Promises #82

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."
John 15:18 NKJV

Jesus promises to prepare a place for each of us in His/ our Father's house. A glorious eternity awaits every child of God, everyone who receives Jesus as Lord and Savior. He took the punishment of us all, paying the highest price for our sins, past, present, and future. He accepts us just the way we are, cleaning and transforming us with the Holy Spirit.
This is the Good News, the essence of the Gospel.
Christianity 101, right?

But there is another part we don't like to think about much less talk about, a part that is not often preached about in our American often sugar-coated warm and fuzzy Gospel ...that part we all hope will be avoided, or at least minimized.
It is the part of our lives as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ that takes us through the valleys, and the deserts ...
It is the way of suffering, through the refining fires and through pruning...
Jesus told His  disciples that they would indeed drink from the same cup (Matt.20:22).
To be sure, we, each of us, will go through fires of our own, we will not escape pain, trials and tribulations ....they are guaranteed.
Through it all He whispers to us..." peace... I'm with you ...don't worry about these things...don't fear a world who hates us...I have overcome the world!

Desperately 172

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
 I Corinthians 13:13 NKJV

In my perfect world we would love one another as He loves us...
There would be no offenses,
We'd love him so totally and desperately that the thought of hurting Him,
Doing despicable things would be driven from our hearts and minds...
And we would love one another,
Having freedom and license to help pull each other out of the pit.

There would be no guile, no secrets, no jealousy, no malice, no unholy anger, nor covetousness...
Only love- ruling as we fervently obey the two greatest commandments:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength;
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Following/Focused #162

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24 NKJV)


I spent 3 hours of last evening/early morning in the ER. I didn't really want to go, but I was confronted with a sensation (pain) in my chest as if a sumo wrestler was sitting on me, coupled with a sudden onset of a really nasty headache... I described it to the doctor that it felt like I was stabbed in the right eye with an icepick. The tests all came back normal, the chest pain probably due to an GI issue I am dealing with, but in the midst of all that pain I found it difficult to think about anything other than myself, where I should've been focusing on something (some One) else: Jesus, my Adonai Rophe', my healer.
Jesus said that we are to come after Him, to follow Him and nothing else.
To "follow" implies and requires that we set our sights, focusing on Him alone, not looking left or right where distractions can take us off our course. Race horses are fitted with blinders that prevent them from looking to the sides, allowing only forward vision. In each of our lives we must keep focused on Jesus alone, not difficult life circumstances such as job problems, finances, illnesses, nor blessings that can become idols (wealth & affluence, successful careers,etc).
As we stay focused on Jesus a moment at a time, beloved, we will someday (sooner than we think) arrive at the finish line, having run the good race, into the arms of Abba Father who declares over us: "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter into your rest."

Prisons/ The Emancipator #171

The definition of prison: a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.
Prisons can take on many forms that go way beyond a building that houses  inmates. 
Illnesses, anxiety, depression, and discouragement can also become prisons, confining and shackling souls, in ways that can be more devastating than a 6x6 cell with bars. 
Millions are in these "prisons"... Walking inmates. 
The enemy of our souls, the devil himself, is the jailer, 
he knows already what those held prisoner need also to know: 
The key to freedom and emancipation is in the hand already of the One who is the lover of our souls, the One who knocks at the door of our hearts: "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." 
Revelation 1:18 NKJV
Beloved, if you are finding yourself in a "prison", reach out and take hold, the Liberator is waiting to unshackle you.