Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: witness

• 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 | 0 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

• Plead Your Case!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 16, 2020

  Isaiah 38:3-5 – “O Lord, don’t you remember how true I’ve been to you and how I’ve always tried to obey you in everything you said?” Then he broke down with great sobs. So the Lord sent another message to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah that the Lord God of your forefather David hears you praying and sees your tears and will let you live fifteen more years.” TLB

  

  I was reading in the book of Isaiah, when I read the account of Hezekiah’s reign again. As I was reading it, I was reminded of his prayer that caused his life to be extended. God had sent the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah to tell him to get his house in order, he was going to die. When Hezekiah heard this word, he turned his face to the wall and cried to God and prayed. What he was actually doing in this prayer was pleading to God for mercy based on his obedience to the word of God. Isaiah had already left the king’s presence, so God had to send him back to Hezekiah to let him know that He had heard his prayers and had extended his life by fifteen years. That’s pretty impressive results.

  In Acts 9, we can read about Dorcas. She was known for her charitable deeds and good works. But one day she became sick and died. They sent for Peter and when he showed up they showed him some of the things she had made. In other words, they pleaded her case to Peter. Peter put them all out, prayed to God on behalf of the people for Dorcas, and God raised her from the dead. Glory!

  The question is, can we go to God, plead our case, and get help? I would say absolutely. Any principle in the word of God is established by two or three witnesses. I just gave you two. And there are a few times in the gospels where people pleaded with Jesus on behalf of another. One of my favorite is the woman who pleaded with Jesus for her daughter. Remember Jesus told her that it wasn’t right to give the children’s bread to the dogs. She pleaded with Him by saying, even the dogs get the crumbs from under the table. She was pleading for her baby to be delivered, and she got her request! So there is biblical proof that we can plead our case to God.

  I remember reading a testimony of a situation similar to what Dorcas’ friends experienced. The person who shared the testimony was called to the place where the individual was extremely ill. And as he was being told of the situation the people kept talking to him about the life of this individual and how dedicated the person was to the Lord. He got the inspiration to do as Peter did. He prayed and pleaded the case of that person before God and the person was raised from the bed of affliction.

  When I was single, I pleaded my case to the Lord. I was ready to settle down and for me that meant marriage. I went to the Lord in prayer and while I was praying I heard myself say something like this: “Lord, you said that if I would bring all the tithe into your storehouse that You would pour me out a blessing that I would not have room enough to receive. Lord, I have been faithful in the area of tithing. Where is my blessing?” Would you believe that God told me to call the man who is my current husband? Rather you do or not, it happened. I pleaded with God on the basis of my faithfulness in the area of my giving.

  Then there’s an even better way to plead your cause, when you plead the Blood! There are so many promises wrapped up in our covenant with God through the Blood. Promises of health, prosperity, soundness of mind, righteousness, peace…it’s covered in the Blood. I don’t know what you are experiencing right now, but whatever you stand in need of, plead your case to the Lord! Ask Him for a favorable answer on the basis of your faithfulness to Him and His kingdom; or skip over all of that and ask on the basis of the Blood!

  Our pastor says something like this, when you go into the court room of heaven, it’s fixed. Your attorney Jesus, your brother, goes to the judge, your Father, on your behalf! When you know that the One you are appealing to is already on your side, it doesn’t take convincing, it just takes faith in the truth that He’s willing to do that which you have asked.

  You may say, I’ve heard that before, I’ve tried that, and it didn’t work. Guess what? Stop siding with the devil, work out your unbelief issues, and try it again in faith! He’s for you! And it is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, God’s faithfulness, Prayer | 0 Comments | Tagged Dorcas, Faith, Hezekiah, Jesus, Peter, Prayer, testimony, trust in God, victory, witness

• The Best Thing That Happened!

  Posted at 4:51 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on April 7, 2020

  Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” NIV

  I wasn’t going to blog today. As I was going through my morning routine, listening to a playlist I found on YouTube, old gospel music began playing. I found myself reminiscing about some things, thanking God for some things, and worship began to flow out of my mouth, and out of my heart! Then I heard this song, rewritten by the Reverend James Cleveland, that Gladys Knight sang, “Jesus is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” Then I began to weep, because He is still the best of the best that has happened to me.

