Isaiah 26:12 "Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."
Hello Friends,
Here is another blog for your encouragement. In this one, we will talk about Faith and Doubt. Doubt and fear are big weapons of the enemy that he uses to discourage us and keep us from being effective and who we are meant to be. In these moments of doubt and fear, God calls us to look to him and trust him. We are called to live by faith and not by sight. Over and over again the bible tells us not to be afraid and have faith. That can be hard. Let us look into the scriptures and learn some neat stuff that hopefully will help you in your battles.
We will begin with a bible hero who had doubts; doubts about Jesus even though he came preparing the way for Jesus. There were doubts from John the Baptist!
To give some context to this, at this point, John's time of ministry was about if not completely finished and John was serving time in prison. So, he was dealing with discouragement which can lead to doubt.
Luke 7:18-28 "John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?' " At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Pretty interesting huh? John struggled with doubt in this time, being in prison and all. Jesus put the doubt in its place but he also lifted him up too and still spoke well of John.
So know that this great bible hero had wrestled with doubt, so you are not alone.
Next we will discuss at another moment of doubt. Now, I don't want to focus too much on the doubts as the goal of this blog is to build people up and show that we can move past these doubts and be courageous.
This example also happened during the ministry of Jesus and this time it was by one of his own disciples. Keep in mind this happened right after Jesus fed the crowd of 5000+ people.
Matthew 14:22-33 "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear, But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, "Truly you are the Son of God."
So, a pretty big thing going on and you have to hand it to Peter for having the faith to leap overboard and walk to Jesus. He just lost focus and doubt crept in and the fear of what was going on with the wind and he started to sink. So, Peter, even though he made a huge impact for Christ, he had his moments of doubt.
Now, let's take a look at the faith aspect!
For our first stop, we will return to Luke 7, which is pretty interesting. First see you seen an example of faith that we are about to read about; then later in the chapter is where we read about John dealing with doubt. Interesting for sure!
Luke 7:1-10 "When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well."
So here is an instance where Jesus is astounded by such an act of faith by this centurion. Jesus healed the servant as the centurion believed he could.
Let us take a look of another example of faith that Jesus commended:
Luke 18:35-43 "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked and told him to be quite, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered the man be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God."
So this man had faith in Jesus and believed he could heal and Jesus did. It took faith from this blind man. If you read about a lot of the other times Jesus healed someone, he commended their faith. The faith these people had to believe Jesus could heal them was important.
Let's see more neat scripture on faith:
This next one, is about the faith of a major character of the bible:
Hebrews 11:8-19 "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age---and Sarah herself was barren---was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country---a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."
Abraham showed great faith; he faltered at times, but kept up the faith ultimately and is credited as righteous. Take a read at what a passage in Romans says:
Romans 4:18-22 "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead---since he was about a hundred years old---and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." "
So, pretty neat stuff!
Another good verse to check out is in Hebrews:
Hebrews 11:32-34 "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."
So any way, I am hoping you will be encouraged. We all struggle with doubt and fear from time to time, but the great news is we can overcome. Some of the great bible heroes accomplished big things despite their moments of struggle. We can accomplish big things too!
I am going to leave you with some more encouraging verses as well lyrics to two really great songs I would recommend you check out!
Hebrews 10:35-36 "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
"But I hear truth remind me/You are right behind me/Go ahead and break the mold/I'm gonna be bold/Gotta hold my head up/Cause I know when I get up/There's a victory I already hold/I'm gonna be strong/Gotta get my banner/Cause I know whose side I'm on/Got a heart like steel, a faith like gold/I'm gonna be bold." ~Ledger "Bold"
"Today is ours, it's always been/Before we face the fight/We know who's gonna win/We live by faith and not by sight/We don't want safe and quite/We don't want to run and hide/This is not an intermission/It's our time, not gonna miss it/You've already called us fearless/Unafraid/If we're going to fly, we fly like eagles/Arms out wide/If we're going fear, we fear no evil/We will rise/By your power, we will go/By your spirit, we are bold/If we're gonna stand, we stand as giants/If we're going to walk, we walk as lions/ We walk as lions." ~Skillet "Lions"
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Wonder Women of The Bible
Hello Friends,
I thought it would a good time to do another blog. This one, I'll be honest and say that this is a great deal out of my comfort zone, so please bear with me. I felt challenged to write this piece and I do hope I am bringing some hope, encouragement, and love into this.
Lately, in my devotions, I have been reading about some of the many things Jesus accomplished during his ministry. I want to focus on some of the really cool interactions he had with women, though not all. As well as a few other neat stories that involved women in the bible.
I want to dig into this due to the things going around us in our culture today and want to encourage you ladies out there. I have been brought up to respect women and treat women with respect. I am close to my mom and my sister. I adore my niece. My life and walk with Christ has been heavily influenced by some amazing women; as leaders/ teachers and friends too! So, to any of you reading this, I hope I am doing this piece justice and I hope you are encouraged.
Here we go...
Mark 5:24-34 "A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
How cool! If you read carefully, Jesus and this woman's interaction occurred in front of a large crowd of people. He did not shame her, brush her off, or condemn her. He was compassionate and treated her with dignity and love. Something really cool about this verse too is that he called her "Daughter". A few years ago, I learned that nowhere else in the bible is it recorded that he called anyone else but her that. This woman not only suffered physically, but she would have been looked down upon and viewed as an outcast in that day. Jesus flipped a social norm here and raised her up and showed her honor. She not only regained good health, but dignity too.
I want to add something here in regards to Jesus calling this woman, daughter. As of today (Dec. 23,2018) I have learned of another time Jesus in fact called some women, daughters, but he called them daughters of Jerusalem. This is in Luke 23:27-31. I don't ever recall seeing that. So, pretty interesting. I would say Jesus was bestowing honor upon the woman he called daughter while he was telling the mourning women to not worry about him but be mourning for the hard times that were to come to Jerusalem.
Mark 14:3-9 "While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
I find it pretty cool that Jesus said the woman whom poured the perfume on him would be remembered for what she did and even now in this blog, she is being remembered. Jesus made that promise for her and he kept it! He was touched by her act and her sacrifice she made with the expensive perfume. It's interesting for sure and this passage is something we should mediate on.
