Benefits of Freedom

  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

II Corinthians 3:17

What Does It Mean to Be Free? Freedom looks different for everyone, it may come down to your own beliefs in life, or your focus to achieve those beliefs.   Some believe their freedom means:
  • Being themselves – continuing to challenge themself, growing as a person, loving the person that they are becoming, and following their beliefs.
 
  • Being able to wake up every morning and loving the body that they are in
 
  • Helping others to live their best life, by first helping them to accept their struggles.
  In Galatians 5:13-26, Paul talked about true freedom. It’s not about living any way you want to but living within Christ’s laws and enjoying the benefits of doing so. When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as our Savior, the benefits that come along with that is:  
  • We are given eternal life
 
  • We have fellowship with God
 
  • We are set free to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh.
  To wrap it all up, Freedom isn’t just doing whatever you want, it is doing what you were made to do! Freedom in Christ, which is a great benefit, does not free us from rules.  No matter how large or small, we are called to obey the laws of the land and those of Christ. We shouldn’t call it legalism; we should call it obedience!   Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!   PRAYER:  Dear Lord, I accept the truth through grace that our freedom cannot be earned but comes through You.  No matter what others think about freedom, I understand that true freedom happens when we believe we are who you say we are, rejecting the lie that the enemy has spoken to us and over us.  I’m thankful for freedom, and the benefits that come along with it. I claim that freedom in the name of Jesus!  Amen!

The Lord My Shepherd

Ezekiel 34: 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

 

If we know anything about sheep, we know that they are skittish, frighten by just about everything, prone to be scattered in different directions at the sound of any noise.  So, a shepherd has to keep careful watch over his flock of sheep, ready to guide them in the right direction and protect them from danger.

 Jehovah Rohi (The Lord Our Shepherd) is just as diligent; He is not a passive shepherd who is slack in the care of His sheep. He isn’t a hired hand —who does as little as possible to provide food and guidance, nor does He simply point out a pasture or water and tells us to go for it.

I am so thankful that the Lord doesn’t run the other way when He hears our cries for help, He sees us in trouble, and He knows every pain we suffer, the tears we shed, and the hurts we feel. But, most of all, he rescues us and brings us back to Him, and He knows when to make us lie down for a time of healing and restoration.

Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Prayer:

You are Jehovah Rohi, the Lord, our Shepherd.  We thank you for always taking care of us, for guiding us so that we don’t take the path that puts us in harm’s way.  Thank you for providing for our needs and ensuring that your rest is available to us so that we are restored.  In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen!

The Lord That Provides

PSALM 23: 1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

God has provided for His people since the beginning of time.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had food they never had to work for; and of course, we can never forget how the Lord provided for the Israelites that Moses led to the promised land. He provided dry land in the middle of the sea. He went ahead of them as a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or night. The stories of his provisions are endless.

EPHESIANS 3:20 God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.

Allow me to share a personal story of how the Lord provided in a very unusual and unexpected way.

In the midst of an upcoming move to a new church, the congregants were asked to pledge $1,000.00 per family for expenses for that move.  Being the head of my household and the sole breadwinner, I made that pledge, not really knowing how I would be able to keep it and pay my bills.  I prayed diligently and asked the Lord to honor my pledge and provide the means to be able to pay it and pay my pending bills.  The next week at church, by faith, I wrote the check for the pledge.  A few days later I got a notice from my bank stating they had made an error on my account and that in 1-2 business days they would credit my account in the amount of, you guessed it, $1,000.00! My mind went into overdrive, as I thought about it, I knew I had made a few deposits, but there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed that much money missing from my account.  After going over my deposits and giving it some more thought, I knew, without a doubt, it was the Lord providing for me.

I have had the pleasure of sharing that testimony with others when they’ve doubted that the Lord would provide for their needs.  Even now, recounting that story, makes me emotional and this isn’t the only time that the Lord has proved that He is the God who provides.  He keeps providing over and over in many ways and I continue to thank Him for his provisions.

