Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Victorious Living

• His Name is Counselor!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 24, 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

  

  his-name-is-counselor_.mp3

  Who do you turn to when you need advice? Most of us, if we’re fortunate to have a good friend will turn to our friend. Some of us will turn to a parent or parent figure, while others will turn to a pastor, sibling, or perhaps a professional counselor. Whomever you choose to seek out for advice, make sure that advice is something you can live with.

  Immediately upon sitting down to write this blog I thought of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Solomon had died, and the people of Israel, along with Jeroboam, went to Rehoboam to ask him to lighten their load; and they would serve him. He asked for three days to give his decision. In the meantime, he asked his father’s advisors what he should do? They encouraged him to give the people what they asked for. He rejected that advice and asked his friends. His friends told him to do the opposite, encouraging him to be tough on Israel. It was at this point that the nation of Israel was split! What terrible advice he chose to follow!

  Jesus is an amazing Counselor. He won the hearts of His followers because of it! Let’s take a quick peek at some of His counsel:

  • You are the salt of the earth. If salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing!
  • You are the light of the world. Don’t hide your light under a basket!
  • You have heard it said, don’t murder! I say that whoever is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of the judgment!
  • If you bring your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave it and first be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer it!
  • You were told, don’t commit adultery. I tell you that if you look after a woman to lust for her, you’ve already committed adultery!
  • Do to others, what you want them to do to you!
  • Forgive, or your Heavenly Father won’t forgive you!
  • Give and it will be given to you!
  • Pray for those who use you!
  • Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you!
  • Let your yes, be yes, and your no, be no!
  • When you give a charitable gift, don’t let others know about it!
  • And the list can go on and on, for His words are still being regarded as wise counsel!

  Some of the things I have sought Counselor Jesus on are:

  • Joining the Navy – I asked Him what to do with my life when I was about 21. He told me to join the Navy. I asked Him why? He told me, and I joined. After all the papers were signed, He told me that my husband was an officer in the Navy. I say yes to the Counselor’s advice!
  • Finding my husband- I specifically asked Him after meeting each man, “Lord, is this the one or should I look for another?” When I met my husband He told me to look no further. He even told me to reach out to him at his base in Florida, and directed my call to the right place. Counselor, counseled, and I listened!
  • Raising our kids- He told me to discipline them so that He wouldn’t have to send angels to rescue them. They are all young women, loving their Counselor!
  • Working on the job- He’s helped me out so much with His counsel in this area. One time I was so tired of teaching that I had decided to give my students a worksheet to keep them busy; so I could just go and sit down! We had been in testing all week. Just as I was handing out the worksheets, He told me to keep teaching. Less than five minutes went by when my principal walked in to observe me. Later, he shared with me that I was always on my job, no matter what. He observed that I was teaching while others were sitting around. The very thing that was in my heart. Counselor, counseled, I listened!

  Here’s the point! The Child that was born is called Counselor, because He is full of wisdom. There is no situation that we can face today that He has not already encountered with another individual. He is not shocked by what we think, say, or do. He already knows it all. He sees our past, present, and future, and is highly qualified to give counsel for our lives. His words may appear to some to be ancient, but no wiser words have ever been spoken. If His advice is followed, we don’t have to worry about it being the wrong advice. It will prosper in our lives.

  Maybe you haven’t recognized the free advice you have in the Savior. Maybe you haven’t stopped to ask His thoughts on the matters of your heart. Or maybe, like Rehoboam, you asked Him, then rejected it. Today is a great time to begin listening to the Counselor’s advice. He has your best interest at heart and knows more than any parent, friend, pastor, or human being. However, don’t be surprised if He sends you to one of them, because He can give them just the right words to say! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Choices, Jesus, Son of God | 4 Comments | Tagged counsel, Counselor, Forgiveness, Jesus, obedience, Parenting, Rehoboam, trust in God, Victorious Living

• Don’t Be a Hater!

  Posted at 5:38 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on September 12, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

  

  dont-be-a-hater_.mp3

  I don’t usually skip over a part of a verse, but today, in obedience to the Spirit of God, I must! We are living in a day and time when our trust factor isn’t very high. People can be very smooth and deceptive in the way they operate, and we may have fallen prey to some of their many tactics, causing us to have a negative response to prophecies. But God is still God, and if we will learn to trust Him, we will find ourselves encouraged and strengthen to continue in the race!

  In both the Old and New Testaments, God spoke to His people through the prophets. Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel in the Old Testament; Peter, Paul, John, Barnabas, Agabus, and Silas in the New Testament. And in 2020, God is still using prophecies to encourage His people

  Unfortunately, because there have been false prophets in our day, just as in Biblical times, many have grown weary and suspicious about modern day prophets. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “do not despise prophecies,” and that can be translated, that we are not to despise His prophets! It’s okay to try the prophet by the word of God, and to even come to the conclusion that something isn’t right about an individual, but the prophetic is beautiful when God is in it! I’ve experienced it many times!

  However, today, God is not just using the prophet to prophesy, He is using His people. I want to share some prophecies that I have received and some that I have given.

  Years ago, when I was about 18, a minister I knew visited Israel. He brought back with him some water from the Holy Land. One day, in his home, he took the water, poured some over my hand, and spoke to me about my hands be healing hands. At the time, I didn’t place any faith in that because I had little understanding of the prophetic, but today, I can tell you, that was a word from God. I have laid my hands on many and they have recovered. Not all! Not from everything! But those words came to pass as surely as I sit here.