Another thought on this story is that the version of it told in John 12:1-8, it was Judas Iscariot, the one disciple whom would later betray Jesus, whom objected to the woman's use of the perfume and wanted her to have sold it for money to give to the poor. The passage also said that Judas said that not because he actually cared about the poor, but because "he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." Some serious greed going on there. Jesus stood up for the woman though. Now the woman is remembered for this generous act, while Judas is remembered for betraying Jesus. That is something to think about...
The next moment, I wrote about in my last blog, "Finding Hope in the Times of Struggles and Suffering" but it's a big deal and I feel it is important to talk about it again.
John 8:2-11 "At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
So, yeah and pretty cool event. Jesus stood up for this woman; he did not join in the condemnation, but rather extended mercy and compassion. He told her to leave the life she was living, that was weighing her down, and be on her way.
Jesus demonstrated his Father's love to all he encountered. You will notice he only tangled and got into it with the teachers of the law, Pharisees, and Sadducees; the religious social clubs.
Another good one, I'm not going to go into too much, as I feel that the Lord is leading me to another less known story of Jesus to share. So I'm simply going to refer you and encourage you to read for your self. Check out John 4:1-42 In this story, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman, which in that day, that was a big deal as Samaritans were looked down upon. Anyway, check it out!
The last encounter of Jesus with a woman I will write about is actually one that occurred at the beginning of his life, when he was just a baby. I just read about it in my devotions a few days ago and was amazed as I don't ever recall reading about it. So, I for sure wanted to share what God revealed to me.
Luke 2:33-38 "The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul." There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."
I thought that was interesting about a prophetess. I didn't know that.
Now for another pretty neat story that occurred after Jesus, but during the time of his apostles spreading the gospel.
Acts 12:1-12 "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying."
So here, a miraculous thing happened; The Lord sent an angel to get Peter out of prison. The big thing here is that many people; men and women were gathered together and were praying for Peter. A big thing happened in result of that gathering in prayer together, functioning as the body of Christ.
We are to function as one; as the body of Christ. We all have a place, a part to play.
Ephesians 4:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
So, yeah. Ladies and Gentlemen, lets love each other as Christ does, respect each other and seek unity and function as one.
There were two big characters whom I wanted to focus on, but I was lead down a different direction and used the verses that I used. I think it would be great to still mention them and where in the bible their stories are written. Be sure to check them out for yourself, they did some big things!
First is Deborah, she was a Judge of Israel. See Judges Ch.4 and Ch.5
Also, Esther, she had become Queen of Persia and saved her people from a massacre. See the book of Esther.
Both of these characters did big things. So, check them out!
I hope whoever reads this is encouraged. I hope you learn something and that maybe someone will be inspired in some way or another to step up and use their gifting or even read this and discover they too have something to contribute and can do big things too!
I thought it would a good time to do another blog. This one, I'll be honest and say that this is a great deal out of my comfort zone, so please bear with me. I felt challenged to write this piece and I do hope I am bringing some hope, encouragement, and love into this.
Lately, in my devotions, I have been reading about some of the many things Jesus accomplished during his ministry. I want to focus on some of the really cool interactions he had with women, though not all. As well as a few other neat stories that involved women in the bible.
I want to dig into this due to the things going around us in our culture today and want to encourage you ladies out there. I have been brought up to respect women and treat women with respect. I am close to my mom and my sister. I adore my niece. My life and walk with Christ has been heavily influenced by some amazing women; as leaders/ teachers and friends too! So, to any of you reading this, I hope I am doing this piece justice and I hope you are encouraged.
Here we go...
Mark 5:24-34 "A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
How cool! If you read carefully, Jesus and this woman's interaction occurred in front of a large crowd of people. He did not shame her, brush her off, or condemn her. He was compassionate and treated her with dignity and love. Something really cool about this verse too is that he called her "Daughter". A few years ago, I learned that nowhere else in the bible is it recorded that he called anyone else but her that. This woman not only suffered physically, but she would have been looked down upon and viewed as an outcast in that day. Jesus flipped a social norm here and raised her up and showed her honor. She not only regained good health, but dignity too.
I want to add something here in regards to Jesus calling this woman, daughter. As of today (Dec. 23,2018) I have learned of another time Jesus in fact called some women, daughters, but he called them daughters of Jerusalem. This is in Luke 23:27-31. I don't ever recall seeing that. So, pretty interesting. I would say Jesus was bestowing honor upon the woman he called daughter while he was telling the mourning women to not worry about him but be mourning for the hard times that were to come to Jerusalem.
Mark 14:3-9 "While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
I find it pretty cool that Jesus said the woman whom poured the perfume on him would be remembered for what she did and even now in this blog, she is being remembered. Jesus made that promise for her and he kept it! He was touched by her act and her sacrifice she made with the expensive perfume. It's interesting for sure and this passage is something we should mediate on.
Another thought on this story is that the version of it told in John 12:1-8, it was Judas Iscariot, the one disciple whom would later betray Jesus, whom objected to the woman's use of the perfume and wanted her to have sold it for money to give to the poor. The passage also said that Judas said that not because he actually cared about the poor, but because "he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." Some serious greed going on there. Jesus stood up for the woman though. Now the woman is remembered for this generous act, while Judas is remembered for betraying Jesus. That is something to think about...
The next moment, I wrote about in my last blog, "Finding Hope in the Times of Struggles and Suffering" but it's a big deal and I feel it is important to talk about it again.
John 8:2-11 "At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
So, yeah and pretty cool event. Jesus stood up for this woman; he did not join in the condemnation, but rather extended mercy and compassion. He told her to leave the life she was living, that was weighing her down, and be on her way.
Jesus demonstrated his Father's love to all he encountered. You will notice he only tangled and got into it with the teachers of the law, Pharisees, and Sadducees; the religious social clubs.