2 CORINTHIANS 9: 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

PRAYER:  Lord, help us to put our trust in You to supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory! Thank You for the abundance of goodness You have stored up for those who love You.  Forgive us for doubting You, for worrying, and for trying to do it on our own.  It’s in Jesus’ name we pray!   Amen

The God Who Heals

JEHOVAH ROPHE – THE GOD WHO HEALS

“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'”

Exodus 15:26 NIV

 

Another name of God is Jehovah Rophe or Rapha, meaning “the God Who Heals,” The Hebrew word “rapha” translates to “to completely make whole, to thoroughly mend and repair.”

We’ve all needed healing at different times in our lives, whether it was physical, emotional, moral, or relational healing.  It didn’t always come easy when we tried to do it on our own.  The good news is God has been and still is here to help us; the Old Testament tells of many instances of God’s provision for healing and complete restoration.

  • Abraham prayed for Abimelech, his wife, and maids, and they were “healed” – Genesis 20:17
  • The psalmists prayed in their trouble and the Lord “healed them” – Psalms 107:20
  • My words bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body – Proverbs 4:22

New Testament also portrays the healing of Jesus

  • Jesus heals a Centurion’s Servant – Matthew 8:5-13
  • Peter’s Mother-in-law was healed– Matthew 8:14-17
  • The Woman with the issue of Blood was healed– Matthew 9:20-22

Jehovah God is the Great Physician; all creation relies on Him for existence. He has no need for anything from us to do what he does. His healing power at work leads us to discover that we are because He is.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Jehovah God, we pray that you will comfort us in our time of suffering, guide the hands of those who help us in our physical healing, and bless the means used for our cure. Give us confidence in the power of Your grace, that even when we are afraid, we trust You fully for healing in our body and in our mind.  It’s through Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

The Lord our Banner

We live in times of great distress. Our health is threatened daily and every time we decide to step out our doors. Our brothers and sisters of all races are threatened every time they decided to go outside. Sadly, even inside their own homes.
 
Today, we look at our GOD as our Jehovah Nissi. He is our Lord, our Banner. Any time we feel those feelings of uncertainty, weakness, and even of terror, our Jehovah Nissi bans everything and anything from coming near us that can hurt us.
 
 
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. Exodus 17:15
 
 
What does a banner do for us? Protects us, covers us, lets us know no matter what comes or is thrown our way, He covers us, He protects us, He bans those things from destroying us. The dictionary describes a banner as a flag or other clothing bearing a symbol or slogan. This makes me think that when life comes and threatens us, it can only go so far because GOD’S banner is recognized and stops things in their tracks. God is our defense and He promised never to leave us or forsake us.
 
 
As we see in the first chapter of Job anything that happened to him first had to be allowed to happen when GOD knew and there was a limit to what could happen to him. As with Job, it doesn’t mean that life doesn’t happen or that we will not have tears and pain. What gives me great comfort is that unconfused and unconditional peace in knowing that in the midst of it all, my Lord, my Banner is there holding my hand, your hand. And He does not let it go, even if we let go of His.
 
 
 
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Read The Manual

How many of us actually read manuals? We buy products, appliances, and even modes of transportation and fail to read the manuals that accompany them. At least I do. Then when something goes wrong I struggle trying to figure it out.

Our two-year-old refrigerator has been acting up. Just past the warranty of course. The ice maker stopped making ice. Living in the middle of the desert no ice is a problem. I tried to figure out the problem for days then discovered that it had frozen up. I only had two options right? Unplug it and let it defrost, ruining all the other items in the refrigerator, or I could squirt hot water in there and try to defrost it that way. Which did I choose? Squirting hot water, EVERYWHERE.

It worked, or so I thought, we had ice for about a week and then the same thing happened. We gave up, no ice for us. It was cold out anyway so who needed it. Well, it warmed up and we found ourselves in need of a cold glass of ice water. Back to squirting hot water. Then it dawned on me. There must be something on YouTube, my electronic all-purpose manual, that could help. Sure enough, I found it.

Step-by-step instructions on how to defrost a modern-day ice maker. Hold two buttons on the front panel door for 8 seconds. Select mode for defrosting ice maker and within 5 minutes we had ice.

Isn’t that our walk with God sometimes. We find ourselves in difficult situations that seem impossible to figure out. We try fixing them on our own only to have a complete mess on our hands. When we become completely frustrated we turn to God for help. Only to discover the solution was as simple as holding down two buttons for 8 seconds.  The word of God is the manual to help us walk out our journey with God. The solution that we need to fix whatever we face is in there.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Psalm 1:2 NLT

Don’t wait until things are broken to open the Bible. There are so many blessings that we have yet to discover. So much wisdom to guide us but we will never know unless we open up the front panel door.

