Monthly Archives: December 2020

2020, Christmas, Ephesians, Questions, You Tubes

People of Ephesus

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Ephesians 3. Verse 13

13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.  source 

He actually asked them to NOT lose heart? Like that was an option for them?

And it was. And it is. And why was it? And why is it? 
Do you see that word, THEREFORE? Long ago I was counseled when I read the word THEREFORE in Scripture that I should immediately ask why is that word THEREFORE, there for? 
So, I do.
To get the reason for the therefore in verse 13 we need to back up to verse 8 and read again through verse 13. Here’s a link for you to do that. Ephesians 3:8-13

A sentence that spans 5 verses. He has written longer sentences.

And then he prays for them. And what a prayer! 

Ephesians 3:14-19  (AMP) 14 For this reason [grasping the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ] I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ], 
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father]. 
16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], 
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 
18 be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 
19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].  source 

So Christ may DWELL in your hearts.
Don’t miss that.
Don’t just breeze over it.
DWELL. It means what it says. 

HOLY SPIRIT, please help us believe this DWELL.
Believe it so much that we MAKE ROOM for HIM to dwell and live and DO in us. 

And I see in this that if we receive, accept, and believe that GOD LOVES US, I mean REALLY loves us, then tribulation does not cower us in fear or steal our faith or our joy.
If we are going to BELIEVE GOD, the first and most crucial fact we must believe is THAT HE LOVES US ALWAYS AND FOREVER. 

I’m just gonna put my name on that and accept that HOLY SPIRIT is going to answer this prayer on my behalf just as much for me as He did the Ephesians. 
You too?

2020, Acts, Gospel of John

Two in White

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The Acts of the Apostles it reads. 
Penned by Luke we believe; not considered an Apostle. A physician. A friend to Paul.  

Please Read.
(If you are like me, you will find Holy Comfort in this passage.)

Acts 1: 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 
11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” source

Two things.
One.       Note He did not say the kingdom would not be restored, He said it was not for them to know when. 
Two.       He did not say you will witness about Me.  He said you shall BE witnesses. A Witness is who we ARE while we wait. 

Okay. Three things.     I wonder if those two men who stood by in white apparel were the same two we met at the tomb? John 20:12

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.

Amen. Come LORD JESUS. 

2020, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Prayer Requests

The Cure

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It is hard to be hated. 
GOD knows this. So, He gave us a remedy. It’s not a sweet pill to swallow. But when we do, we are healed. 

Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  source

I am thinking of President Trump as I key into this screen.
I think it is likely he is the most hated man in America.
The most reviled upon and likely the most maligned.
It is not for me to know how he handles this in the secret of his heart. But I see on the outside he keeps going. He doesn’t give up. I appreciate that. He needs our prayers. My soul is tendered for him. 
But the real clincher is this: does my soul bleed for those who hate him? That is what GOD expects of me. 

Refusing to allow our own souls to decay from the hate of others is hard. Without prayer and surrender to Scripture, we too will fester and ruin.
Hatred is like leprosy. It consumes the host and spreads to others on contact. BUT!
Mercy is a powerful antidote.
Mercy looks beyond the hate offered to the hurt of why. Perhaps you have heard, hurt people, hurt people. I believe it’s true. Our world is filled with hurt people who are hurting other people. 
There is a CURE. 
His name is JESUS. 
Admittedly, the Rx HE writes cannot be taken alone. 
The natural man’s stomach just can’t handle it. BUT!
The HOLY SPIRIT within enables us, so the medicine goes down sweetly. And the more we take of it, the better we get! 

So, if you have been hurt or you are hurting, I hope you will seek JESUS, I hope you will ask HIM for His personal Rx just for you, please take it as HE prescribes and you will be healed. 

Be encouraged!