Another good one, I'm not going to go into too much, as I feel that the Lord is leading me to another less known story of Jesus to share. So I'm simply going to refer you and encourage you to read for your self. Check out John 4:1-42 In this story, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman, which in that day, that was a big deal as Samaritans were looked down upon. Anyway, check it out!
The last encounter of Jesus with a woman I will write about is actually one that occurred at the beginning of his life, when he was just a baby. I just read about it in my devotions a few days ago and was amazed as I don't ever recall reading about it. So, I for sure wanted to share what God revealed to me.
Luke 2:33-38 "The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul." There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."
I thought that was interesting about a prophetess. I didn't know that.
Now for another pretty neat story that occurred after Jesus, but during the time of his apostles spreading the gospel.
Acts 12:1-12 "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying."
So here, a miraculous thing happened; The Lord sent an angel to get Peter out of prison. The big thing here is that many people; men and women were gathered together and were praying for Peter. A big thing happened in result of that gathering in prayer together, functioning as the body of Christ.
We are to function as one; as the body of Christ. We all have a place, a part to play.
Ephesians 4:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
So, yeah. Ladies and Gentlemen, lets love each other as Christ does, respect each other and seek unity and function as one.
There were two big characters whom I wanted to focus on, but I was lead down a different direction and used the verses that I used. I think it would be great to still mention them and where in the bible their stories are written. Be sure to check them out for yourself, they did some big things!
First is Deborah, she was a Judge of Israel. See Judges Ch.4 and Ch.5
Also, Esther, she had become Queen of Persia and saved her people from a massacre. See the book of Esther.
Both of these characters did big things. So, check them out!
I hope whoever reads this is encouraged. I hope you learn something and that maybe someone will be inspired in some way or another to step up and use their gifting or even read this and discover they too have something to contribute and can do big things too!
Monday, July 16, 2018
Finding Hope in the Times of Struggles and Suffering
Hello Friends,
Lately I've been struggling through some tough trials and such, and I know of some friends and family who have too. If anyone else out there who reads this and is struggling, I hope you will be encouraged as this blog will dive into talking about finding hope and joy in the middle of the struggles.
Now, let us dig in...
James 1:2-3 (NLT) "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."
This is a commonly referenced verse. Times of trials builds character. It can be awful but if we allow it and allow God to, it can build us and make us stronger and better for it and we can use our struggles and perseverance to help others in their trials. Further in James 1 we get some more understanding on how our trials can actually bring about some good.
James 1:12 (NLT) "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
James 5:10-11 (NLT) "For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy."
James had a lot to say about persevering trough trials. As painful and hard as they can be, they can make us better and help us grow. God wants to helps us through them and bring us comfort. He also wants us to help others too.
2 Corinthians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer."
We are to comfort others in their times of trouble. I have either seen or heard of examples of Christians whom have watched others of the faith struggle with trials and sufferings but they either ignored them, flat out shunned them, or even made things worse by gossiping about them or putting them down. That is wrong. We are to build each other up and others up. Just because a believer is suffering, does not mean they are not a believer anymore or not praying enough. We are to share in Christ's sufferings to be more like him.We are also to respond like Christ when we or others around us are suffering. Condemning and shunning or belittling others are not Christ-like responses but rather, responses of the Pharisees/hypocrites!
Here is a good example that Jesus set:
John 8:2-11 "At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Good stuff right there! Jesus showed compassion and stood up for this woman. He did not condemn her. God shows us compassion and mercy to us all the time for things we do or don't do. We should extend, what is shown to us, to others. In particular to those you see struggling. Check out Luke 19. Jesus took time and hung out with a much despised tax-collector of the town. The tax-collector's life was transformed after that and he paid back the money he cheated people out of.
Compassion goes a long way. Both the one whom compassion is being extended too and the one extending the compassion. I have seen and heard of examples of other believers extending compassion to those enduring hard times. I have had many believers be there for me when I was in need of prayer or comfort or simply a friend. I have seen and experienced compassion, which is a great thing. So, if you want to make a difference in someone else's life, show compassion, that is huge, it really is.
Jesus says for us not to let our hearts be troubled and not to be afraid. Also, we will face trials and suffer, much because of following him. Following Christ can be costly and Jesus said it would be, but he also said not to fear for He has overcome them. We have victory in Christ.
Spend some time reading John 15 and 16 if you can, they are good chapters to read.
1 Peter 4:12-14,16,19 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you...However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name...So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
So despite the hardships and painful trials, we should not be surprised. We should actually rejoice. It is not easy at all. But we need to, and to persevere. We need to commit ourselves to God and trust Him and his plan he has for our situation. He is in it and helping us every step of the way. Maybe we should focus on the ways He has provided or brought us rest, comfort, joy, or maybe a loving community around us to help. I certainly need to, and not grumble so much, lol. Grumble I do. It's a learning process for sure.
I want to share a few verses that are so encouraging and that God has reminded me of in the last few weeks:
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Some good stuff! There is a lot in the bible covering trials and suffering. Jesus suffered a lot. His disciples did too. Paul is a great example of whom went through so much trials; as did Job. I hope the surface we scratched will help you readers through the trials and sufferings you may be going through. I would encourage you to read more for yourselves and maybe consider reading my last post on "Spiritual Warfare." But seek the bible first.
I will leave you with some encouraging scriptures:
Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging."
Be encouraged!
Lately I've been struggling through some tough trials and such, and I know of some friends and family who have too. If anyone else out there who reads this and is struggling, I hope you will be encouraged as this blog will dive into talking about finding hope and joy in the middle of the struggles.
Now, let us dig in...
James 1:2-3 (NLT) "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."
This is a commonly referenced verse. Times of trials builds character. It can be awful but if we allow it and allow God to, it can build us and make us stronger and better for it and we can use our struggles and perseverance to help others in their trials. Further in James 1 we get some more understanding on how our trials can actually bring about some good.
James 1:12 (NLT) "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
James 5:10-11 (NLT) "For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy."
James had a lot to say about persevering trough trials. As painful and hard as they can be, they can make us better and help us grow. God wants to helps us through them and bring us comfort. He also wants us to help others too.
