Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: the Blood of Jesus

• Freely!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 3, 2021

  

   Romans 3:24- “[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,” AMP

  

  The Bible has been compared to a love letter. Some say it is a love letter from God to His followers. I must admit that there are parts of the Bible that feel very much like words of love that strengthen my heart and causes me to long for my Savior. (And so then I have to stop what I am doing and spend time in worship or prayer, or both!) As such, then it is equally okay to compare the cross of Calvary to the price of that love. So great was the love of God for me and for you, the whole world over, that He placed Jesus on that cross and turned His back on Him.

  In the twenty first verse, of chapter three, Paul brings home a point that he has been trying to make with many of his previous statements. Righteousness cannot be earned, inherited, purchased, or worked at; it is given to us by He Who is Righteous. This righteousness, he continues to point out, is apart from the law, but is testified about in the Law and the Prophets. As a matter of truth, the only requirement, and it is non-negotiable, is found in the next verse of this chapter:

  “Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction”

  Romans 3:22 AMP

  God loves the whole world! Paul says, God’s righteousness is available to all who believe on Jesus the Christ, or Jesus, the Anointed One. That’s the only distinction! We can lay hold to whatever biases we want to, and cling to every tradition, but God has chosen to release His righteousness to those who believe in His Son!

  For all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God —

  Romans 3:23 YLT

  In the Young’s Literal translation, it refers to the fact that all of us did sin. None of us, can make any claims to righteousness outside of Jesus, because we all sinned, and were sinners before coming to Him! As a result of being sinners, we all come short of the glory of God. I like the way the Passion Bible states it:

  “For we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God!

  Romans 3:23 TPT

  I can understand what is being said, when it reads that we are in need of the glory! However you choose to understand this verse, the bottom line is that as sinners, we can’t experience the glory of God! Every effort falls short! Every righteous act of our own, falls short! Every resolution, just keep falling short! And it doesn’t matter who you are, there is no distinction! Sinners just keep falling short!

  But God, in His great love for us, made a way for us to tap into His glory and become righteous as He is, and that is through faith in Jesus!

  This is the part of the chapter that is most important about salvation:

  “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed”

  Romans 3:24-25 NKJV

  Paul has introduced several key aspects of salvation in these two verses: freely, justification, redemption, and propitiation.

  Let’s look first at freely. Freely comes from the Greek word, “dorean” and is translated “as a gift, or without a cause”. Paul was letting us know that God freely justifies us! We didn’t do anything to give Him a “cause” or a reason to justify us, it is His own gift to us! Just as grace is freely given to us! (Check out some of my blogs on grace!)

  Justification! Declared not guilty! God is a just God, and as such, He has to address the problem of sin. The righteous requirement of sin is death. Remember that God told Adam and Eve that when they ate from the forbidden tree, they would die! Death is still the payment for sin. Yet, His love caused Him to defer judgment of sin until His Son Jesus would come and die for us all! That’s deep! Once Jesus died, God declared all those who believe in Jesus, not guilty of the charges against them! Alvin Slaughter sang a song many years ago, “Mercy Refused”! Today, it is still a song I love to hear that reminds me of how powerful God’s love really is towards us!

  Redemption! This word denotes that the release is effected by the payment of a required price. Think of a slave auction! I don’t know a lot about sex trafficking, but there are times it is interwoven into a book I am reading. Sometimes, the hero just snatches the woman out of the hands of the trafficker, and other times, someone has to pay the ransom being asked, to have her returned. God, redeemed us off of the slave auction block of sin, and paid the ransom required to get us back, with the Blood of Jesus!

  Propitiation! A substitute sacrifice. That was Jesus on the cross! He didn’t sin, and therefore had no price of His own to pay! This plan was initiated by the Father, in heaven, before the foundation of the world. Jesus didn’t appease God, He pleased God, when He agreed to be the One who would die for our sins! No one else could do it, for God required the sacrifice to be holy, and none of us could fit that requirement.