  If you don’t know the song, I’ll share the first part of it:

  I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs
  God’s been good to me, and the downs have been few
  I would guess you can say, God has blessed me
  But there’s never been a time in my life, he didn’t bring me through

  If anyone should ever write, my life story
  For whatever reason there might be
  You’d be there, between each line of pain and glory

  Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
  Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
  Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me

  I can’t call Jesus the best thing, because He’s a person, not a thing, although I can call His great salvation to me, the best thing that ever happened in my life. Even now, as I blog, thinking about how good He’s been to me, how good He is to me, how my life has absolutely changed because of Him, all I can say is Jesus is the best!

  Of course, I remember when this song actually came out. I was in college, living for God, being a witness, excited about Jesus! He kept me from so much of the “college” life and helped me to be a light to some many people. I’m grateful! When this song came out, it resonated with me then as it does now, reminding me that the very best decision that I ever made was accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I remember sponsoring an event for the fraternities and sororities, and my pastor and church members came to the university, and they heard the gospel and many got saved. Wonderful memories!

  Over the years I’ve experienced many great things. I have a great home life! My husband and I have been married for over 30 years. During this time, we have developed a genuine friendship, a deep love, and loving home; and although marrying him was a great decision, choosing Jesus was a better decision. Our wedding song was, “Only God Could Love You More” and that was true then and is still true today; but we are where we are at today, doing what we are doing, because God’s been so good to us! And because He’s been in every facet of our lives!

  I heard on the news that people are fighting more in their homes because of this pandemic. People are getting on each other nerves. Suicide and depression is on the rise. And all I can think is, Jesus can work that out! He can bring peace in your storm and calm the raging seas. He can be the anchor of your soul, of your family, of your home!

  I must admit that in close quarters, people can get on your nerves. I recently heard a song by Jonathan McReynolds named, “People” that asked God if He can heal of us people? Yes, He can! There’s nothing too hard for Him! And He specializes in dealing with people. I’m a living testimony.

  At this time of year when we rejoice in the truth that our Savior is alive and well; that He was dead, but now He lives and is alive forevermore, remember how good He has been to you! I have always felt that this time of year should be filled with more rejoicing and celebration than Christmas. True, His birth was a marvelous, miraculous time, for God brought forth His Son! But His resurrection, the reason we believe, the reason we are changed, the reason we have fellowship with the Father, the reason we are blessed is Powerful! One couldn’t happen without the other, I get that! However, I love this time of the year because it is only about Jesus!

  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! There’s something powerful, wonderful, freeing in that Name. I encourage you today to realize how amazing He is! He truly is the absolute best that ever happened to me. Not the best thing, just simply the Best! And I am eternally grateful today! What about you? Have you made the decision to accept Him today as your personal Lord and Savior? Have you opened your heart to Him? Have you received forgiveness for your sins, thinking that you could live without Him? I can tell you today, when He becomes real to you, you’ll be echoing along with us, that giving your life to Him is the best thing that could ever happen to you!!

  I am praying for all of you who read my blog. Truly! I am praying that you make it through this pandemic, and when you get on the other side, that you will not only know Him better, but that you will be the better for having experienced it. He causes all things to work together for our good! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Jesus, Salvation | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, Christian, encouragement, Forgiveness, Jesus, Salvation, witness

• What Will You Say?

  Posted at 2:46 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on March 31, 2020

  John 1:22-23 -Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” NKJV

  A few weeks ago, my husband and I watched the movie, “Overcomer” about John Harrison, a high school basketball coach who lost that position and had to become coach to a one member cross-country team. One day, while visiting a church member in the hospital he stumbles on another patient who is blind and very ill. They strike up a tentative relationship and in the conversation the patient asks John, “Who are you?”

  There was another John, centuries ago, whom we refer to as John the Baptist. One day while he was going around town, the Jews stopped him and asked him, “Who are you?” There must have been some in the crowd who wondered if he was the Messiah, for he answered that he was not the Christ. So they continued to ask him, even making suggestions as to who he could be, but he denied them all until finally he answered and said, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord”’.