2 Corinthians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer."
We are to comfort others in their times of trouble. I have either seen or heard of examples of Christians whom have watched others of the faith struggle with trials and sufferings but they either ignored them, flat out shunned them, or even made things worse by gossiping about them or putting them down. That is wrong. We are to build each other up and others up. Just because a believer is suffering, does not mean they are not a believer anymore or not praying enough. We are to share in Christ's sufferings to be more like him.We are also to respond like Christ when we or others around us are suffering. Condemning and shunning or belittling others are not Christ-like responses but rather, responses of the Pharisees/hypocrites!
Here is a good example that Jesus set:
John 8:2-11 "At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Good stuff right there! Jesus showed compassion and stood up for this woman. He did not condemn her. God shows us compassion and mercy to us all the time for things we do or don't do. We should extend, what is shown to us, to others. In particular to those you see struggling. Check out Luke 19. Jesus took time and hung out with a much despised tax-collector of the town. The tax-collector's life was transformed after that and he paid back the money he cheated people out of.
Compassion goes a long way. Both the one whom compassion is being extended too and the one extending the compassion. I have seen and heard of examples of other believers extending compassion to those enduring hard times. I have had many believers be there for me when I was in need of prayer or comfort or simply a friend. I have seen and experienced compassion, which is a great thing. So, if you want to make a difference in someone else's life, show compassion, that is huge, it really is.
Jesus says for us not to let our hearts be troubled and not to be afraid. Also, we will face trials and suffer, much because of following him. Following Christ can be costly and Jesus said it would be, but he also said not to fear for He has overcome them. We have victory in Christ.
Spend some time reading John 15 and 16 if you can, they are good chapters to read.
1 Peter 4:12-14,16,19 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you...However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name...So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
So despite the hardships and painful trials, we should not be surprised. We should actually rejoice. It is not easy at all. But we need to, and to persevere. We need to commit ourselves to God and trust Him and his plan he has for our situation. He is in it and helping us every step of the way. Maybe we should focus on the ways He has provided or brought us rest, comfort, joy, or maybe a loving community around us to help. I certainly need to, and not grumble so much, lol. Grumble I do. It's a learning process for sure.
I want to share a few verses that are so encouraging and that God has reminded me of in the last few weeks:
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Some good stuff! There is a lot in the bible covering trials and suffering. Jesus suffered a lot. His disciples did too. Paul is a great example of whom went through so much trials; as did Job. I hope the surface we scratched will help you readers through the trials and sufferings you may be going through. I would encourage you to read more for yourselves and maybe consider reading my last post on "Spiritual Warfare." But seek the bible first.
I will leave you with some encouraging scriptures:
Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging."
Be encouraged!
Monday, April 30, 2018
Spiritual Warfare
Hello Friends!
I know my last blog was a toe-cruncher and I believe it bothered some folks, I mean hey, I was convicted on some things too, I got my toes crunched. I believe that was something that was needing to be said and I truly hope people will learn and grow from it. I ultimately want people to grow and truly live up to their potential, and be incredible ambassadors for Christ, I truly do.
I thought a really good follow up to my last blog, would be to talk about Spiritual Warfare. Now that is a pretty broad topic, so I am really keeping to the aspect that I am going through right now and I am learning about!
To begin with, we have an enemy. This enemy has long been attacking humanity out of pure hatred for them, but mostly out of hatred for God. Here is a good quote to explain why:
"It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the demons hurl their mightiest weapons." ~ William Gurnall
Another good quote to follow this up on is:
"This is the heart of our enemy. He is determined to hinder and harm and ruin God's image bearers. To steal and kill and destroy... the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it." ~ John Eldredge
The enemy hates you but also fears you. The enemy fears what we can become as we have so much potential. I think that is why he likes to attack our identities a lot.
Another good quote to add and this really sums up what the devil is up to as far as his attacks go on believers.
"So, it becomes the devil's business to keep the christian's spirit imprisoned. He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins and trespasses. From that point on, Satan works that much harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes. He knows that if we continue in this kind of bondage...we are not much better off than when we were spiritually dead!" ~ A.W. Tozer
Oh, a good scripture reference to understand your enemy, check out 1 Peter 5:8
So, now that we have a general idea of our enemy and some of his goals, lets check out more on fighting back!
First off, the bible tells us this:
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers of his dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Our fights, the attacks that come against us is from our enemy. Now, there is a danger in the belief that every bad thing that happens to us is a spiritual attack, but that is not necessarily true. Some things are consequences of our own choices or some one else's. Or things are not perfect and will mess up and fall apart, so it is important to discern what is occurring.
Another great verse is:
2 Corinthians 10:3 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
There ya have it. Warfare, yeah, crazy stuff right? It can seem a little intimidating and almost hopeless, but fear not, for there is victory!
Part of the ministry of Jesus, his disciples, Paul and the others was engaging in spiritual warfare and setting captives free.
Acts 5:12-16 "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed."
You might be surprised how frequently Jesus and the others I mentioned went head to head against the forces of darkness mentioned in Ephesians. I would encourage you to investigate those for yourself and check behind me.
Jesus has overcome and gives us the abilities to overcome the spiritual battles too! Here are some pretty cool verses to go along with that!
Colossians 2:13-15 "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Luke 10:1-3 "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves."
Further down in this chapter, is when Jesus really drops some serious truth on overcoming spiritual warfare.
Luke 10:17-20 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
(Here I want to clarify that the whole thing about trampling snakes and scorpions is a figure of speech. This gets taken out of context a lot to justify killing snakes. There is nothing wrong with snakes, they do a lot of good, as do scorpions. Jesus does a lot of figure of speech throughout his ministry, so make sure you have gotten the full context.)
Ok, we have been given authority to overcome ALL the power of the enemy, so we have been equipped to fight and win the battle. Now, the fights will be hard, even brutal sometimes and may even take quite a long time to overcome, but overcome we shall. We have to fight the good and often tough fight.
"If we would do what Jesus did- heal all those who are under the power of the devil- and if we would find the life that he offers us, we have to fight for it. Fiercely. That is where we are now in this great story." ~ John Eldredge
You may have noticed that I have been quoting John Eldredge quite a bit in this blog, well, I have been reading his book called Waking The Dead and I must say it has been an absolute incredible book to read and I would highly recommend it. He has another great quote that will help for sure in us learning to just how to engage into spiritual battle.