  Each of these components, according to Paul, was absolutely necessary for us to be declared righteous before God. He could not overlook our sin, so He declared us free of sin, because of the Blood! The price for our freedom, for our redemption, was death! So He paid for it in the most precious way that He could, the Blood of Jesus! It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to die on that cross for our sins, in our place. He willing became our substitute. Without such, we could not experience the righteousness of God!

  I started out by mentioning that the word is a love letter from God to us! But it is so much more than a love letter! It is a covenant of love, written in the Blood of our Savior, and backed by the God of the Universe, our Father! If this isn’t a picture of the greatest love ever, I can’t imagine what is! Freely we have been justified, made completely free, by the Righteous Judge! Freely we have been redeemed! Freely He died in our place, a substitute, for us! Such amazing love! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Blood of Jesus, God, God’s Requirements, Jesus, righteousness, Salvation, Sin, Study of Romans | 4 Comments | Tagged Christianity, freely, God, Grace, Jesus, propitiation, redemption, sacrifice, Salvation, the Blood of Jesus, the righteousness of God

• Life in the Blood!

  Posted at 2:13 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 19, 2021

  Leviticus 17:11 – For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ NKJV

  

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  There is no way to have a real discussion on the imagery in the word of God without talking about the blood. There was a time in church history when many people thought that the topic of the blood was too graphic for them and their children. Sadly to say, they made a great effort to remove the blood from the churches. But they did so without realizing that there is life in the Blood! Not only to all flesh, but to the people of God! So as they removed the topic of the Blood, and all references to the Blood from their churches, they caused their churches to die!

  In Leviticus, Moses explains that there is a connection between life, blood, and flesh. When he says the life of flesh is in the blood, he was inferring that without the blood, there is no life! Physically or spiritually! There is no way to touch on all the spiritual aspects of the blood in a simple blog, and I won’t even try, but I do have something I want to say.

  Acts 17:26-27 – And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; NKJV

  Paul made this statement to the Athenians, when he declared that the “unknown god” they were worshipping was the One he wanted to tell them about. As he began to preach to them, he began by making mention of the truth that all the nations on the face of the earth came from one blood. Although we may be of different skin colors, speak different languages, and live in different locales, we are of one blood. Shakespeare wrote in his play, “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” Everyone one of us!

  The same is true spiritually! We all receive spiritual life through the Blood of Jesus. Nothing else!

  Ephesians 1:7 – In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace…

  Every believer on the planet, all those who have gone before us, and all who will come after us, access eternal life through the Blood of Jesus!

  The imagery of the Old Testament, with the blood, was all done to prepare mankind for the truth of the Blood of Jesus! We know this to be true because in the same verse in Leviticus, it is written, “I have given it (the blood) to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls…” God’s whole purpose for establishing the ceremonial practices of blood sacrifice, was to help us to realize that spiritual life, which is a result of being reconciled to God, was connected to blood.

  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12 – NKJV

  Here are my favorite Old Testament examples of the blood:

  • The Passover instituted in Exodus. This is a beautiful picture, and an excellent example, of the power of having faith in the blood.

  ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:12-13 – NKJV

  Every believer should understand the significance of the Passover. God made it absolutely clear that the only reason they would be spared from the plague, was because of the blood!

  One of the last events that Jesus shared with His disciples was the Passover meal, called the Seder.

  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:20 – NKJV

  That first Passover, was our example of the shedding of Jesus’ blood. Death has no power over us, when the Blood has been applied. His Blood gives us eternal life, for there is life in His Blood!

  • The scarlet cord that Rahab used when she let down the spies:

  So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. Joshua 2:17-19 – NKJV

  Rahab thought nothing of the scarlet cord as she used it to let the spies down and required a promise of safety from them. But when they saw the red cord, it reminded them of the Passover, and of the blood. Therefore, they told her that if they saw the scarlet cord in the window, and her family was in the house, they would find protection. If not, then they were free of their oath. Rahab, not knowing the true significance of that scarlet cord, made sure it was there, and she and her family were delivered!