  John was somewhat unique in that he knew exactly who he was and what his mission in the earth was, for they were one and the same. It’s interesting that he didn’t say he was John, for maybe they knew that already. They weren’t really asking him his name. They were asking him, how do you identify yourself? He understood that and answered accordingly, he was a preparer of the way. John didn’t seek his identity, it was given to him. He, however, had to accept his identity to truly be who God designed for him to be. He wasn’t interest in adding to his identity from his surroundings, his peers, or even his family. His identity was in God and what He said about him. And although John lived a short life and died an awful death (in my opinion), he will forever be remembered for preparing the way for the Lord, for fulfilling his purpose in his life.

  In the movie, John Harrison didn’t know who he was. As a matter of fact his answers were: a coach, a husband, a father, and several other titles, until finally he said a Christian. The patient marveled that being a Christian was the last thing that John said about himself, adding that if his Christianity was important to him, why was it at the bottom of the list. As the movie progresses, they become friends and John learns more about how he wants to be identified. I am purposefully being vague in case you have not seen the movie and want to watch it. It was inspiring!

  What do you say about who you are? What would your answer be? John, in the movie, didn’t have it wrong. He really was all of those people, a coach, a husband, a father. What was wrong about his answer was that his identity as a Christian was at the end of the list, almost an afterthought. Haven’t you been in a similar situation where someone asks you, who are you, and you list all the things you’ve done or are doing? We all can probably remember a time when we’ve done the same thing. My first answer changes with the situation I am in. If I’m on a job interview, I might start with who I am as a professional. If I am at a birthday party, I could start with who I am in relationship to the birthday person, and so forth and so on. So I get John Harrison. Although I would like to think that being a Christian would be much higher on my list!

  But it is John the Baptist who gets high marks for knowing who he was and how to answer the question! His whole life was about his God-given purpose. His identity was his purpose, and his purpose was his identity. John reminds me of Jesus. Jesus lived the same way, with His identity being His purpose and His purpose being His identity. In my next blog, because we are approaching the time when we celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection, I want to spend some time talking about how Jesus answered this question.

  I was talking with my niece about some things and she kept saying, “I get it!” Well, in her words I would like to say that if you have difficulty answering this question honestly about how you identify yourself, I get it! However, if you never open your mouth and tell people who you are or what your purpose in life is outside of your church, the world should never be left wondering if you are a believer or not! If they ask, you should not be sheepish in your response, but bold! If you are not walking what you are talking or being taught, that may be offsetting, but just repent for not letting your light shine, and begin to. Just like John did in the movie. It’s never too late to find out who you are and it’s never too late to start living like it! What will you say about yourself? Better yet, what do you say? Wonderful Jesus!

  Note: I was just told about an amazing source that I thought you might like: Bible Project on YouTube. A talented artist draws a summary of the Word while sharing the summary. I’ve already viewed the two for Genesis! I wanted to sit and watch them all! But I decided to watch before I read the section to gain insight. Everyone should know about the Bible Project. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Christian, Victorious Living | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, encouragement, identity, Jesus, John the Baptist, testimony, witness

• A Bold Witness!

  Posted at 5:28 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on March 27, 2020

  John 9:32-33 – “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” NKJV

  If you read my previous blog, “A Bold Example”, you will remember that I wrote that this is one of my favorite accounts of Jesus performing a miracle in the Bible. I can really “see” what happened during this encounter and it gives me a greater picture of humanity’s response to Jesus.

  The situation before the miracle: A man born blind is sitting near the temple, and according to later statements, we find out that he was begging. The passage continues by stating that the disciples asked Jesus who did sin? Can you imagine sitting near the church and the church people are coming out the door and they begin to ask the pastor what he thought about your life? That would be pretty embarrassing to be the one sitting there. After all, he was blind, not deaf! They had to be near the man because Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, and anointed the man eyes all without moving! Today, in a similar situation, the person would think the church people were so rude and feel justified in the fact that they don’t go to church!

  But Jesus is a special kind of shepherd. He never gets involved in a situation with people that He doesn’t have a plan to impact their lives for the greater good! Where the disciples saw a person living out the consequences of sin, Jesus saw someone in whom God could reveal His works! Lord, help me to be just like You! I know I want to be!