"All spiritual warfare follows the simple pattern given us in James 4:7: Submit and resist. We always start by submitting ourselves to Christ and then resist whatever has come against us or against those we love." ~ John Eldredge
We must resist the enemy and submit to the Lord.
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
On top of that, praying! Praying is huge and vital! Praying on your own and praying with others will go a long way and is a heavy duty weapon against the enemy. Here is some epic scripture God directed me to and wow!
James 5:16 (ESV) " Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Matthew 18:18-20 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
So, pray people, pray!
For me, I have been struggling in my battle that I am fighting right now on just how effective my praying is and if it really helps at all, but the scriptures says the praying is helping, so encouraging!
For me as well, there have been times when the Holy Spirit has awakened me in the middle of the night to pray specifically on my battle. I have also had a few nights when I was restless and could not sleep, and so I prayed over this battle I am fighting and afterwards, I slept very well. So, there may be times when you feel a stirring at night, during your sleep or at other moments of you being called to prayer, well, there is a reason for that and so, you should for sure go to prayer. The Spirit is working in ways we cannot see or understand. Spiritual warfare for sure takes faith to fight as well. Have faith!
The Holy Spirit is a powerful help to us in the battles and is actual crucial to the battle as well. The Spirit will sometimes be one to nudge you into battle to pray for someone or something in particular. The Spirit will also reveal to you what to specifically pray for. We will sometimes be warned by the Spirit too for different things.
So, yeah, some rather heavy duty stuff this spiritual warfare, but we can and will win. We do still have to engage in the battle and not just sit back and let God do it. He will do the most of it, but it is up to us to be His hands and feet and do our part. Remember, we are overcomers and more than conquerors. Pray and seek the Lord and find a few believers you trust and ask them to help you pray. Be patience and of stout heart, things will get ugly sometimes, we just have to fight through and persevere! Stand firm and resist the devil!
Be encouraged!!
I know my last blog was a toe-cruncher and I believe it bothered some folks, I mean hey, I was convicted on some things too, I got my toes crunched. I believe that was something that was needing to be said and I truly hope people will learn and grow from it. I ultimately want people to grow and truly live up to their potential, and be incredible ambassadors for Christ, I truly do.
I thought a really good follow up to my last blog, would be to talk about Spiritual Warfare. Now that is a pretty broad topic, so I am really keeping to the aspect that I am going through right now and I am learning about!
To begin with, we have an enemy. This enemy has long been attacking humanity out of pure hatred for them, but mostly out of hatred for God. Here is a good quote to explain why:
"It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the demons hurl their mightiest weapons." ~ William Gurnall
Another good quote to follow this up on is:
"This is the heart of our enemy. He is determined to hinder and harm and ruin God's image bearers. To steal and kill and destroy... the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it." ~ John Eldredge
The enemy hates you but also fears you. The enemy fears what we can become as we have so much potential. I think that is why he likes to attack our identities a lot.
Another good quote to add and this really sums up what the devil is up to as far as his attacks go on believers.
"So, it becomes the devil's business to keep the christian's spirit imprisoned. He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins and trespasses. From that point on, Satan works that much harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes. He knows that if we continue in this kind of bondage...we are not much better off than when we were spiritually dead!" ~ A.W. Tozer
Oh, a good scripture reference to understand your enemy, check out 1 Peter 5:8
So, now that we have a general idea of our enemy and some of his goals, lets check out more on fighting back!
First off, the bible tells us this:
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers of his dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Our fights, the attacks that come against us is from our enemy. Now, there is a danger in the belief that every bad thing that happens to us is a spiritual attack, but that is not necessarily true. Some things are consequences of our own choices or some one else's. Or things are not perfect and will mess up and fall apart, so it is important to discern what is occurring.
Another great verse is:
2 Corinthians 10:3 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
There ya have it. Warfare, yeah, crazy stuff right? It can seem a little intimidating and almost hopeless, but fear not, for there is victory!
Part of the ministry of Jesus, his disciples, Paul and the others was engaging in spiritual warfare and setting captives free.
Acts 5:12-16 "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed."
You might be surprised how frequently Jesus and the others I mentioned went head to head against the forces of darkness mentioned in Ephesians. I would encourage you to investigate those for yourself and check behind me.
Jesus has overcome and gives us the abilities to overcome the spiritual battles too! Here are some pretty cool verses to go along with that!
Colossians 2:13-15 "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Luke 10:1-3 "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves."
Further down in this chapter, is when Jesus really drops some serious truth on overcoming spiritual warfare.
Luke 10:17-20 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
(Here I want to clarify that the whole thing about trampling snakes and scorpions is a figure of speech. This gets taken out of context a lot to justify killing snakes. There is nothing wrong with snakes, they do a lot of good, as do scorpions. Jesus does a lot of figure of speech throughout his ministry, so make sure you have gotten the full context.)
Ok, we have been given authority to overcome ALL the power of the enemy, so we have been equipped to fight and win the battle. Now, the fights will be hard, even brutal sometimes and may even take quite a long time to overcome, but overcome we shall. We have to fight the good and often tough fight.
"If we would do what Jesus did- heal all those who are under the power of the devil- and if we would find the life that he offers us, we have to fight for it. Fiercely. That is where we are now in this great story." ~ John Eldredge
You may have noticed that I have been quoting John Eldredge quite a bit in this blog, well, I have been reading his book called Waking The Dead and I must say it has been an absolute incredible book to read and I would highly recommend it. He has another great quote that will help for sure in us learning to just how to engage into spiritual battle.
"All spiritual warfare follows the simple pattern given us in James 4:7: Submit and resist. We always start by submitting ourselves to Christ and then resist whatever has come against us or against those we love." ~ John Eldredge
We must resist the enemy and submit to the Lord.
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
On top of that, praying! Praying is huge and vital! Praying on your own and praying with others will go a long way and is a heavy duty weapon against the enemy. Here is some epic scripture God directed me to and wow!
