There was an incident that happened long ago, that we can learn a valuable lesson from. It is recorded in the book of Nehemiah.
There was a time, when God’s people had backslidden and eventually many were attacked and killed, and the rest were taken away captive to Babylon. The Lord said it would be for 70 years. When their time was up, the Lord made the way for them to be able to return to their homeland. But it was not easy. Nehemiah, led a group there to help rebuild the city wall of Jerusalem. They got it done but with extreme opposition. They also needed to restore their temple and its aspects. The temple had been utterly destroyed and all within it had been carried away or destroyed. With their return, singers and porters were appointed as well as Levites for ministry. When it came time in the fall for Rosh Hashana and the Feast of Trumpets, it was requested of Ezra to read from the Book of the Law of Moses and the people listened attentively and in one accord. Upon hearing it, they realized their great need to get right with God.
And the Lord did not want them to mourn or weep and further said:
There is a time and place for everything. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to sow and a time to reap. The Lord was pleased with their hearts and hard work. He wanted them to shake off the heaviness and sorrow and be lifted up in strength and joy. The Tanakh, New JPS version, puts the last part of verse 8 above like this:
If anyone ever needed strength, these people did. Sometimes, it is not just a matter of choosing to rejoice in the Lord but in first choosing “not to be sad.” Sometimes, many of us need to seriously make the choice that we do not want to be sad or depressed. Living with sadness, frustration and heaviness can all too often become part of our lifestyles. In order to overcome it, we must address “sadness” for what it is in our own particular circumstances. The heaviness of sadness can drag a person so low they do not even want to get out of bed or pick their feet up when they walk. This is not the life God wants for us. When we reject sorrow and we choose to rejoice in the Lord despite the pain or circumstances, everything changes. Sorrow cannot stay. Peace comes. If we stay with it, joy will manifest. The more we praise the Lord from deep within and trust in Him for help in our circumstances, the stronger we will become. Two of my favorite songs that lift me up are “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus” and “Victory In Jesus.” We each need to have our own special songs. The main thing is to get singing! Get back to being thankful for the good and stop focusing on the bad, especially on the parts that we cannot change. Let us send heaviness and despair down the road. Let us get our eyes back on our sovereign Lord who turns all things for good for us in the long run. When we rejoice in the Lord our God, this is where our strength comes from! Eli Cockrell Joy And Rejoice In The Lord Bible Verses Encouraging Bible Verses Rejoice in the Lord and Again I Say Rejoice Overcoming Fear Including Of The Corona Virus True Happiness Where Does Our Strength Come From?
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Emotions may easily take control of our lives, if we are not careful. In the current global context, where fear, worry and uncertainty reign, it is very easy to fall prey to negative emotions. God created emotions so that as we live in these physical bodies we are able to relate the environment, to enjoy what is beautiful and beneficial for us, to express our delight when we like something, but also to avoid what it can hurt us.
The level of sin around us has reached unimaginable levels, evil is called good while good is blasphemed, and as a result, emotions had become greatly affected, leading to widespread depression and a large number of other mental illnesses. Statistics show that depression is one of the most widespread diseases of the 21st century, affecting many more people, including Christians, than in previous centuries. Whenever hopelessness and depression set in, a person loses motivation to get out of bed and be active and responsible. But God created us to enjoy life while living in these bodies as we prepare for heaven and has a wonderful plan for each of us. God created us out of love and wants us to live in a close, loving relationship with Him both here on Earth and in the perfect heaven for all eternity. In John 14: 2b-3, Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” And the following verses show how important it is who we choose to follow:
Joy, fear, anger, sadness, surprise, pleasure, disgust and shame are the main emotions, from which all other human feelings derive. God's character includes emotions, too and we find them listed in Galatians 5: 22b-23a as the fruit of the Holy Spirit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." If we choose our lives led by the Holy Spirit, in total surrender and obedience to God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest itself more and more in us and will change our character. We will become better, calmer, more loving, more patient. We will smile more and overcome difficulties more easily. I know from my own experience, as well as from those I have ministered to over the years, that these are the result of being born again. What we hear and see has a great impact on our thoughts, emotions and actions. If we do not guard the "doors" of our heart and mind, we will suffer. The distorted information in the media, the panic and worries of those around us, the rules that are imposed on us, the emotional and spiritual atmosphere in public places that we cannot avoid, can make us fear and lose our peace. It is up to us to not allow negative emotions to take control but rather to proclaim the truth of God’s Word over everything that affects us. We cannot change circumstances, but we can change how we react to what is happening to us. Let us not forget that "our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). The fear of losing something may have an effect on us, only if we love that something. If we love Jesus more than life and more than anyone or anything, we will not be afraid of what terrifies our fellow men. For the born-again Christian, physical death means only instantaneous moving to heaven, where we will be with our Lord forever. I am not saying to be unwise and not take care of our physical bodies, but we can be responsible and live from a position of victory, trusting that our Lord loves us more than we can love ourselves and that He will not allow anything to happen that may separate us from Him, and miss heaven. No suffering on this earth can be compared to spending eternity in hell, so let us choose to live a life of obedience to the Lord, fulfilling His will, and we can be sure that no one and nothing can snatch us from the hand of our Lord (John 10: 28-29). Let us spend as much time as possible praising the Lord, studying and meditating on Scripture, so that we may know who we are and what we have in Jesus as well as what God's will is. We do ourselves the greatest favor if we renounce living our lives led by our flesh and instead seeking to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling God's plan for each of us. Only by living this way can we reign in life and be forever in His presence. Carmen Pușcaș Many people are looking forward to the rapture, myself included. And we look for signs that would show the nearness of the Lord’s coming. With this recent pandemic, many wonder if this is a plague referenced in Luke 21:11 or part of the prophecies of the 4 horsemen of Revelation 6. I personally do not think it is part of that.