  God made a believer out of me, for I was one who despised prophesying. I was even embarrassed by it, thinking that people should be ashamed of themselves telling others that God said this, or God said that! Yet, God has used me to do the same thing. I thought that the prophetic was always about God, and what He was saying, or going to do in the church! I didn’t realize at that time that God would really give a “prophetic” word to an individual, for someone else. So I thought those people who did so were unbiblical. But I was wrong, and I am so delighted today that God has delivered me from myself, from wrong teaching, and from wrong thinking!

  When I woke up this morning, one of my first thoughts was of a prophetic word that God had sent to me. We were attending a bible class at Living Word Christian Center in Oak Park, Illinois. Can I be honest and say I don’t remember what the class was about? I do remember that I went to turn in my assignment, and as the instructor took my work, he began to prophesy to me. He said something like this, “I see money all over you. There’s money in your purse, and in your right pocket, and your left. Every where you turn there is money.” At that time, I was so far from “money everywhere” it was almost laughable. Recently, I went to the grocery store, and as I was looking for money to pay the cashier, I took money out of my purse, my left pocket, and my right pocket, and I heard his words. Another day, I was at home cleaning, and there was money in my laundry room, money in my living room, money in my bedroom, and money in my family room. And again, those words came to my mind. Don’t start thinking I’m a millionaire! The point is, I was concerned about finances, and God sent me a word of what my future finances looked like, that He already saw!

  Another prophetic word, that came from a neighbor, and not a “prophet” surely came to pass. My husband and I wanted to add a second floor to our home. We hired an architect, went through all of the paperwork, then ran into a snag and wasn’t able to start the project. One day, I was in the yard, when a neighbor (whom I was discipling) came outside to talk with me. She said something like this, “I saw your second floor on your home, and I just had to come out and get a better look at it”! I looked at the house and I thought, “What second floor”? I’m sitting in my second floor bedroom right now! God sent her to encourage me. It was many years later for both prophecies to come to pass, but they came to pass! God is awesome like that!

  Why does God even use people to prophesy one to another? He tells us in His word:

  “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” 1 Corinthians 14:3

  One day a young lady came to our church. She was looking for a prophetic word as she was making a decision about her life. She was told that I could prophesy into her life, but I didn’t think that at all. According to the word, I should have been thinking that, for the Bible states:

  “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” 1 Corinthians 14:31

  As I listened to her, I sensed by the Spirit, that she was looking for validation to do what she wanted to do, in spite of the counsel her parents had given her. So I talked to her as a “wise woman” instead of as a prophet. Later on, the words of wisdom I had given her turned out to be truly prophetic. She learned some things, but I’m sure at the time, she wasn’t encouraged! But God loved her, and wanted her to know that. Even though I didn’t think I was prophesying and she didn’t like what I shared, it was still God! He supernaturally overrode my thinking and spoke to this young lady! She went contrary to all advice given to her, and later, she didn’t even want to acknowledge that time in her life. Hearing a word from God, and receiving a word from God is two totally different things.

  God doesn’t use the prophetic to control us. He uses it to encourage us to keep trusting Him and His word! He uses the prophetic to comfort us when we are in need of comfort! And He uses it to exhort (strongly encourage us, or push us) into being the best that we can be. That reminds me of a minister who came to our church to do a worship conference. He had just had death in the family. We were told to pray for him. As I was praying, I heard a word from God. Really, and truly, it’s not my favorite thing to do, telling someone that God told me to share something with them! I can be wrong!!! It’s a fear I am constantly overcoming! As I watched him in rehearsal, that word came strongly back to me, so I went over and shared it. He confirmed it to be a word from God! It truly touched his heart and encouraged him, and he encouraged me! Had I disobeyed, there’s no telling how that grief would have affected him!

  Everyone is not a prophet! But everyone can prophesy because the word tells us that God says:

  “And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:18

  As believers, we should endeavor to cooperate with what God is doing! Whether God use us to prophesy to someone, or use an individual to prophesy to us, we should not be despisers, haters of what is happening! Are their false prophets and people who taint this supernatural form of communication from heaven? Yes! But there are people who taint every area and experience of life, from marriage, to employment, to raising kids, and yes, to the things of God!

  Don’t walk away thinking that I’m trying to promote myself as a prophet! Far from it! However, He supernaturally interrupts my life to bless those around me, and interrupts others to bless me! Time and time again! God placed this on my heart this morning, and I just knew that I needed to share it. If you’ve been despising the prophetic, simply because you have not understood it, or seen it misused and abused, then this word is for you. Don’t continue to despise a way that God Himself has designed to bless your life! He wants to encourage you, to comfort you, and push you to winning in this life! And He chooses to do so through prophesying! Not only that, it’s His will for you life!! Start receiving today! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God, Wrong Thinking | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, false prophets, prophesy, prophet, prophetic, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, will of God, word from God, wrong teaching, Wrong Thinking

• Rejoice Always!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 8, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV

  

  rejoice-always_.mp3

  If you’ve been following my blogs, you know that I have been writing on the requirements that God has for us. In the following blogs, I would like to write about some of the things that we are encouraged to do as believers. For this blog, I will focus on rejoicing!

  I found the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary listening to Pastor Bill Winston, of Living Word Christian Center. He said it was a favorite of his and I have been using it lately. According to this edition of the Webster’s Dictionary, rejoice means to experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.”

  Typically people rejoice at weddings. When we attend a wedding of a family member or a friend and we like the dynamics of the couple, we rejoice with them because we are happy for them! When a baby is born to someone we love, we rejoice with them at the birth of the baby; even at the news that a baby is about to be born. We rejoice at birthdays, and graduations, and some times at home goings, even when we are sad, because we know that person has transitioned to be with Jesus! Sometimes it is easier to rejoice then it is at other times.