James 5:16 (ESV) " Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Matthew 18:18-20 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
So, pray people, pray!
For me, I have been struggling in my battle that I am fighting right now on just how effective my praying is and if it really helps at all, but the scriptures says the praying is helping, so encouraging!
For me as well, there have been times when the Holy Spirit has awakened me in the middle of the night to pray specifically on my battle. I have also had a few nights when I was restless and could not sleep, and so I prayed over this battle I am fighting and afterwards, I slept very well. So, there may be times when you feel a stirring at night, during your sleep or at other moments of you being called to prayer, well, there is a reason for that and so, you should for sure go to prayer. The Spirit is working in ways we cannot see or understand. Spiritual warfare for sure takes faith to fight as well. Have faith!
The Holy Spirit is a powerful help to us in the battles and is actual crucial to the battle as well. The Spirit will sometimes be one to nudge you into battle to pray for someone or something in particular. The Spirit will also reveal to you what to specifically pray for. We will sometimes be warned by the Spirit too for different things.
So, yeah, some rather heavy duty stuff this spiritual warfare, but we can and will win. We do still have to engage in the battle and not just sit back and let God do it. He will do the most of it, but it is up to us to be His hands and feet and do our part. Remember, we are overcomers and more than conquerors. Pray and seek the Lord and find a few believers you trust and ask them to help you pray. Be patience and of stout heart, things will get ugly sometimes, we just have to fight through and persevere! Stand firm and resist the devil!
Be encouraged!!
Friday, March 9, 2018
Church and Young Adults
Hello Friends,
I wanted to do another blog. But it's going to be a toe cruncher, just to be honest with you. I want to talk about a subject that is on my mind.
In church, from time to time, I hear about how many young adults are leaving the church, and yet the church as a whole, I believe there are churches out there trying be more engaging and offer things for the young adult crowds, but as a whole the church is not stepping up and doing anything about it to help out their young adults.
I want to share from my aspect from being a young adult in the church. The problem first and foremost are cliques! The young adults whom stay in the church form their own groups and stay in those groups. They don't grow, they don't try to grow and they are not welcoming. Or they welcome others into a few things, but mostly exclude them. It is something that you can come into church and lift up your hands, you can say the right things, go on missions trips and look all so holy, but your actions speak a total different message. Granted, you can't invite everyone to everything or connect with everyone. You will have a certain set of friends and I get that. The problem is that many people don't try to connect with others. Some people don't love others as Christ calls us to. What good are those mission trips, bible studies, and lifting up the hands in worship if you don't love?
1st Corinthians 13:1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
We have got to show love. If the church wants to keep its young adults, it needs to be inclusive. Its young adults that are there, need to step up and love others and include and invite them to things, not just bible studies either. Conferences, day trips to some place, go see a movie, etc. It is not easy, and it can be particularly hard with those who are different than you. I know I messed up a few opportunities. It is not easy, but we have to do it! God gives us the grace to do it, we just need to ask him for it.
Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Here I want to add that group leaders are people too and have lives and jobs and such outside of the church. I think its good to support these leaders and allow them to take breaks and do other things so they can take care of themselves and grow in the Lord too! Let's encourage them in doing that.
Things will be messy sometimes and conflicts can happen, they just do in this crazy world of ours, especially when there is a large gathering of people. We have to learn to bear with each other and keep the peace.
Romans 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification."
Romans 15:1 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."
I mean, I really don't understand when someone leads a bible study but does not encourage or include their own people they are ministering too, to some big event that would help others grow and include people. Sometimes they need that to grow and not be with the group, but don't exclude the group from all of those. There will be times when those events would greatly benefit the group. Again, there are times when the leaders needs some time away for their own needs. Let the Spirit lead and make sure you are not becoming exclusive.
People don't want to help each other grow or include them. It feels to me that the young adults in the church simply wants to destroy and tear each other down. There is no unity!
Ephesians 4:3-6 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
It seems like young adults in the church don't want to get out of their comfort zone and associate with non church goers either. Jesus spent a lot of his time with nonbelievers and we should too. In fact,
Jesus says:
Matthew 9:12-13 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."
I have been hearing talks about revival across our country, across our college campuses and that is awesome! Revival needs to happen in your own church too! We need revival in our church! Attending prayers and worship events are great, they are, but are you spending time in secular events too? Granted, don't go somewhere that you know will cause you to stumble or put you in danger, but go to concerts or something and be around others who are different than you. I enjoy church related activities, but I also enjoy doing things outside of church and being around others who do not attend church. I have met some cool people and have done some cool things with non church goers. You should give it a try if you are a believer and are reading this!
For me, I love to go to prayer and worship events, I mean, I wrote a blog about having a break through at a worship and prayer event. I enjoy missions trips, and bible studies and being in community with other Christians. However, it seems to me these things are becoming exclusive to those who fit certain molds like the pretty people, the popular people, the hip people, the wealthy people, the smart people, etc. We all have a part to play, we are all part of the body. Others want to experience that, others want to experience Jesus in a radical way too. What good is it doing to hold that back from people? Jesus is inclusive. He reached out to the unwanted people of his day. Lepers, the woman with the bleeding problem, blind-men, tax-collectors, ect. He even was inclusive to the man on the cross beside him crying out to be with him in heaven. Jesus did not deny him, he included him!
So church, I challenge you and I challenge myself to! We need to love others and include others. We do need to show grace to others. Sometimes you need just certain people to encourage you and so forth, or you click real well with certain people, which is cool, but make sure you still try to connect with others and be inclusive. And if that is something you cannot do, seriously, don't lead a bible study group. We as young adults need to rise up and throw off the chains that entangle us and run the race and help others run the race.
Be inclusive and loving. Bear with others and your self in your failings too, we all make mistakes!
Much love to you all!!
I wanted to do another blog. But it's going to be a toe cruncher, just to be honest with you. I want to talk about a subject that is on my mind.
In church, from time to time, I hear about how many young adults are leaving the church, and yet the church as a whole, I believe there are churches out there trying be more engaging and offer things for the young adult crowds, but as a whole the church is not stepping up and doing anything about it to help out their young adults.