  In both of these examples, life was found in the blood. As the people obeyed God’s word in applying the blood, He supernaturally protected their natural lives. It wasn’t just spiritual life that the blood spoke to, but natural life!

  Today, we as believers have been promised eternal life through the Blood of Jesus! It’s the greatest of all of the promises of God. The many references to blood in scripture was to assure us of the power of the Blood of Jesus to give us life, purify us from sin, and most importantly, reconcile us to God. If you have not applied the Blood to the doorpost of your heart, I encourage you to do so today! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation-3.mp3

  Posted in Blood of Jesus, God’s Symbols, Jesus, Salvation | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, blood sacrifice, Christian, Deliverance, God, God’s Symbols, imagery in the Bible, Jesus, life, life in the blood, Passover, Salvation, the Blood of Jesus

• Healed By the Word!

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Hear what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:

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

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

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

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

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

• 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

• But You Shall Receive Power!

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

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

  

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  In Luke 24:49, Jesus told His disciples:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  So what witness was Jesus referring to?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• His Name is All That!

  Posted at 4:31 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on October 3, 2020

  Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” NKJV

  

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  Years ago, Donnie McClurkin sang a song, “I Call You Faithful”. It was a hit with the church and the world alike. In the song, he called Jesus holy, righteous, awesome, faithful, healer, and savior. And then he summed it all up by singing:

  I call You All That, Your name is All That
  You have been all that to me
  I call You All That, Your name is All That
  All that You are and all that You’ll be
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

  As I was thinking of how to end this week, while staying on the same message, I thought of this song again. So I will end it with this, His Name is All That!

  I’m sure I mentioned this in another blog, and it bears repeating, that names, from the biblical perspective meant something. It either disclosed something about the state of God’s people, the identity of God, or the hope for the child. In the case of Jesus, His Name not only speaks of who He is, but of God’s hope for His people, and the state of mankind. That’s truly a name that is All That!

  Jesus means “to deliver, to rescue,” in the Hebrew. His name tells us that He is the deliverer, letting us know “who” He is. As deliverer, His Name tells us that God’s hope for His people is that we are delivered from the bondage of sin. His Name deliverer tells us that mankind was in a place where the Deliverer was needed to provide a rescue! Glory, Hallelujah! That’s powerful!

  As Deliverer, Jesus most certainly had to be All That! In order for Him to be the deliverer for God, He had to be holy, a Lamb without blemish. His Blood was needed to settle God’s requirement for sin. No other blood would do! One song said, “His blood was not just blood of another spotless lamb, but His Blood was precious Blood, for it washed the sins of man”!

  As Deliverer, Jesus not only had to be holy, but He had to be prepared to meet the needs of those who were delivered! I read Christian military fiction. Every time there is a rescue, the deliverers prepare for every contingency. They make preparations to extract the individual as efficiently as possible. They have medical supplies in case the person is sick or wounded. They have food, in case the individual has been starved. They have clothing in case the individual is not properly dressed. And lastly, they have the weaponry needed, to withstand the enemy during the extraction. In other words, they plan for the “worst case scenario” and hope for the best!

  Our Deliverer is even better than that! He is the preparation for every contingency. Whatever we need, He doesn’t have to find it and bring it along, He is it! He’s efficient in what He does, because He only had to die on the cross, one time, for the sins of the entire world, from Adam til He returns. He doesn’t have to gather medical supplies because at His Word, by His Blood, through faith, we are healed! He’s not worried about food, because He can multiply whatever is around, turn water into wine, or just cause the stones to be made bread! He clothes us in righteousness, making us presentable for the Father! And lastly, He defeated the enemy, and the devil is under His feet! He is the perfect Deliverer!

  You haven’t come up with a need that Jesus cannot meet. I received a comment this week calling Him, Everything! He truly is! The latest song about who He is, calls Him:

  Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness,
  My God! That is who you are!