  I’m amazed at how many people are struggling at this time. I know it isn’t easy, but some are finding it especially difficult to find any type of joy, let alone joy to a high degree. I have even heard pastors speak of the challenge they are having to not to become discouraged. Well, God saw this day afar off and His word to us is to “rejoice always”!

  Who better to write words of encouragement, then Paul? Paul wrote this letter to a group of saints in a city he was thrown out of! You’d think he would tell them to leave that place or even that he was sure they were struggling with their faith in such a sin filled city. But that’s not what he said to them. He told them “rejoice always”!

  Paul learned in the course of his ministry that his joy didn’t come from the situations and circumstances that he continually found himself in. They came from the Lord! He understood that even when there was nothing outwardly to find joy in, we could find joy in Christ.

  Paul was shipwrecked on several occasions, stoned, whipped, lied on, thrown out of cities, left for dead, and persecuted throughout his ministry! Yet Paul said, “rejoice always”!

  We used to sing a chorus with these words in it:

  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
  O, the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away!

  But all too often in life, we live as though this is not a truth found in Jesus, and the world and its events really do take our joy away!

  Let’s look at a few scriptures about rejoicing:

  But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12

  That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. Psalm 9:14

  But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6

  I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, Psalm 31:7

  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Psalm 33:1

  Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” Psalm 40:16

  Are you getting the message? I had another post scheduled to come out today, but as I was lying in bed thinking on the Lord and quoting scriptures in my spirit, this one resonated with me and I felt that I was to get up and change my blog. It’s one o’clock in the morning, my time, and I have to get up soon for work, but I had to obey the prompting in my spirit!

  The numbers for the virus is escalating. Politics are getting nerve wrecking. Jobs are being lost and loved ones are dying. If we are not careful, we will become complainers, but God is saying, Rejoice always!

  Rejoice in your salvation! Rejoice because God is magnified over all of this stuff! Rejoice because He is mindful of you and all your adversities! Rejoice because He favors you! Rejoice because you can trust Him! Rejoice because from His vantage point, your praise is beautiful! Rejoice because He loves you! And rejoice because it is His will for you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in joy, rejoice, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, Handling difficulties, hard times, joy, rejoice, Salvation, Victorious Living, victory, will of God

• God’s Requirements – Part 3

  Posted at 2:03 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 5, 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

  

  gods-requirements-part-3.mp3

  I have truly enjoyed studying this verse. Micah is not typically a book of the Bible that I spend time “deep diving” into, but I may have to change that! Micah wrote that God has shown us what is good, letting us know that He is our example. He went on to share what God requires of us. We’ve already looked at the first two: to act justly and to love mercy. In this blog, I will address the last phrase of this verse, “and to walk humbly with your God”.

  In the Message Bible, this portion of the verse is rendered, “and don’t take yourself too seriously-take God seriously!” As I was meditating on this verse, preparing to write this last blog, God brought King Nebuchadnezzar to my mind. King Nebuchadnezzar was a king that took himself too seriously.

  In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had two dreams. In the first dream God revealed to the king that his kingdom would be a strong and prosperous kingdom. God used the imagery of a statue, and the king was represented by a golden head. Somewhere in the course of his days, he thought it a great idea to build a gold statue of himself for everyone to bow down to. When the Hebrew boys refused to bow, the king had the furnace heated up and then had them thrown into it. However, God stepped in and saved the young men, causing Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge that He is the Most High God!

  The next dream we read about, the king himself wrote, in a letter. He had a dream about a tree that reached to the heavens and covered the world. Then one day, holy beings cut the tree down, leaving a stump, while the tree turns into an animal for 7 seasons. When Daniel was called to interpret the dream, Daniel didn’t want to tell the king that this tree represented him, and that God would cut him down, he would lose his mind, and he would live like an animal for a season of times. But Daniel told him and tried to encourage him to turn from his prideful ways. However, the king did not. And so, the dream came to pass. At the end of the letter, it is obvious that the king has been restored to his right mind, and has come to understand that there is no God like the Most High God. You should read the book to understand the depth of his pride, but suffice it to say, with all that God had done for him, he thought that he had done it; and his pride got him in trouble with God.

  Nebuchadnezzar had this to say about the true and living God:

  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:37 NKJV

  When God said that He requires of us to walk humbly before Him, that’s what He meant! Unfortunately for the king, he had to lose his mind before he could truly understand that because of his pride, God had to take him down a few notches. Is that what you or I need to realize that we are to walk humbly before our God? I certainly hope not!

  In the book of psalms, it is written:

  The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. Psalm 10:4

  How plain is that? When pride enters our heart, we feel we have no need for God, His word, or His counsel. He is not a part of our thinking, even to the point that we feel above the need to have to seek Him. What a sad state of affairs for an individual to find himself in!

  A well known proverb about pride states:

  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

  Isn’t that what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar? Before his destruction, we saw his pride! First, with the golden statue and the decree to throw people in the fiery furnace if they didn’t bow at the sound of the music. And then, we saw it with the warning of the tree. Although warned to deal with the pride in his life, or face being humiliated before his people, Nebuchadnezzar hung on to his pride!