  This man is healed of whatever caused congenital blindness in his life. And even greater, he can see for the first time. Can you imagine his joy, his wonder at the world around him. He can now put color and images to the things he only knew by touch, sound, and smell! He is probably wide mouthed and big eyed at the bigness of what has happened to him, then he hear whispers around him, “Is not this he who sat blind and begged?” Then he heard someone else say, “He is like him.” He probably very reverently stated, “I am.”

  Then they begin to question as to how his eyes were opened? “He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” How did the blind man know it was Jesus? Did the disciples use His name or was the man familiar with Jesus but had never encountered Him? Many are familiar with Jesus, but have never had their own personal encounter with Him! Somehow he knew Jesus was responsible for his having sight. When asked where Jesus was, he didn’t know. He was still marveling at the fact that he could see! And instead of a huge celebration of this wondrous work in their midst, the people take him to the Pharisees.

  The Pharisees question him as to how he received his sight and he replied, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” The commentator that I used yesterday from Logos stated that here the man toned down his version of what happened because it was against the Law to knead on the sabbath (which is what Jesus did with the clay) or that he was sent to wash in the pool of Siloam (because it was a pool of ceremonial waters). It could be!

  Some of the Pharisees begin to argue, “This Man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath.” I could bring up a whole lot of sacred cows we currently have in the church that if someone did or didn’t do we wouldn’t think they were “saved”. But others asked, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” These are not questions they put to the man born blind who was now healed, but they questioned amongst themselves. Finally they ask him, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He bears witness to the fact that Jesus is a prophet! Probably because in the Old Testament prophets like Elisha and Elijah performed great miracles for God.

  In their attempt to discredit his witness of Jesus and to prove that this is not true, they call his parents. I could have a field day with his parents! Why is he begging when he has parents? I’m confused! His parents are afraid that they will be put out of fellowship so they are careful with their response. (What kind of nonsense is this? Who would rather have a blind son and be in a church, then have a son who could see and go worship somewhere else?) I’m just saying! They are asked if this is their son who was born blind and if so, how was he healed? Their response was that this was their son born blind, but they don’t know how he was healed. They told the Pharisees to ask him because he was old enough to speak for himself. (A Jewish boy becomes of age at 13, and we are told that he is a man. They knew he could speak for himself).

  Here is where we see the boldness of his witness. He knows that to disagree with the Pharisees and to speak highly of Jesus will get him kicked out of synagogue; but this was probably no real threat to him, since he was probably not really allowed to go into the synagogue anyway. He tells the Pharisees, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see!”

  They begin badgering him to see if his testimony will change. They ask again, what did He do to you, how were your eyes open? But instead of answering again he replies, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear again. Do you also want to become His disciples?” And the Pharisees attack him with their words. But he replies again when they say that they don’t know where Jesus came from, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you don not know where He is from, yet He has opened my eyes!…If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” At this point they cast him out of the synagogue reminding him that he was born in his sins and in no place to teach them! Well! He actually was, because experiencing Jesus is a much more powerful witness and lesson than a seminary degree!

  I told you that this was a lot of information. I couldn’t share how his witness of Jesus was so powerful, without going into some details. As the religious leaders heaped insults and threats upon him, he didn’t cower down and change his testimony. He actually got bolder and begin to insult them by saying that he thought it was amazing that they didn’t know where Jesus came from or how He could perform a miracle! This part of his testimony is more powerful to me than the part we all know and say, “I once was blind, but now I see!” Although that is pretty impactful in its own right! This man was so affected by this miracle in his life that he refused to allow anyone to dishonor it or the one who performed it.

  I’ve been too long, but I want to end with this thought, when did you last stand strong for the Lord in the presence of those who ridicule Him? When did you last set the record straight when someone tried to belittle Him or His impact in your life or the life of someone you know or love? When did you last rise up and just “BE” a witness to the reality of Him in your life? The environment in which we find ourselves today is the perfect time to be a bold witness for the Lord! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Evangelism, John 9, miracle, testimony | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, consequences, Jesus, miraculous, Sinner, supernatural, testimony, witness

• Faith is a Time Changer!

