex about what greatness looks like. For some reason they feel that because they are the leader, they know better than anybody else what to do. They need to go back to the school of feet washing so that they can understand that in His kingdom we are to be servants first. I have known a lot of bad leaders and only a few really good leaders. I tip my hat to them! Can I also point out that he recognized that the Assyrians came to battle. It’s time we recognize that every time the devil shows up, he comes prepared to do so battle. So we need to make sure that we are prepared, also.

      Together they decided three things: to shut off the water supply, to rebuild the walls, and to rebuild and equip their forces. There were springs near Jerusalem and a brook that ran nearby. All of this was stopped up to keep the Assyrians from having an ample water supply. They rebuilt the walls, and even built an extra wall outside of that one. Archaeologists have discovered a portion of wall that they think is from this time frame that was strong enough to withstand the battering rams and enclosed a reservoir of water. And lastly, they made weapons and shields to fight the battle.

      But the most important thing that happened was that Hezekiah took courage and talked to his military commanders. He encouraged them to be strong and courageous; to not be afraid, nor to be discouraged. Then he reminds them that the One who was with them, was greater than the one coming against them, and that He would be with them.

      Now how does this help us in the battles of life? After you compromise with the devil, the enemy wants you to think that it’s over for you. You gave up on God, or trusted in your flesh, or your money, or whatever, and now you are on your own. But Hezekiah realized that he was about to face a serious battle and he needed help from God! And so will you!

      One thing that you can do to get ready for war is to get over yourself. You messed up, now get up, repent and prepare for battle!

      Then, you shut off anything that will aid the enemy’s attack on you. That could be an ungodly relationship, or unforgiveness, or idolatry, hatred or selfish ambitions, or drunkenness to name a few. Just shut the door to those things, that the enemy will not have a place to get comfortable and habitat in your life.

      Rebuild the walls. Fix whatever is broken. Get things in order. Repent and recommit your life to Jesus. Get re-established in your church. Let go of ungodly soul ties. Restore godly relationships! Move in the direction that encourages a healthy life in Christ!

      Lastly, get those weapons ready! You have weapons of warfare that are mighty in God (2 Corinthians 4:10)! Those weapons include praise, the name of Jesus, the Blood of the Lamb, the living word of God, and prayer. You will not win this in the flesh. That’s what Hezekiah said that Sennacherib had, the arm of the flesh, but he and Judah had the Lord! So do you!! So see yourself as a winner, and not as a loser.

      And after you have done all of that, you stand! Stand knowing that greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world! (1 John 4:4) Stand knowing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. (Philippians 1:6). Stand because the word said, and having done all, you stand! (Ephesians 6:13). Don’t let the devil ever convince you that it is impossible to regain your place with God. In some cases, things could actually get better because you could actually be more committed than you were before having gone through a bad experience. Keep your head up and don’t count yourself out! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Hezekiah, Judah, Prayer, Sennacherib, Spiritual warfare, Victorious Living, victory
    • Don’t Compromise With the Enemy!

      Posted at 7:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 17, 2020

      2 Kings 18:14 – Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. NKJV

      The battle I will look at today is a very complicated battle with a lot going on. It will take several blogs to do it justice. It is a battle that is mentioned three times in the Bible, so I don’t want to rush through it, although I probably won’t get to all of it. It is mentioned in 2 Kings chapters 18-19, in 2 Chronicles chapters 32-33, and lastly in the book of Isaiah in chapters 36 through 37. I have always felt that the events that happened in this battle had to be important because it is written about more than any other battle. And I have always thought many of the things Sennacherib said and did reminds me of the enemy, so I am looking forward to sharing my findings.

      We are immediately informed by the authors that Hezekiah was a king who honored God. As a matter of fact, he is mentioned as a king who did right in the sight of the Lord. When he became king, he was intent on getting rid of everything that dishonored God, even destroying the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. (See Numbers 21:8). Hezekiah brought about great reforms to Judah. He ordered that they clean the temple, destroy idols, sanctify the priests and reinstitute worship in the temple. The tithe and the sacrifices were restored and the people were so excited that they gave an abundance of supply to the temple. He also had them reinstate the Passover, and they had such a wonderful time of worship that they held the Passover for two weeks instead of one.