  When pride comes, then come shame… Proverbs 11:2a

  Nebuchadnezzar had to learn this lesson the hard way! But not just King Nebuchadnezzar, many men and women have to learn this lesson the hard way. My mama used to say, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall!” Isn’t that so true? The greater the power a person has, the harder their fall, the greater their humiliation! We see it on a regular basis these days. Politicians, corporate leaders, pastors, church leaders, CEOs, celebrities, principals, billionaires, millionaires, and the common person too! Success, money, and power, in every arena of life, causes that demonic spirit to rise on the attack! And if it isn’t dealt with in private, it will humiliate and bring shame in the public!

  Here’s what God has to say about the humble:

  The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:9

  It’s quite obvious that the prideful person can’t hear from God, because he doesn’t seek God. Yet, God guides the humble person in justice. He’s there to assist the humble person in “acting justly”. And He teaches the humble person how to walk and live in His way! What a comfort and a blessing to know! The word also tells us this:

  The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147:6

  We don’t have to get ahead in life by mistreating people and forgetting God. He clearly lifts up the humble person, and he clearly casts down the wicked. Someone might say, “It doesn’t look like it”! Well, as believers, we don’t walk by what we see, but by what we believe. And if we learn to trust God and His word, we will see the humble lifted, and the wicked cast down to the ground! Didn’t Jesus say that He saw Lucifer cast down from heaven? Lucifer’s pride got in his way! Didn’t the same word of God say that Jesus, who humbled Himself, was given a name above all names, and was highly exalted? We must begin to accept God’s word as the truth that it is!

  I leave you with this word, from the word:

  A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23

  It’s been a real blessing to look closely at this verse. I want to live a life that honors God, and this verse has helped to identify some ways in which I can do that! Act justly-do the right thing where people are concerned; love mercy-stop hating, forgiving one another, and demonstrate kindness to others; and walk humbly before our God-understanding that He exalts the humble and brings down the proud! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in God, God’s Requirements, Humility, Pride | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, encouragement, exalted, Forgiveness, God, Humility, Jesus, Justice, king Nebuchadnezzar, love, Mercy, miraculous, obedience, Pride, the devil, Victorious Living, word of God

• Yielding the Sword!

  Posted at 2:44 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 8, 2020

  Ephesians 6:17 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” NKJV

  yielding-the-sword_.mp3

  I trust you are getting encouraged in your walk with the Lord! The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors; therefore, the weapons against our adversary are fail proof when used in faith! Have you ever watched someone play a video game, or maybe you have played, and the battle called for warriors to use different weapons at different phases of the game? Or maybe you have no knowledge of video games, but understand real warfare. You understand that there are foot soldiers with guns, snipers with rifles, tanks with artillery, planes with bombs, all headed for the enemy to engage him in different ways. All important, all strategic, all deadly, but in different ways! That’s how our spiritual weapons are used; in different phases of the battle, for different attacks, but all are lethal against the adversary! I wrote a blog, this year, “Talk Back to the Enemy” that is a companion blog to today’s entry.

  Paul is writing about the full armor of God in this passage. I won’t address the armor in this blog, but I do want to address the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Typically speaking, a sword is a weapon of defense and the Word is definitely great for defending ourselves against the enemy; but it can also be an offensive weapon used to attack an opponent. Which ever position you find yourself in, even at this moment, the word will work!

  In Matthew, chapter 4, we find Jesus is being led into the wilderness. After forty days and nights of fasting, the devil comes for a visit. He didn’t send a demon this time. This was an assignment he took up.

  The first temptation was at Jesus’ physical need of food. He said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” This was a real temptation because Jesus was hungry. It was also an attack on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. Jesus didn’t get into a long discourse with the devil. He simply replied, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” Jesus’ weapon against the devil’s attempt to pull Him into the flesh after a forty day fast was countered with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God!

  Then we see that the devil took him up into the holy city, and said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you.'” We can see that Satan came with a counterattack at Jesus, using the Word against Him. That was pretty dumb to use the Word against the Living Word, but he did it. Jesus of course responded with a greater truth, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” In other words, it is very true that angels would come to His rescue, but He knew it would be silly to test God’s faithfulness on a challenge from Satan.

  Lastly, Satan takes Jesus on an exceedingly high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Now he is trying to impress Jesus with his goods. He say to Jesus “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Jesus rebukes Satan by saying, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”

  After these words of rebuke, the devil leaves, and angels came and ministered to Him. He whipped the devil with the Word and was victorious, not because He was the Son, but because of the effectiveness of the sword of the Spirit! It worked for Jesus, and it will work for us!

  I want to address something that was going on. During this time of temptation, Satan was trying to get Jesus to sin against God. The temptation wasn’t a sin, but had Jesus done either of these things, He would have sinned. When we are tempted, they are just temptations, but when we give in and do a thing, it becomes a sin. Learning to cut the devil off before he has a chance to get us to thinking about his proposal is key in maintaining our victory. The immediate weapon to use against a suggestion to sin, is the Word of God!

  • Consider an individual who is dating. The enemy tells that person some tired lies that he have used throughout the centuries with others. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but he’s had enough success that he still uses it. Recently my daughter told me this one that a young person shared with her, “Girl, you have to try it before you buy it!” How many times did my “girlfriends” tell me the same thing, decades ago. The only thing you get to try before you buy it is a car. Are we reducing our bodies to that of an automobile? You buy a house, you buy it first, then you move in; unless you rent to own. See the lie for what it is then use the word against sexual sin.
    • It is written, “Flee sexual immorality! And again it says “that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I am not my own. Or have you not heard how Joseph, when approached by Potiphar’s wife refused her saying that he would not sin against God?” No devil, I will not do this thing for it is written, “You shall not commit adultery or fornication. So get out of here with your lies!”