Light of Life

Sometimes it is so difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We, seem to get heavy laden with our day to day lives and can’t see the end in sight.  Has anybody felt this way?  During winter we long for summer to show up.  We know we do.  AGHH, summer is here!  We, walk outside, clear day, sun is shining bright and it’s nice warm weather. We gaze at the clear sky, feel the warmth of the sun on our skin, sunlight is bright.  Imagine capturing that same feeling and holding it tight in our mind when everything appears to be closing in on us.  Just like not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

We long for the summers to arrive every year. The sun shines a little brighter and it wraps us up in its warm embrace. Just thinking about it puts a smile on our face.  Unfortunately we know that summers only come once a year.

Unlike the summer season,  Jesus is the shining light year around.  When we find ourselves going through those dark tunnels in life, Jesus is always there with us representing our light.  The light at the end of the tunnel is closer than you think. For that light is Jesus, who is always walking right beside us at all times, most importantly during the darkest of tunnels.

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV

The Light Shines in the Darkness

We may have all experienced one or two dreadful thunderstorms during our lifetime. This can cause power to go out leaving us in total darkness.  It is then that we find ourselves at the mercy of not just the thunderstorms, but the darkness which also creates the potential of us hurting ourselves.

Terrible and all kinds of hurtful things occur when the power is out, such as stepping on those lego pieces not put away, stubbing a toe, hitting ourselves against the drawer that was left open when we grabbed the flashlight, or stepping on our dog or cat; the list goes on and on as to how much harm we may be subjected to when the power is out. Have you ever experienced this? Total darkness, soul darkness.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shinning ever brighter till the full light of day.  But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19 (NIV)

Imagine how relieved we feel when the power comes back on. Now we see clearly, that which we couldn’t see in the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:5 (NIV)

Just as the thunderstorm that caused the power to go out and create all kind of chaos, Satan works the same way.  Trying to blind our mind, spirit, and soul with all that is evil. We begin to doubt, hurt others, be unforgiving to others and ourselves; the list goes on.  All these things take place when we don’t activate the light in our lives, that is Jesus.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

If we are so relieved when the power comes back on, how much more joy should we feel and experience when we invite Jesus to be the light in our lives. For it is then that we can plainly see who satan really is, “the big deceiver”.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12 (NIV)

The Present

We have all received a gift or two throughout our lives. Right? Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and worth. Whatever the gift, we don’t know the sacrifices that a person had to go through just to give that gift.  Every gift requires a sacrifice of some degree.  All we know is that they gave us gifts because they love us and they care for us. Love should be the motivation for every gift. Love cost. Giving gifts is an act of selflessness. Every gift has cost the giver something.

What we do with the present and how we go about appreciating the gift shows others how appreciative we are. So, next time you receive a present don’t put it in the corner and only take it out when the giver comes over. But if we are being honest, there are some gifts that we re-gift because we for whatever reason don’t like or appreciate the gift. Just maybe we could also sacrifice and use the gift as it was intended to be used. Enjoying the gift received and the joy it brings you and the giver.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

In the same respect, what are you doing with the gift of Jesus Christ? God gave the precious gift to you that brought so many benefits. This gift brought us salvation and the gift of the Spirit. We shouldn’t just leave the gift on the shelf as if it is to only be admired but never appreciated and experienced as it should. John 3 tells us that God gave us this gift not for judgment but for a gift that would be eternal. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, forever. We can never fully exhaust the gift but we can enjoy the fullness of its benefits on a daily basis. Demonstrating the appreciation of the gift and the giver.

Photo by Tetiana Shadrina on Unsplash

 

Leap of Faith!

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart— I appointed you prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5 TLV

fear not for I AM with you

Stepping into the unknown shouldn’t bind us to the fears from the new adventures and opportunities God has for our lives. For the unknown is unknown to us, but known to Him, who knew us before we were born.

He holds the keys to our everlasting life. For it is not about figuring life out but putting our trust and faith in Him whom we put our hope in, that is…

Jesus Christ!!