However, I do think we may be seeing birth pains of a one world system. I do not believe that all of a sudden in one moment there will be a global government and an Antichrist in power. It is most likely that a system will come into place and then at some point, he will rise up in it. I believe that Scripture in Daniel shows that three evil ones have to be removed before the demonic Antichrist will come into power (Daniel 7:7-8). Globally, something has been going on. Some have called this a planned-demic and others are calling it a manufactured crisis. I do not know if perhaps it was concocted by the Chinese alone or possibly in conjunction with a deep state group that wants to overturn the United States or some other human group or entities, but I do know two things. One, this has been allowed by the Lord and two, the devil is behind it. Humans are just pawns to the wicked one. The whore (Revelation 17:1-18) that is “carried” by the beast is really “the human network” that is moved around by the demonic network. Many want to call her mystery Babylon. But she is the whore of humanity. The people that have “sold their souls for corruption.” The mystery referenced in Revelation 17, is the relationship between the whore and the beast and who each are. So if this world is being set up for even more evil, what do we do? I believe that all Christians must stand for righteousness. If we do not, who will? We are not to stick our heads in the sand below or the clouds above and just say, Jesus will take us out of here so why worry. That attitude is unbiblical and unwise. We must stand up (and also pray) for the unborn, the elderly, the children and even ourselves. Have you ever read in the Old Testament where the Lord had people marked?
God is not pleased at all by apathy and complacency. Did you notice that the judgment first began with the House of God? Caring about what goes on and being responsible matters. And we are to love people and carry the Gospel to the end. If we should each live long enough, we will see a global order that will come together. Countries may be tricked into joining as the EU did with the lure of prosperity and benefit, or they may make it hard for nations that do not want to join in so that they feel they must. I can only surmise. But one way or another, it will happen. And like many hard times in history, those alive will have to live through it. Matthew 24:3-32, Mark 13:5-24 and Luke 21:7-28 tell of what is coming for believers before the Lord comes for His saints. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11 tells of what must happen first. Revelation 13:4-8 tells of the allowed term of the evil one including over Christians and is confirmed by Daniel 7:23-25. As Christians, we need to stay in God's Word. It seems far-fetched, but there may come a time when Bibles will be illegal. We need His Word implanted in our hearts. We need to get or be close to the Lord and stay close. We face uncertain times, but our Lord is certain. We need the Lord’s direction now more than ever. E Cockrell Articles on this site for consideration in relationship to this blog: THE SCARLET BEAST AND THE MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH CAN THE RAPTURE HAPPEN REALLY TODAY? MID TRIBULATION RAPTURE, WHY 3 1/2 YEARS? THE APOSTASY, THE GREAT FALLING AWAY
If this warning was for Christians then, after about 2,000 years, we should pay much more attention to the messages we hear and investigate what spirit is behind any prophecy or teaching. To understand what the apostle John wrote, we need to know to whom he was addressing and what was going on in those days. Even if the epistle does not begin with the specific identification of the church or group it was initially written for, the content shows that John, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote to believers of his time, in the first century AD. In 1 John 2:26, we also find the reason of this letter: “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” Even then, there were wrong teachings, taught by some false teachers and prophets infiltrated into churches (1 John 2:18-19). That is why the apostle warned them about the spirit of the Antichrist, of which Jesus had warned his disciples. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22). What spirits should we test? Every Christian should search for the source of all information, not just those concerning faith, but from any area of life. The closer we walk with God and ask Him to enlighten our minds, the more He will give us of His perfect wisdom (James 1: 5-6). It is for our benefit to examine what kind of spirit leads the one who prophesies, preaches or teaches, because it can be: the Holy Spirit, the spirit of man or a demonic spirit. To interpret any biblical verse correctly, we need to analyze it in context, because the preceding and subsequent verses show us the framework for which that verse is valid. In order not to draw wrong conclusions and form false doctrines, the conclusion of that verse must be confirmed by one or more sections of verses, to make sure that the opinion is correct, as the Bible says that it takes two or three witnesses to establish the truth about a certain matter (“by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” - Deuteronomy 19:15, Deuteronomy 17:6, and John 8:17). The spirit of the Antichrist has a precise purpose, which is to make Christians doubt the truth and promises of God’s Word and to prepare the ground for Antichrist, who will claim to be Christ, the