  • Consider an individual who is struggling to make ends meet. The enemy tells that person, you should not be giving the church all of their money. You have been tithing (for all of two months) and things are worst. You have been giving to support the teens ministry, VBS, or pastoral support, but who is helping you?
    • It is written, “Bring the tithe in the storehouse…and I will open the window of heaven and pour you out a blessing you will not have room to receive. It is also written, “Give and it shall be given to you!” There is no way that I will stop being a financial blessing to my church for God has promised in His word, that the righteous are not forsaken and His seed is not begging for bread!” Now leave me alone!

  These are just examples that are common in the church. And they are lies that I have heard hundreds of times over the years that I have living for the Lord. Lies you have heard personally, or know others who have heard them. The Bible is filled with examples of people who have gone both ways: Eve, Samson and Judas believed the lies, Abraham, Noah, and Joseph did not! You don’t have to give in to the lies of the devil, just yield the sword of the Spirit at him and watch him hightail it out of your presence! Once you see it work, it may very well become your preferred weapon of attack!

  I believe I am finished with the weapons of our warfare blogs. I trust you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. On wonderfuljesus.blog, it is my hope that you will always find encouraging, practical topics to keep you living a victorious life and falling in love with Jesus, over and over again! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Satan, Spiritual warfare, the devil, weapons of warfare | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, God, Jesus, sexual sin, Sin, Spiritual warfare, the devil, Tithing, Vic tory, Victorious Living, weapons of warfare, word of God

• Our Adversary- Enforcing His Defeat!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 21, 2020

  1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV

  

  our-adversary-enforcing-his-defeat_.mp3

  I’ve been blogging for the past week about our adversary, and all the ways he and his demonic forces disguise themselves in what we call situations and circumstances. But today, I want to talk about some ways we can participate in stopping his attacks from being successful in our lives. Notice that I said, in keeping him from being successful. There will be attacks, but they don’t have to accomplish the evil intents that they are sent for.

  There are a few things we can do:

  1. Be sober! The Amplified Bible states it like this: “be well balanced and disciplined.” Don’t live a life that is undisciplined. A disciplined life for the believer is a life that says “no” to the things of the flesh and “yes” to the things pertaining to godliness. An undisciplined person picks and chooses when to behave like a Christian, when to pray, when to go to the club, when to sleep around…you get the point! A disciplined person reads and studies God’s word, prays for strength and wisdom, fellowship with believers, have people they are accountable to, lives their life to please the Father, etc. Some Christians are only “Christians” at church, but at home, work, and in their recreational life, they are not Christians. Those “Christians” are fooling themselves and are giving their adversary a lot to work with against them!
  2. Be diligent! Again, the Amplified states that we are to “be alert and cautious at all times.” This means, we should know the enemy and be mindful of how he acts. Don’t be afraid, just be alert. Years ago, I used to love to watch JAG, a military drama about their law division. Rabb, a JAG lawyer, had a nemesis named Palmer, whom he was finally able to get locked up. In one episode, Palmer was in jail claiming to have seen the light. He promised to help the authorities to find the victims from his crimes. No strings attached, he just wanted families to have closure. But what he really wanted was an opportunity to break out of prison. Rabb didn’t believe him for one second! He refused to believe that Palmer had “seen the light” and wanted to make restitution for his ways. Because of Rabb’s diligence, he was one step ahead of Palmer; and when Palmer tried to escape, Rabb was able to stop his plan and put him back in prison. That has stuck with me all of these years. And it is so applicable to our lives and how we are to be when dealing with the devil! We have to be watchful where he is concerned in order to enforce his defeat! He doesn’t change his goal, or his strategies, just the outward appearance of how he comes. When we know how he operates, and are watchful, waiting for his attacks, we will be on the alert against him, his demons, and anything they throw at us! Glory!
  3. Know that he is “looking” for someone to devour! It doesn’t have to be you! God pointed this out to me years ago, when someone whom I thought was “the one to look up to spiritually” got involved in some ungodly activities. I was so shaken that I made the comment, if that person fell, surely I couldn’t live for God! God told me that simply was not true. The devil will always be looking, but we didn’t have to be in a place where he could devour us! I was set free from my fear of the devil, and am not worried about him drawing me away from the Lord! When he looks at me, all I want him to see is the Blood of Jesus!
  4. Resist him steadfast in the faith! Don’t roll over and play dead! Actively resist him. Allow your faith in Christ to be your shield against him! Remember the young lady who had the “poltergeist” experience in her home? They opened the door because they were operating in their flesh, and not in faith! They didn’t resist the devil, they embraced the devil. Actively respond when under attack. When a lie comes to you, refute it with the Living Word of God. When oppression comes, rejoice in the Lord, and break those chains! Remember, our Savior, Jesus, has already beaten him! He whipped him up, tied a noose around his neck, and made a public spectacle of him in the heavenlies! Our Savior, and Elder Brother don’t take his mess and the devil knows it! Now the devil needs to be made aware that neither do we!!

  
  Don’t be scared of the devil! He’s our defeated foe because Jesus defeated him already! God is greater than he is! Jesus saw him kicked out of heaven! I imagined He had a good laugh over that one! But needless to say, Jesus is unruffled by what the kingdom of darkness comes up with. And He wants us to be just as strong in Him, and in the power of His might! Fully armored, ready for any attack, and fully enforcing the defeat of the enemies of the kingdom of God! Jesus holds the keys to our victory and Satan’s defeat! Again, be sober, be watchful, resist him, and he will flee! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, demonic activity, Jesus, Satan, the devil | 0 Comments | Tagged adversary, be diligent, be sober, Believer, Christian, defeated foe, Deliverance, enemy, Faith, Jesus, more than conquerors, overcoming the devil, Satan, Spiritual warfare, the devil, Victorious Living, victory

• A Thief, A Robber, A Destroyer!