  This is Jesus! This is who we call Lord, Savior, Messiah, Master, King of kings, Lord of lords! This is who He is! It is an honor to know Him. An honor to be in a relationship with Him. An honor to be known by Him. He is the greatest person to ever live! He has the highest throne! He has the most followers! He answers to no other person! He doesn’t need us for anything, He just wants to love us and love on us!

  No enemy can withstand Him! Not cancer, not coronavirus, not poverty, not lack, not inferiority, not superiority! Sin doesn’t overcome Him! Trouble isn’t too much for Him! Your past isn’t too much for Him! Your failures doesn’t overwhelm Him! Your challenges, don’t challenge Him! Your victories don’t outshine Him! His Name is the still the Name above every Name! He is still awesome, amazing, God!

  I can’t even begin to recall all of the times Jesus has shown up for me. Maybe today you can say the same thing! The list would really be long! The most important thing I want you to think about is that, these Names have become who He is in the lives of so many people. I don’t just read about Jesus the Healer, I have experienced Him time and again. I don’t just read and dream about Jesus the Provider, I have experienced Him on many occasions. I don’t just sing about Jesus, my Deliverer, I have been delivered and kept from much!

  When I was teaching the youth many years ago, I challenged them to ask Jesus to be real to them. I challenged them to experience Him for themselves so that no one need ever to convince them that He is real. They are adults today. Many of them have solid relationships with the Lord. Why? Because He walked out of the pages of the Bible and straight into their hearts. And guess what? He’ll do the same for you!

  It’s time out for just singing about how wonderful Jesus is! It’s time to experience Him! It’s time out for declaring He is a healer, to embracing Him as your healer! It’s time out for religious platitudes and cliches, it’s time to know God through the Person of Jesus, the Christ! He is All That! He’s whatever you need! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in His Name, Jesus, the Name of Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged All That, Faith, Forgiveness, God, Healing, holy, hope, Jesus, protection, provision, Salvation, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, trust in God, Waymaker

• Can I Get a Witness!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 4, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 -They gained the victory over him on account of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their witness. Love for their own lives didn’t make them afraid to die. CEB

  

  can-i-get-a-witness.mp3

  I’ve been blogging on the spiritual weapons given to us to overcome the devil. This week will be my last week dealing with the subject. What I am realizing is that Jesus gave us so many ways to be victorious, that to live a life of defeat would be a slap in His face!

  Today I want to look at the phrase, “the word of their witness” as our spiritual weapon against the enemy. When I think about this phrase, it brings to mind, “what are we saying about Jesus?” Have you thought about the fact that what you say about Jesus can cause you to be either victorious or defeated?

  John wrote that they overcame the devil by the word of their testimony, or in this version, by the word of their witness. One commentator wrote that every single time we say no to sin, to temptations, to the lies of the devil, we are overcoming him! That’s what the end of this verse is reflective of when it says we overcome by the word of our testimony.

  The way we live as Christians, going back to holiness, will determine how adept we are at overcoming the devil. In the Bible we have two great men of God, who were totally different in their walk with the Lord, yet alike! Peter and Paul!

  Paul is one of my favorite people in the Bible, outside of Jesus! His life, speaks to me. He was a persecutor of the disciples of Jesus, arresting them and consenting to their deaths. Paul was zealous for the Law he had given his life to learn about, but ignorant of the God who sent His Son to die for him. I believe that every time he arrested one of the disciples their lives were a witness to him. He just couldn’t understand why they were so passionate, and some times, so willing to die for this Jesus! After watching Stephen die, I believe his life was changed. This young man had just used the very Law Paul had studied to explain his devotion to Jesus, and as Stephen dies, he cries “Lord, forgive them!” This was on his mind as he traveled on the road to Damascus. Now he was ready to encounter Jesus, and when he did, Paul recognized Him and called Him Lord. The same energy that Paul used to persecute the believers, was the same energy that he used to serve the Lord. He was strong in faith, strong in power, and strong in his teachings. There is no record of him ever straying from Jesus. He was passionate about his faith in Jesus, and he loved not his life, even to the death. Paul’s witness is an encouragement to me to live for Jesus. His life demonstrates that we can live a devoted, separated, victorious life with the Messiah.