I want to share from my aspect from being a young adult in the church. The problem first and foremost are cliques! The young adults whom stay in the church form their own groups and stay in those groups. They don't grow, they don't try to grow and they are not welcoming. Or they welcome others into a few things, but mostly exclude them. It is something that you can come into church and lift up your hands, you can say the right things, go on missions trips and look all so holy, but your actions speak a total different message. Granted, you can't invite everyone to everything or connect with everyone. You will have a certain set of friends and I get that. The problem is that many people don't try to connect with others. Some people don't love others as Christ calls us to. What good are those mission trips, bible studies, and lifting up the hands in worship if you don't love?
1st Corinthians 13:1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
We have got to show love. If the church wants to keep its young adults, it needs to be inclusive. Its young adults that are there, need to step up and love others and include and invite them to things, not just bible studies either. Conferences, day trips to some place, go see a movie, etc. It is not easy, and it can be particularly hard with those who are different than you. I know I messed up a few opportunities. It is not easy, but we have to do it! God gives us the grace to do it, we just need to ask him for it.
Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Here I want to add that group leaders are people too and have lives and jobs and such outside of the church. I think its good to support these leaders and allow them to take breaks and do other things so they can take care of themselves and grow in the Lord too! Let's encourage them in doing that.
Things will be messy sometimes and conflicts can happen, they just do in this crazy world of ours, especially when there is a large gathering of people. We have to learn to bear with each other and keep the peace.
Romans 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification."
Romans 15:1 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."
I mean, I really don't understand when someone leads a bible study but does not encourage or include their own people they are ministering too, to some big event that would help others grow and include people. Sometimes they need that to grow and not be with the group, but don't exclude the group from all of those. There will be times when those events would greatly benefit the group. Again, there are times when the leaders needs some time away for their own needs. Let the Spirit lead and make sure you are not becoming exclusive.
People don't want to help each other grow or include them. It feels to me that the young adults in the church simply wants to destroy and tear each other down. There is no unity!
Ephesians 4:3-6 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
It seems like young adults in the church don't want to get out of their comfort zone and associate with non church goers either. Jesus spent a lot of his time with nonbelievers and we should too. In fact,
Jesus says:
Matthew 9:12-13 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."
I have been hearing talks about revival across our country, across our college campuses and that is awesome! Revival needs to happen in your own church too! We need revival in our church! Attending prayers and worship events are great, they are, but are you spending time in secular events too? Granted, don't go somewhere that you know will cause you to stumble or put you in danger, but go to concerts or something and be around others who are different than you. I enjoy church related activities, but I also enjoy doing things outside of church and being around others who do not attend church. I have met some cool people and have done some cool things with non church goers. You should give it a try if you are a believer and are reading this!
For me, I love to go to prayer and worship events, I mean, I wrote a blog about having a break through at a worship and prayer event. I enjoy missions trips, and bible studies and being in community with other Christians. However, it seems to me these things are becoming exclusive to those who fit certain molds like the pretty people, the popular people, the hip people, the wealthy people, the smart people, etc. We all have a part to play, we are all part of the body. Others want to experience that, others want to experience Jesus in a radical way too. What good is it doing to hold that back from people? Jesus is inclusive. He reached out to the unwanted people of his day. Lepers, the woman with the bleeding problem, blind-men, tax-collectors, ect. He even was inclusive to the man on the cross beside him crying out to be with him in heaven. Jesus did not deny him, he included him!
So church, I challenge you and I challenge myself to! We need to love others and include others. We do need to show grace to others. Sometimes you need just certain people to encourage you and so forth, or you click real well with certain people, which is cool, but make sure you still try to connect with others and be inclusive. And if that is something you cannot do, seriously, don't lead a bible study group. We as young adults need to rise up and throw off the chains that entangle us and run the race and help others run the race.
Be inclusive and loving. Bear with others and your self in your failings too, we all make mistakes!
Much love to you all!!
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Following The Call Through The Valley Of The Shadows
Hello Friends,
I know I have not written a blog in a while on here and I have sort of gotten off track from my what is love series. I want to share with you an incredible experience that happened to me last night (1/31/18) at a worship and prayer night event called "Contend."
I had an opportunity to go to this event with a few people from my young adult small group from church. We met up and carpooled. This epic evening would begin in my car. I arrived early to meet up with people, so I spent some time praying. I also texted a few friends to be praying for me during this event as I sensed something big was going to happen. After praying, I got onto fb a bit and stumbled across a post from a Pastor. This post, I really believed God was speaking to me and telling what He was going to be doing, and really, has been doing in my life. I shall share this quote with you as I have been given permission to do so.
"In Christ we are FREE. Almost always when this word is used in the Bible it's referring to freedom from an oppressive enemy kingdom. In the gospels, that oppressive enemy kingdom is demonic.
Any person, truth, or movement that makes us feel annoyed, like we wanna run or downright angry could be an indicator of a certain kind of spiritual captivity within us. The enemy of bondage is freedom. When freedom is coming your way and something in you rises up to resist it, ask yourself "Why?" Bondage wants to be left alone, comfortably settled in a religious paradigm bereft of any kingdom power or freedom. It's always an iron barred circus of confusion, accusation, justification and excuses.
Bondage sometimes rises up in anger as freedom approaches. The kind of anger that literally pushes Jesus to the edge of a cliff out of furious offense, ready to be rid heaven's Champion. Freedom is the result of embracing truth...that's why bondage so fiercely opposes it. A person living in freedom should exude the joy of holiness, self-control, hope, and awe-struck wonder..."
~ Pastor Bryan Finley
Last night, during epic worship, prayer, and inspirational words from the Lord, I was filled with such an amazing amount of joy. Much needed joy that I have not felt in quite some time. Off and on I struggle with depression and lately it has been hitting me hard. The whole month of December in particular was brutal and it brought me to an extremely low place. To anyone reading this who struggles with depression, I am so sorry. Hang in there. Joy will come, keep fighting!