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

  John 10:10- The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly! NKJV

  This blog is an updated version of a previous post. You can now read and/or listen to my blogs. I hope hearing the blog is a welcome addition!

  

  a-thief_-a-robber_-a-destroyer.mp3

  The devil, known as Satan, the evil one, the accuser of the brethren, that old dragon, and the prince of this world, to name a few, is our adversary! Plain and simple. As I wrote previously, many people try not to think about or even acknowledge his interference in life, or his utter dislike for them! I can assure you, ignoring him doesn’t make him go away, it emboldens him! He’s like a scorned lover who yells, “I will not be ignored!”

  An adversary is one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute. That certainly describes the devil. He is our opponent. Plain and simple. He is a constant threat to us and all that we hold dear, because of the fact that we are special to God. Not just those of us who are born again, but mankind in general. He hates us all! It’s interesting to note how eagerly some people will align themselves to the devil, only to later find out, he has no loyalty or love for them!

  Jesus called Satan a liar, a thief, a robber, a murderer, a destroyer, and an accuser of the brethren! Since that is how Jesus identifies him, then we should know that he is never interested in anything but our demise. He and his demonic team has no good thing within them, and are incapable of good!

  Our adversary the liar. He tells us we’re sick, we’re dying, we’re never going to amount to anything, no one loves us, everyone is against us, God isn’t faithful, and the list goes on and on. When you hear this stuff, know it is coming from him! Don’t listen to that! Cast down those lying thoughts! (Check out my previous post to learn more).

  Our adversary the devil is a thief. “A thief is someone who steals something from an individual in secret.” He comes to steal the word of God that encourages us when we read the Bible, hear a great sermon, or read an inspiring blog! He comes to steal our joy, our peace, our reputation, our witness, our children, and everything else that God has given us to bless us, by any means necessary. He tries to wrap it up in other things like people and circumstances, but it is him and his team! Don’t let him do it!

  Our adversary the devil is a robber. “A robber is like a thief, in that he steals from you; but different in that he can be seen by the victim. A robber also employs the technique of using injuries or threats to take what he wants. That’s how he uses accidents, drug addiction, job loss, divorce, prolonged illness, and a host of other things. He’s bold when he does it and doesn’t care if you recognize he is the one behind it. Then he threatens you with fear, taunting and tormenting you, until you cave under the pressure! But it’s just an attack from the devil and you don’t have to give in to it!

  Our adversary is a murderer! Yes he is! Don’t ever think that pain or sickness is just to make you uncomfortable, or is just a process of living. He is trying to kill you! And if he can’t kill you, he will certainly put as much on you as he can get away with! Don’t accept anything he throws at you as no big deal. It is a big deal! Resist seeing everything through glasses that are covered with ignorance and unawareness!

  He’s a destroyer of all that is good! He wants to destroy your witness, your home, your family, your finances, your business, your name, your peace, your relationships, and your health. I’m telling you, there is nothing in your life that is off limits to him! He leaves chaos and destruction everywhere. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires have all been attributed to an act of God! That’s him lying and deflecting blame. It’s his nature to destroy, not God’s!

  And lastly, he’s the accuser of the brethren! That’s right! He stands before God, day and night, making accusations against us. Make sure he’s wasting his breath! Don’t give him anything to accuse you of! But whether there is a legitimate reason or not, he will find something to say against you! It’s what he does! This is a perfect picture of him in his role as adversary. And if he can get us accusing one another, well, he is even happier!

  So what is a person to do, knowing that the adversary is constantly on the prowl looking for a way to attack us physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually? Especially when he can attack in ways that makes us feel like the full force of hell is upon us! Keep reading or listening, because that will be in my next post! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Satan, Spiritual warfare, the devil | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, blessings, Christian, God, hard times, Jesus, protection, relationships, Satan, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, testimony, the devil, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory, word of God

• Where Did You Build?

  Posted at 3:49 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on June 13, 2020

  Matthew 7:24-27 – “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ESV

  

  Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount with this parable. It’s actually a very fitting ending to a remarkable teaching to His followers about life in the Kingdom of God. The hearers in the audience were raised in Judaism, whose ancestry went back to Abraham, and they were very familiar with the Law. However, in this sermon, Jesus doesn’t stress the importance of following the Law, but the importance of a sincere heart of obedience towards God.

  This parable is short and to the point and needs little interpretation. The message of this parable, is powerful and life changing, and as applicable today as when He first spoke it.

  There are two builders. One is wise and one is foolish. The wise man builds his house on a rock, and according to Luke, he dug deep into the rock to lay his foundation. The foolish man built his house on the sand, without laying a foundation at all. The storms came upon both houses, but the house built on the rock, with deep foundations, withstood the storms, while the house on the sand was destroyed.

  I read in a commentary on Matthew, that the land of Palestine required that one should be careful about where he chose to build a house. In some areas, the land was filled with gullies, or ravines created by water. In the summer time the sandy hollows of the gullies looked like a great place to build, because of it’s flat surface. However, if you chose that area upon which to build, in the winter you would have raging torrents of rushing water to deal with. If this were to happen, it could literally destroy your house.