      Then Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria. The Bible doesn’t tell us if this was God’s leading or Hezekiah’s plan for freedom, but it does say that he rebelled. Apparently, Hezekiah was king of Judah, but Judah was under Assyrian control or threat when Hezekiah said he wasn’t going to submit to Sennacherib any longer. This brought the wrath of the Assyrian king to Judah and he conquered 46 cities and towns surrounding Jerusalem and took the spoils and sent the people into captivity. When Hezekiah realized what had happened, he told the king that he had done wrong and would do whatever he asked of him. (This information is recorded in Assyrian history also). So Hezekiah paid tribute (or gold) to the king to be left alone.

      This reminds me so much of how things work out spiritually for the believer. When a person is radically saved by the power of God, they make radical changes in their lives. They throw away drugs, they turn away from sexual sins, they walk away from immorality, as they allow God to conform them into His image. This is their rebellion against the previous ownership of the devil. But he doesn’t just let them walk away from him (anymore than Sennacherib was going to allow Judah to walk away), he goes on the attack! An attack that can sometimes make a person feel like he/she was better off unsaved. But that is not the truth! As a matter of fact it is a lie that has been used against the members of the body of Christ for far too long! Don’t fall for the lie!

      Hezekiah fell for the lie. Sennacherib had already defeated Israel, three years previously. He had already stomped on the Egyptians who was supposed to be Hezekiah’s back up plan. He had destroyed the surrounding cities of Judah. And now he has turned his attention on Jerusalem! Hezekiah becomes a little nervous about all of this and begins to fear that he has brought destruction to Judah because of his plans to clean up the place! Maybe the devil caused him to think that all of his plans for restoring righteousness to Judah brought on these problems, so he needed to pull back on some of his reforms, namely rebelling against the king. So he compromises and tells the king he will do whatever he wants if he would just leave them alone. The king of Assyria demanded three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Hezekiah gave him all the silver from the temple and from his own treasures and stripped the gold from the doors and pillars of both places. But this compromise does not stop Sennacherib, nor does it appeases him. So the first major point I want to make from this battle is that it doesn’t pay to compromise, so don’t do it! Ever!

      When the enemy comes against you, making you feel like it doesn’t pay to live a righteous life, it’s an attempt to get you to compromise on the principles of your faith. Don’t give in to it! Single women, who love God passionately, and want to get married, I implore you to not compromise in your stand to stay pure for a godly mate. The devil is lying when he says to you that there are no single godly men and all the girls who are having sex are the ones getting married; and all the women living for God are single and will always be single. That’s just not the truth! But even if it is your current reality, to compromise will not bring you what you are looking for, just like it didn’t for Hezekiah! It will only bring you heartache that will last a whole lot longer than the wait for God to bring you a mate.

      Have you been faithful on your job, working hard and believing for a promotion? But you were passed over for the guy who doesn’t work nearly as hard as you, but he parties with team? Be thankful that you were passed over because any job that will cause you to compromise your principles, to live contrary to the will of God for you life, is not a promotion that you want! Don’t compromise your stand for the Lord for money and position! It will not bring you the job satisfaction that you want! God still is the only one who promotes His children. There may be a wait, but it will be worth it!

      When you are doing all that you know to do to live for God you will attract the attention of the enemy, as surely as Hezekiah did. Israel was overtaken because of their disobedience to God, but Hezekiah’s attack was purely because of his stand for righteousness. Don’t let this be a block to your living for God. Don’t let this be a reason for compromise. Know that God left a record for you of how the enemy will put pressure on you to compromise and that it isn’t worth it! Ever!

      Hezekiah lost many cities because of his compromise. He started out doing so well. He was turning the hearts of the people back to God and God was with him while he was rebuilding the walls, restoring the temple, and calling people to worship. And as he was doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, he was trusting Him. But when he heard about his cities and his people being taken into captivity, it was just too much of a burden and he ended up paying tribute to Sennacherib because he stopped trusting God. The compromise that was supposed to make his life easier and his kingdom safer only made things worst. And any compromise you make will make things worst for you. Stay tuned for what happened next. Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Battle plans, Believers, Christian, Hezekiah’s battle, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged 2 Kings 18, battle, compromise, freedom, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Spiritual warfare
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