  Peter was so enthusiastic in his service for Jesus that he sometimes got ahead of himself! When Jesus asked His disciples what were they saying about who He was, Peter spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Yet, Jesus rebuked Peter on several occasions, and Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. But Jesus saw Peter’s heart, and restored him, and Peter went on to be used mightily of God. Peter then stumbled in his relationship with the Gentiles, not wanting to eat with them when the Jews were around. It wasn’t that he was a flaky Christian, he just showed a more human side, a fear for what people thought of him. His enthusiasm and passion, sometimes got the best of him, trying to block out his godliness. Yet he still remains a powerful witness that we can all look up to! God knows we aren’t perfect, that we will stumble, and through Peter’s life we have a witness that we can overcome, even when we don’t always get it right!

  Can you imagine the impact these men lives had on the people they came into contact with? By his witness, Paul overcame the devil, and God used him to write most of the New Testament and to take the gospel to the Gentiles! By his witness, Peter impacted the Jewish community for Jesus every time he preached, winning thousands of souls to Jesus at a time. Their witness, in their life, and with their words, caused them to overcome the devil, time and time again!

  I think of the Voice of the Martyrs magazine at this time. The powerful testimonies I have read over the years of these same type of Christians who, in spite of intense persecution, continue, even in the midst of trials to deepen their relationship with Jesus. One such man comes to mind that I read about. I don’t remember his name, but I remember his witness. He was arrested for his faith in the Lord Jesus while living under a communist regime. During his arrest he would witness to the prisoners. One day, the guards took him outside in the wintry weather, naked, as a means of torturing him. However, each time he was brought back inside, he was without sickness, frost bite, or even pain. I believe I also read that the Lord clothed him in warmth while he was outside. His witness was even stronger after the intense persecution and he led many to Christ. I don’t remember the end of his life, but he overcame the devil and his attacks, with his witness!

  We won’t all be a Peter or a Paul, but we can all be a witness. The devil will constantly do things to try and tempt us from our faith in Christ Jesus, but we must be determined that nothing will separate us from God. He will lie to us about God’s character, but we must be diligent in letting our words speak of God’s faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy, and His love. Even in these challenging times with the coronavirus, we must remain true to Him, remembering always, that people are listening to our words and watching our lives.

  We overcome the devil! Jesus made it clear that we do so! He gave His Blood as an overcoming weapon. We have praise to silence the enemy. We have the word of our testimony to testify that God is good and the devil is a liar! We have our holy, consecrated lives that give no place to him. We must live free of any fear of the devil! And now, we just have to live like we know these truths, believe these truths, and operate in these truths. Can I get a witness? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, freedom, God, Jesus, king, Paul, Peter, Revelation 12:11, Satan, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness

• There’s Power in the Blood!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 28, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

  

  there-is-power-in-the-blood.mp3

  Lewis E. Jones wrote the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood” in 1899. It is still sung today. The questions he asked are:

  • Would you be free from your burdens of sin?
  • Would you, a victory over evil win?
  • Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide!
  • Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are lost in it’s life giving flow!
  • Would you do service for Jesus your King?
  • Would you live daily His praises to sing?

  Then Lewis repeatedly answers the questions by saying, “There’s power in the Blood!” I’m sure you have heard, and know this hymn, but here’s the chorus:

  There is power, power, wonder working power
  In the Blood, of the Lamb!
  There is power, power, wonder working power
  In the precious Blood of the Lamb!

  Jones understood a basic, yet profound truth, that whatever you need, there is power enough in the Blood to bring it to pass. My previous post on the first line of defense being the Blood of Jesus, through provision of salvation is where it starts, not where it ends. The Blood of Jesus will not only lift your burdens of sin, wash you whiter than snow, and destroy the bondage of passion and pride; it will also give you victory over evil, empower you to live daily for the King, and enable you to serve Him. It’s in the Blood!