  Imagine you built your house in a gully thinking that it’s a great place to enjoy the sun and sand, and maybe even the waterfront. You have easy access to the life you enjoy and all is well in the land. Then one day the heavy winds and rain come along and you have to get out as fast as possible to not be carried away with the house. Life isn’t fair! How could God let this happen to you?

  Your neighbor, on the other hand, built his house on the hill. When the storm came, he and his family were quite safe in their home. They continued on as usual because their sturdy house, that had it’s foundation in the rock, was secure. Again, you think, life isn’t fair! God loves your neighbor more than you! Does He? Or is there something else going on?

  Jesus says it clearly, the wise men is the one who hears His words and does them. The foolish man is the one who hears His words and does not do them. One person is living a life of obedience and the other person is not. Both of these people heard Jesus, but only one of them obeyed Him. Yet, people easily become embittered over a situation of their own making, blaming God, because someone needs to take the blame, other than them!

  In the Church, we have both types of people: wise and foolish. They both attend church, read the Bible, memorize scripture, attend conferences, and buy Christian literature. They both look the same, like strong Christians! But when the storms of life hit, they reveal the truth about each and every person. Both had the appearance of a solid Christian faith, because they both heard the word, but only one was able to withstand the storm. The one that withstood the storm had laid the foundation of his house on the Rock; while the other one only looked like he had.

  Jesus’ parable is touching a place where we don’t want to go. He lets us know that an intellectual knowledge of Him and His kingdom principles will not sustain you in the tough times. Nor do they represent a commitment to Him. Looking like you are alright, when you are not, will one day expose you for the fraud that you are. It is a life of obedience and heartfelt worship and service that keeps us anchored to the Rock! It is obedience that is the proof of life surrendered to Christ!

  The apostles continued this teaching when James wrote that we are to not only be hearers of the word, but doers also. John furthered this teaching by saying we are liars if we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness. Interesting to note, there was no third house mentioned. You know the one, the house of the partially obedient person?

  If I tell my child to clean the kitchen, and she only washes the dishes, did she obey me? If I tell my student he can go to the bathroom, but he also went to his locker and got some water, did he obey me? If Jesus tells me that committing adultery is wrong, and I’m not having an affair but I love pornography, am I obeying Him?

  Jesus introduced, at the close of His sermon, a radical new way of thinking. He actually revolutionized what following God was all about. It’s not about getting caught up in the rules and being able to recite them, but demonstrating absolute obedience to Him and His way of doing things. Remember, the wise man’s life was secure in Jesus and protected from the storms, while the foolish man’s life was headed for sure destruction. Are you being wise, or foolish? Only you really know the answer to that question! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in hard times, obedience, Parable of Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Christian, God, Handling difficulties, hard times, Jesus, Jesus as teacher, obedience, parable, protection, Victorious Living, word of God

• A Question to Us All

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 21, 2020

  Jeremiah 12:5 – “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” NIV

  

  In my previous blog, I shared about some of the trials that people went through in the Bible and how God stepped in to deliver them. In this blog, I want to address another viewpoint on tribulations, your part to stand!

  Jeremiah was a prophet of Israel during some of their dark days. Their kings at that time were considered evil kings who did not do right in the eyes of the Lord. They worshipped the Baal and led the people to do the same. During these seasons, God sent them prophets to encourage them to do the right thing. However, they refused to do the right thing and continuously attacked Jeremiah as he tried to get them to obey God.

  One day Jeremiah was ranting to God about how the evil men were prospering and it was okay for Him to go ahead and destroy them. God spoke to Jeremiah and said, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? This is an interesting analogy, for most people cannot outrun a horse. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible! Isn’t it?

  Most people know that horses are fast! But did you know that a horse at full gallop only has endurance for about 2 1/2 miles of running, and at a trot he can travel about 15 miles? When God made this analogy He knew that! And yet He told Jeremiah that if he couldn’t handle a foot race, he’d never be able to run against a horse.

  This was God’s way of saying that if Jeremiah couldn’t handle the normal trials and tribulations of life, how would he be able to handle the greater issues? There are some things that happen as a result of just living. Few us of get to pass these trials by: raising kids, being talked about, relationship issues, and disappointments to name a few. Painful, but not catastrophic. These types of challenges are what we call running in the foot race of life. But there are other events that can sweep you off your feet because they are so great, so hard to bear, to deal with, that could be considered “running with the horses”, catastrophic; and every one don’t survive them!

  God knew what Jeremiah was going through. He knew there were things that made his life uncomfortable and not much fun. But God also knew what was ahead, and what He was trying to get Jeremiah to see, that there was more to come! I feel for Jeremiah! Who wants to be called to a ministry that is filled with rejection, heartache, and threats on your life? No one! But that was what God had called Jeremiah to, and he knew it. Why else would God tell him to fix. his face like flint? Paul was another one. The call on his life was of such a nature that he had to face the reality that he would some day be martyred for the kingdom. And it didn’t seem to faze him one bit! He said for him to die was gain! But that’s not the life that we signed up for! No! We want a life of tip toeing through the tulips! But it was never promised to us!

  David said, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Adversity may be designed by the devil to cause you to fall apart, but David said if you let it, you have small strength! There’s an interesting point about racing with a horse I’d like to share. If you both start out at the same gate, at the same time, the horse will leave you in the dust! The race will look like it is over before it has begun. But if you keep running, you will find him at his 2 mile marker resting, where you can overtake him and win the race. Just like the classic, “The Tortoise and the Hare”. Paul said it like this, the race isn’t given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to the one who endures! The tragedy or trial may seem to wipe you off your feet, but after you catch your breath, and realize that God is with you, you can get back up, and turn a tragedy into a triumph!

