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Posts Tagged ‘deliverance’

The Significance of Jesus

Posted in Blogs, tagged , , , , on July 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

In the Gospel of John 1:1 it states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

For a long time I did not make the connection that the “Word” was Jesus Christ even though verse 14 tells me so.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

It was only after a particular Bible study did I put it all together. It’s also when I noticed that the ‘w’ in word is capitalized. This indicates to me that the writer is not speaking of a word in the literal sense, but of Jesus Christ – God’s Word made into flesh.

Another significant verse is found in John 1:5: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Jesus Christ is the light this verse speaks of, but those who were in darkness (meaning they were lost because they did not know Christ) could not or would not accept Him. This verse is significant because the same thing is still going on today.

There are many lost souls who have no true knowledge or understanding of Jesus Christ. Sadly, they want to keep it that way. But Jesus said, “He that is not with me is against me;…” (Matthew 12:30)

So, if a person is not abiding by the commandments of Jesus Christ, they are against Him. They are living in sin. And living in sin is the same as being lost – both of which the word “darkness” in John 1:5 refers to.

Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

This is a most significant statement because it is telling us what must happen in order for us to abide with God forever.

To be born again means that you must surrender yourself to Jesus Christ. You must repent of your sins (feel sorry) and be willing to change for the better. Repentance is a change of heart and mind that will bring you closer to God. You must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and be willing to leave your old self behind. Hence the term “born again”.

If you put all your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, He can begin the renewing process within you. This involves a daily cleansing of your soul, and it is something you cannot achieve on your own.

But Philippians 4:13 assures us -“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

And although you will still encounter trials and tribulations in the world, you will also be able to claim the promise of Jesus when He said, “… in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

This means if you are in Jesus, He is in you so you too will overcome any trial and/or tribulation.

You will also begin to have a different mind-set, a change of heart that will compel you to turn away from the sinful habits that once held you captive.

And “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Surrender, believe and stand on the promises of Jesus!

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Our Purpose

Posted in God's Gift, tagged , , , , on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I imagine a hawk is somewhat comfortable believing it is the conqueror as it captures its intended prey.  And creatures of the ground are not pacing the cement, back and forth, worrying about when and where their next meal is coming from.  They just do, by God-given instinct, what they are created to do.  Hunt, catch, eat, and repeat.

We were created to do something too. We are not here by accident.  But for a lot of people, it feels that way. There are many people who don’t know why they’re here, and so it creates a kind of aloofness.  A what-does-it-matter kind of mentality.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

So, this is why we are here – to honor and obey the One who created us.  First and foremost. Is that all, you say? No. But this must be the number one priority. And it is possible to love, honor and obey God and have a fulfilling life despite those who don’t think the two can go hand in hand.

We can have and pursue other desires, interest, dreams and goals as long as they don’t go against the Word of God and cause us to behave in a way that would be displeasing to Him.

We all have a purpose. We were created to serve God. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Revelation 4:11

(“…thou hast created all things…” that includes us)

So, accept your role – God’s gracious gift.

I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like a gift when you’re struggling, when your refrigerator is empty and so are your pockets.  I know. And when you look at this world today you probably feel like it’s getting worse. But this is the time to trust Him even more because if God created you for His glory, then He most certainly will not forsake you if you don’t forsake Him.

In Psalms 37:25, David writes “…yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

The righteous…that would be YOU once you repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Trust God and believe that He will do what He said He would do. You will still have to go through some trials but you’ll have the strength of the Almighty with you, guiding you, supporting you and lifting you up when you need it.

Start walking in the light you were meant to walk in because believe me when I say that everything always looks clearer when the SON is shining on it.

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Peace

Posted in Home, tagged , , , , , on January 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

My pastor said today that if we want to experience the peace of God, we must first make peace WITH God.

That got me to thinking about how I used to search for inner peace back in the day. I searched for it in the form of Qigong (pronounced chi gung or chi kung), which is an ancient Chinese meditative practice; Feng shui (pronounced fung shway), an ancient Chinese system that when practiced, is supposed to balance the energy in your home as well as bring in peace and harmony; and yoga.

Qigong released the flow of my body’s energy and put it more in alignment with my mind. Feng shui provided a positive flow of space and energy into different areas of my house which aided in relaxation. And yoga was beneficial to my body (and maybe my mind, I’m not sure).

Still, the supernatural peace I was searching for was not manifesting itself. Then I returned to Jesus, and I remembered what He said below:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  KJV John 14:27

Jesus promises to give His peace to all those who believe and follow Him, and I think that trumps what the world has to offer.

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