  Posted at 2:47 am by wonderfuljesus8, on June 24, 2019

  John 2:3-4 – And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

  I was sitting in Sunday School this morning when we were discussing the miracle of the water being turned into wine. During the discussion, different opinions were being given about why did Jesus say it wasn’t His hour and yet Mary told them to do whatever He said? As we were sitting there I heard the Spirit of God share something with me.

  Jesus was at the wedding feast with His family and disciples. The wine runs out and Mary, His mother, comes to Him and makes Him aware of the situation. Mary knows that she is talking to the Son of God, One who is capable of doing miracles. We can surmise all day long about maybe God gave her a dream, maybe He had already done a miracle, or it really was His time and she knew it; but scripture tells us that Jesus said it was not yet His time.

  So how did Mary get her son to perform a miracle when it wasn’t His time? Her faith! Mary very confidently and filled with faith looked to the servants and said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” And at that moment, Jesus recognized her faith filled words and responded, because He always responds to faith.

  We see this happen when the Syro-Phoenician woman goes to Jesus on behalf of her daughter who had an unclean spirit. In Mark 7, starting at verse 24 we can read the account of what happened. She was a Gentile and she wanted healing for her daughter because she had heard about Jesus. Jesus tells the woman that the children must be fed first, meaning this was the time for the Jewish people, not the Gentile people. He even called the Gentiles dogs. But this woman was not to be deterred by the fact that she was a Gentile and it wasn’t her time. She responded in faith that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the children’s table. In other words, she wasn’t looking to be denied!

  I hadn’t seen this before, but I saw it today just as clearly as if Jesus Himself had explained it to me. Her faith caused Jesus to respond even though it wasn’t His time to heal the Gentile girl. That was Paul’s assignment!

  The Bible establishes a truth on the grounds of two or three witnesses, so I will add an Old Testament witness.

  Look at the life of David. He was an Old Covenant man with a New Covenant experience. He had the Spirit of God with Him while others experienced the Spirit of God when God needed them to do something. He initiated worship to the King, while others waited for those who served in the temple to lead them into worship. He had a personal relationship with God when it had’t even be thought to be possible. David’s faith pulled the God of the New Testament into his Old Testament life. God loved David and David lived as if he knew it!

  You may be saying at this point, okay, that’s fine, but what is the relevance? The point is simple, Jesus is greatly moved by faith and not by timing. A lot of the time, we place Jesus within the confines of time and say it’s not my time, it’s not your season, or whatever! But Jesus, while working within the timeframe given Him, can be moved upon by faith to grant you what you need now even if it is scheduled for a later time in life.

  I know that there are some fixed times in the Spirit realm and in Scriptures, but faith causes God to shift the calendar of events on our behalf. I thought that was news worth sharing! Don’t let time pass you by waiting on the right time when scriptures say, “Now faith is!” Believe He’ll do it today! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Faith, Healing, Holy Spirit, King David, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged Faith, Healing, Jesus, miraculous, witness

• Love for the Saints!

  Posted at 3:27 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 12, 2019

  Ephesians 1:15 -Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

  I find it interesting that when Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus that he mentions their faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints. And yet, not!

  I’ve done some traveling in my life, and as I have traveled and met people of like precious faith, there was almost always an instant bond. It’s like going to your parents’ hometown, meeting a distant cousin, and feeling as if you’ve always had a close relationship. That’s how faith in the Lord and love for the saints manifest!

  In my Logos app, I read the following statement from a commentary on the verse:

  “Nor is this faith a matter only of their personal relation to their Lord. It affects their conduct towards all the saints…Otherwise his meaning must be that their faith was evident, not only in their inward spiritual lives but in their relationships with all their fellow-Christians as well.”

  Isn’t that true? Our faith in the Lord Jesus affects our conduct towards all the saints! On the job, in the church, at school, wherever we find ourselves and other believers, our conduct towards them should reflect our faith.

  I worked with a woman whose faith didn’t control her conduct towards people, let alone other believers! And as time went on, people began to doubt the authenticity of her faith! And yet, Paul commends the church at Ephesus because their faith in the Lord was demonstrated in their love towards the saints.