  Children of God!!!! Stuff is going to happen! There’s no getting around it! Some will be worst than others! But everything that the devil is throwing at you, you don’t have to catch! Remember that song, “If you catch hell don’t hold it! And if you’re going through hell, don’t stop”? (Ron Kenoly) Just keep on moving in Jesus! Keep standing! Keep fighting! Keep trusting! Don’t stay there! Don’t get bogged down by it! Get up and find your strength in God! Because in the end, you win! He always causes us to triumph! Running with men ain’t easy, but if you quit now, when things get really tough, you won’t stand a chance against the horses! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in hard times, trust in God, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged adversity, encouragement, endurance, hard times, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 12:5, overcoming, Parenting, race, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory

• But Then God…!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 19, 2020

  Psalm 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” NKJV

  

  The word afflictions is translated from the Hebrew word, “ra” and can be used to mean adversity, calamity, distress, harm, hurt, misery, sorrow and trouble, to name a few. What type of evangelism experience would you have if you walked up to an unsaved person and said, “Hey! I want to tell you about all the trouble, the hurt, the misery, and sorrows you are going to go through as a believer”? You will be ineffective in your attempt to win that person to the Lord! No one wants to buy into trouble. But the wonderful thing about affliction, is that the Lord delivers us out of all of them!

  Jesus said it like this, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In other words, we as Christians are inevitably going to experience some things, but the promise of God is that He has already overcome the world, and that includes its troubles!

  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; but then God gave Pharaoh a dream that only Joseph could interpret, and he was moved from the prison to second in command of Egypt. Moses’ mom had to put him in a basket in the Nile River because she couldn’t bear to see harm come to him; but then God had Pharaoh’s daughter find him, fall instantly in love with him, and she raised him as her own. The children of Israel were standing at the Red Sea, with the sea before them and the Egyptians behind them; but then God parted the sea, that they could walk over on dry land. And then God drowned the Egyptians in the sea! The children of Israel came to a place where there was no water; but then God told Moses to strike the rock and water gushed out to meet their needs.

  Job lost every thing he had except his wife and his life; but then God stepped in and blessed him with double for his trouble! The Hebrew boys were thrown in a furnace that was turned up seven times hotter; but then God stepped into the furnace and not a hair on their head was singed. Daniel was thrown in the lions’ den; but then God closed the mouths of the lions, and Daniel went to sleep. Jonah was swallowed by the large fish, but then God made the fish throw him up!

  Goliath had the Israelites shaking in their boots, but then God sent David to the camp and he killed Goliath! David was in the cave of Adullam seeking encouragement from the Lord, but then God sent him 400 men who became his mighty army! David was running from Saul for his life; but then God took care of his enemy, and gave him the kingdom.

  Five thousand people went to hear Jesus preach, and ended up staying so long they missed their dinner; but then God multiplied two loaves of bread and five fish, and fed them. Taxes came due, and Peter was concerned about how to pay them; but then God had a fish find a coin, and led that fish to Peter’s net. Saul was a persecutor of the church; but then God stopped him on his way to Damascus, and turned him into Paul the apostle. Jesus was crucified and hung on the cross; but then God raised Him from the dead, giving salvation to us all.

  You see, I can’t think of a single person who sees a trial and then shouts, “This is going to be a good one! Let me at it!” I know I don’t! But we should! The minute we see the devil prowling on the attack, we need to start looking for the “but then God” moments! It is in the midst of all of these troubles, trials, difficulties, hurts, sorrows and disappointments of life, that we see God stepping in on our behalf, bringing mighty miracles of deliverance! Andrea Crouch sang these words in a song, “If I didn’t have any problems, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them!” This is so true, and yet many of us struggle through our difficulties, barely able to believe that God could possibly loves us, since we are hurting so much! I want you to know He most certainly does!

  Am I saying that we should ask for, look for, or even desire afflictions? Absolutely not! My pastor likes to say, “You are either going through a trial, you just came out of a trial, or you are about to go in a trial!” Every time I hear it, I cringe! I don’t like trials! But I love the victories! I love the testimonies! I love the shouting and the dancing that follows every time! Guess what? You can’t have one without the other!

  This pandemic feels unreal! It’s hard to comprehend all that has happened in such a short period of time. In just a couple months there have been over 320,000 people who have died as a result of this virus, while almost 5 million have contracted it worldwide. That’s mind boggling! On top of that, millions are unemployed! Not what we were looking for in 2020! But I am confident, and I am so convinced, that there is going to be a “but then God” moment in the lives of all who can believe! Hopefully, even in the world!

  This is not panic time! It’s time to believe like never before! It’s time to trust in the faithfulness of God like you have read about in the examples above, even in God’s word! It is time to say, and continue to say, that this is a great time and place for a…but then God! Trials and tribulations that we will face may not be a wonderful place to start an evangelism opportunity, but it most certainly can be a wonderful place to end it! Whatever Satan has up his sleeve, hang in there for your “but then God”! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, hard times, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged coronavirus, Daniel, David, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Hebrew boys, Jesus, Job, miraculous, Moses, protection, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, victory, witness

• Search for:

• Recent Posts

  • God’s Promise of Grace!
  • When God Favors You!
  • Such Wonderful Grace!
  • So Much More!
  • The Acts of the Holy Spirit!

• Categories

  • Victorious Living (104)
  • Christian (66)
  • Jesus (59)
  • Believers (57)
  • Faith (35)
  • encouragement (30)
  • God (22)
  • testimony (20)
  • Healing (19)
  • the Word of God (17)