The joy that the Lord filled me with, it felt like new life was breathed into me. Now, have I been completely healed of depression? I am not so sure that I have but I am in a great place right now and experiencing such joy!
One of my favorite bands has an amazing worship song that really sums it up. Please look up the song ( there are two versions of it. The non acoustic one is the better version) it is amazing!!
"If you can hold the stars in place/You can hold my heart the same/Whenever I fall away/Whenever I start to break/So here I am lifting up my heart/If you can calm the raging sea/You can calm the storm in me/You're never too far away/You never show up too late/So here I am lifting up my heart/to the one who holds the stars" ~Stars by Skillet
Such an amazing song!
Something I noticed even early on in the evening is that God has been working and is working in me is being less socially awkward. Around some people I knew and people I didn't and were introduced to, God really worked in me to be aware of how to engage people, be more confident and outgoing. It was a big confident booster for me.
Another really cool thing that happened was that God pulled me into worship with just Him and I. Sometimes I can get really distracted when I am in a worship with God, but on this night, for the most part, I was able to focus on my time with God and it was an awesome experience!
This event was a prayer answered in itself. For a few months now, I have had a desire to be apart of some kind of big movement or a worship and prayer time in a large group setting. So for me, I felt God heard my prayer and honored it and that He notices and sees me. My spirit was definitely lifted by that!
As you have noticed, God did a lot in me last night! I believe he showed me some areas in my life that He is refining and revealing some of the shackles that I have been ensnared by. He showed me that he has been and is working in me to remove those shackles and I definitely felt some shackles come off last night and experienced some freedom! It was pretty awesome!!
Some other things that happened was that God gave me hope again. He gave me hope for the younger generation, for the college campuses all over and a new hope for this country. He made me feel like I was apart of something big and that I have a part to play in the exciting things to come.
I am so amazed by last night and by God and what He did! I am so thankful for being placed around people who care about me and my walk in the Lord and that they shared this event with me. I am so thankful for the body of Christ last night who stepped up and demonstrated God's love and made me feel apart and wanted!
I truly hope whoever reads this will be encouraged and blessed.
I know I have not written a blog in a while on here and I have sort of gotten off track from my what is love series. I want to share with you an incredible experience that happened to me last night (1/31/18) at a worship and prayer night event called "Contend."
I had an opportunity to go to this event with a few people from my young adult small group from church. We met up and carpooled. This epic evening would begin in my car. I arrived early to meet up with people, so I spent some time praying. I also texted a few friends to be praying for me during this event as I sensed something big was going to happen. After praying, I got onto fb a bit and stumbled across a post from a Pastor. This post, I really believed God was speaking to me and telling what He was going to be doing, and really, has been doing in my life. I shall share this quote with you as I have been given permission to do so.
"In Christ we are FREE. Almost always when this word is used in the Bible it's referring to freedom from an oppressive enemy kingdom. In the gospels, that oppressive enemy kingdom is demonic.
Any person, truth, or movement that makes us feel annoyed, like we wanna run or downright angry could be an indicator of a certain kind of spiritual captivity within us. The enemy of bondage is freedom. When freedom is coming your way and something in you rises up to resist it, ask yourself "Why?" Bondage wants to be left alone, comfortably settled in a religious paradigm bereft of any kingdom power or freedom. It's always an iron barred circus of confusion, accusation, justification and excuses.
Bondage sometimes rises up in anger as freedom approaches. The kind of anger that literally pushes Jesus to the edge of a cliff out of furious offense, ready to be rid heaven's Champion. Freedom is the result of embracing truth...that's why bondage so fiercely opposes it. A person living in freedom should exude the joy of holiness, self-control, hope, and awe-struck wonder..."
~ Pastor Bryan Finley
Last night, during epic worship, prayer, and inspirational words from the Lord, I was filled with such an amazing amount of joy. Much needed joy that I have not felt in quite some time. Off and on I struggle with depression and lately it has been hitting me hard. The whole month of December in particular was brutal and it brought me to an extremely low place. To anyone reading this who struggles with depression, I am so sorry. Hang in there. Joy will come, keep fighting!
The joy that the Lord filled me with, it felt like new life was breathed into me. Now, have I been completely healed of depression? I am not so sure that I have but I am in a great place right now and experiencing such joy!
One of my favorite bands has an amazing worship song that really sums it up. Please look up the song ( there are two versions of it. The non acoustic one is the better version) it is amazing!!
"If you can hold the stars in place/You can hold my heart the same/Whenever I fall away/Whenever I start to break/So here I am lifting up my heart/If you can calm the raging sea/You can calm the storm in me/You're never too far away/You never show up too late/So here I am lifting up my heart/to the one who holds the stars" ~Stars by Skillet
Such an amazing song!
Something I noticed even early on in the evening is that God has been working and is working in me is being less socially awkward. Around some people I knew and people I didn't and were introduced to, God really worked in me to be aware of how to engage people, be more confident and outgoing. It was a big confident booster for me.
Another really cool thing that happened was that God pulled me into worship with just Him and I. Sometimes I can get really distracted when I am in a worship with God, but on this night, for the most part, I was able to focus on my time with God and it was an awesome experience!
This event was a prayer answered in itself. For a few months now, I have had a desire to be apart of some kind of big movement or a worship and prayer time in a large group setting. So for me, I felt God heard my prayer and honored it and that He notices and sees me. My spirit was definitely lifted by that!
As you have noticed, God did a lot in me last night! I believe he showed me some areas in my life that He is refining and revealing some of the shackles that I have been ensnared by. He showed me that he has been and is working in me to remove those shackles and I definitely felt some shackles come off last night and experienced some freedom! It was pretty awesome!!
Some other things that happened was that God gave me hope again. He gave me hope for the younger generation, for the college campuses all over and a new hope for this country. He made me feel like I was apart of something big and that I have a part to play in the exciting things to come.
I am so amazed by last night and by God and what He did! I am so thankful for being placed around people who care about me and my walk in the Lord and that they shared this event with me. I am so thankful for the body of Christ last night who stepped up and demonstrated God's love and made me feel apart and wanted!
I truly hope whoever reads this will be encouraged and blessed.
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