  Jesus said, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another!” John 13:35

  I think Jesus’ words give us the best directive available to the believer, people will know we belong to Him, when we have love for each other!

  It’s as the commentator wrote, “their faith was evident, not only in their inward spiritual lives but in their relationships with all their fellow-Christians as well”.

  Well, truth be told, that’s not always easy, but Paul helped us by telling us “that as much as possible we are to live at peace with all men!” (Romans 12:18) He had enough personal relationships to know that some people are just plain difficult to get along with. But we love and work on it anyway!

  What am I saying? When we have a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it shows up in our relationships! All of them! If you are having issues in your relationships, you may be having issues with your faith! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Believers, Ephesians study, Victorious Living | 6 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, encouragement, testimony, Victorious Living, witness

• Social Media and the Believer-Part 1

  Posted at 6:09 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on October 6, 2018

  Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Proverbs 18:2 NIV

  Social media has become a major outlet for people today. Where in times past, one would have to leave this earth without anyone having none they existed, social media has given millions the opportunity to be heard and even to be known. 

  This blog is from a teaching I presented to our church and I thought it would great to share it today in my blog:

  Being on the Cutting Edge:

  The Church has always been interested in being on the cutting edge of technology in order to share the gospel. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word of God was put to print with “modern” technology of that day. When Martin Luther was living, he used the moveable type printing press to get God’s word into the hands of common people, like us, calling the printing press “the highest act of God’s grace.”

  As time moves into the nineteenth century other forms of media become popular and men and women of God use them to spread the gospel. Aimee Semple McPherson used the radio broadcast to share the message of the cross, as did others. And everyone has heard of or seen a Billy Graham Crusade on television. 

  And now we have computers and the internet. As an educator I had to have those conversations with our students about how to use technology and social media responsibly. They even have a name for it: digital citizenship. And one day in conversation with our pastors, I brought up the need for our church to have that conversation and this teaching was a result of it. 

  As the above scripture mentioned: Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. 

  That’s social media in a nutshell. A lot of individuals are out there sharing their opinions and gaining little if no understanding in the process, and even worst-not sharing any understanding. Especially our young people. But as citizens of the kingdom of God, we need to be responsible in what we say, write, post, or share in any venue. And especially on social media because once it hits the airwaves, it’s out there!

  When the television was invented, many Christians spoke against the use of the television in Christian homes and many speak against social media for Christians today. I don’t agree with either opinion. I believe God the Holy Spirit uses the television to “tell the vision” of the kingdom and uses social media to “to socially communicate” the gospel in ways that formal preaching and teaching may not be able to do. 

  With the use of such a powerful tool of expression comes some responsibilities:

  • Many Christians (and non-Christians) feel empowered by social media, believing that they now have a voice to say the things online that they may not have a chance to say in their face to face encounters with people, so being responsible includes choosing your words carefully. Before you hit the send button, reread what you are sharing because it is a reflection of you, and in the church world, a reflection of Jesus and His Church!
  • Social media, (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, to name a few) gives us that voice and the opportunity to be creative. Some people have actually made a career of posting themselves and their talents or antics. Many have done outrageous things to get “hits” and “followers” on social media. The focus of the Christian should be to glorify Him in all that we do, not to see how many followers we can gain.
  • I remember how stressful twitter became for me as I used to sit around thinking, “what creative or witty thing” can I post now? I eventually let it and facebook go because they required more attention than I was willing to give to them. So don’t spend more time on social media than you do with the Lord in the reading and studying of His word and in prayer.
  • The world (Satan) has a plan for social media, and God has a plan; let’s get on His page with the intent to share our faith positively that we might draw the world to Him. Use it for fun and entertainment, but not at the expense of being used by the devil!
  • On social media, we are called to be a witness that Jesus is real and reigns supreme in our lives, just as we are called to do that in the physical world in which we live. Please don’t tell the world that you are a Christian while posting vile and profane things on your pages, it sends the wrong message and it doesn’t bring glory to the Father! Wonderful Jesus!
  Posted in Believers, Social media | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, Social media, witness

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