  I’m re-reading a book, written by Billye Brim, “The Blood and the Glory!” It’s one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. In her book, she gives testimony after testimony of the power of the Blood for protection. She writes about the principle of applying the Blood and pleading the Blood over our lives, our families, our properties, and our businesses. Basically, over everything!

  I want to share one of her testimonies. I will generalize it so that I am not copying from her text. This happened pre-cell phone days. There was a minister who had to go to Canada to conduct some services. The power of God was moving and people were getting saved and set free. The devil spoke to him and told him that he was going to kill his children. He responded by saying, “Devil, you’re a liar! You cannot kill my children.” The devil told him that he was going to use rabid foxes to kill his children. He remembered that someone had mentioned to him, they had seen foxes on his land before he had left. So he and some friends drew a blood line of protection around his property. A week later he received a letter from his brother saying that he had found five dead foxes on the boundary of his property and they were all tested and had rabies! Now that’s power!

  She also shares testimonies from Mrs. C. Z. Nuzum’s book, “The Life of Faith”. Mrs. Nuzum was a missionary in Mexico and she trusted the Blood of Jesus would protect her from violence, from a bulldog, a raging fever as she went to help a family, a drunk man who followed her to bring her harm, and a number of other instances. There is power in the Blood!

  I’ve already talked about the protection at Passover. Today, I will remind you of Rahab, who was protected with a token of the blood. When she hid the spies, she had a conversation with them about saving her and her family. The spies told her that if she and her family stayed in the house, they would be protected, as long as she kept her end of the bargain. As she lowered them from her window, using a scarlet cord, they told her that she should tie that cord to the window, and when the Israelites came, and saw the cord, her home would receive protection. That cord was a token of the blood. It saved her entire family from destruction when the walls of Jericho fell. As a matter of fact, her walls didn’t even fall. You’ll have to go back and read the story in its entirety, but there is power even in the token of the Blood.

  What does that mean for you and I. When we are born again, we have the Blood applied to our hearts, but we can also apply it, or plead it over us and our family for protection. I have done so on numerous occasions for myself and my family, and it works! I have gotten lax, but I am thankful for this reminder, during the coronavirus outbreak that there is power in the Blood to protect us.

  Let me say this! Smith Wigglesworth, a man whose life and ministry I greatly admire, was used mightily by God to heal the sick, and to restore life and limb to individuals. But when it came to health, he did the natural things necessary to stay healthy. When it was cold outside, he wore a coat, scarf, and a hat. When it was raining, he used an umbrella. He understood the authority he had over sickness and disease, but he didn’t give place to the devil. Jesus, the Son of God, said that we are not to tempt the Lord our God. Just because God has given His angels to protect us, doesn’t mean we go about defying death. So with the coronavirus, just because we are covered in the Blood, and can apply the Blood, doesn’t mean we need to walk around like we are untouchable. We don’t operate in fear, and we don’t run from life, but we walk in faith, trusting God, not trying to prove that we are invincible.

  How does it work? You say, “In the Name of Jesus, I plead the Blood of Jesus over my body against ___________________”! This is not prayer! It’s a decree, based on the Word of God, and done in faith! You can, by faith, apply the Blood to your vehicles, to your home, over your business. You can by faith, draw a bloodline, in the same way. As you go, the Spirit of God can prompt you, or you can operate by faith! I am out of space, but for more on the Blood, check out the scriptures in the Bible related to blood, and check out those books I mentioned. When you finish them, you will be more equipped to use this weapon, and to overcome the enemy, by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus! He cannot fail! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, supernatural, the Blood of Jesus, weapons of warfare | 4 Comments | Tagged apply the blood, Believer, coronavirus, Deliverance, draw a bloodline, Faith, Family, Jesus, plead the Blood, protection, Rahab, Salvation, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, trust in God, victory

• The Passion of the Christ!

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

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

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

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

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

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

  So what were some of these things:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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