Messiah, whom the Mosaic Jews who rejected the true Son of God, continue to await. The Spirit of the Antichrist denies that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah and that He already came in the flesh to save us. In order for Jesus to pay for our sins, He had to be born with a human nature, but to be without sin. The devil did all in his power (Matthew 4:3-11, Luke 4:1-13) to tempt Jesus and cause Him to not fulfill God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Because Jesus never sinned, He could take all the sins of mankind upon Himself and die in our place. But death could not keep Him. Because Jesus never sinned, the devil had nothing on or in Him, as the Lord said in John 14:30, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” and the Holy Spirit raised Him from the death on the third day. We are urged in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” we are urged to test the source of what is told to us and to receive only what comes from the Holy Spirit, through the true prophets, and to reject what is false. How can we know what kind of spirit is behind the prophecy, or any message that claims to be the Word of the Lord? The general valid criterion is the identity of Jesus Christ. The most common lie was that Jesus was not the Christ, the Son of God, and that the true Messiah had not yet come and this lie is still believed today, by many. The prophet or anyone who claims to be the messenger of the Lord and does not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, must not be believed, because the source of his words is not the Holy Spirit. Jesus remains in him who is His and the Holy Spirit is the witness of our adoption into the heavenly Father's family, as the following verse says:
In the times we live in, it is increasingly difficult to identify whether the news or statements of the media or others, are true or false. As more people live in sin, they are increasing the power of the devil, and as a result, lies take the place of truth as they are more easily believed.
Whenever we choose to thank the Lord for everything, no matter the circumstances, we allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to manifest through us, and it is easier to receive what the Lord tells us and to identify what is coming from another source. The Lord wants us to be thankful instead of complaining, because thanksgiving is the most beneficial attitude of the heart and mind, by which the Holy Spirit is most active in us. Let us verify everything we hear, read or see and keep what is in accordance with the Word of God, the absolute standard for truth. Carmen Pușcaș We could have all the money in the world and all the supplies, and still not have peace. Or we could have low money and supplies, and still not have peace.
But we can have plenty or less... and still have huge peace.
Keeping our mind “stayed on You” means just that, keeping our minds stayed on the Lord and it says why. The reason is because “we trust in Him.” We can trust the Lord for taking care of us. We do our part by being diligent with what we are blessed with and living our life unto Him. And the Lord, blesses the work of our hands and takes care of us. I have found that if I look at a mountain, it is so big, that it consumes my sight. And if I allow my troubles to overtake my view, no matter how big my trouble really is, they become mountains when I let them consume me. We have to face our troubles squarely, especially if we are responsible for others. But we can do it from a place of security, knowing we are not alone and that we can have all the direction and wisdom from the Lord that we need. The choice is up to us. The Lord’s eye is always upon us and our situations but we have to choose to keep our mind stayed on Him and trust Him. We can do whatever we have to do in this world with the supernatural peace and with the supernatural strength that come from Jesus Christ. Even in the face of knowing that He was about to be tormented physically by the devil’s human servants, Jesus kept His peace. And even when He was hanging on the cross, He helped the thief next to Him, His mother’s situation that was about to happen in needing a son, in a world where a woman, needed a male to stand with her. He helped all of us by giving His all and taking the time to pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” This was not only for those that did Him wrong that day, but for everyone, for all of us. Jesus kept His peace. Even when His body was severely beaten and crushed to death. Even being separated from His Father, He hurt desperately but He did not despair. He went on to conquer sin and the grave completely. If His grief had overcome Him, He would not have been able to do so. He went on to take the keys to hell and death from the devil. Jesus has shown us the way. And the Lord has sent us His Spirit to be with each of us. God is closer than our breath for those that are born-again! The Lord loves being our God and us being His children. It is why He created us. We do not have to be God. He is. Only He has all wisdom, all knowledge, all provision, not only for the physical (including mental) but for the spiritual. He is El Shaddai. The name of God “El Shaddai” was taught to me when I was young, as “The Lord, Our God Almighty Who Is Our Everything.” I said, how can He be our everything? They said, like a baby in a womb, is completely dependent of the mother taking care of through the umbilical cord. The cord is a lifeline for everything. All is provided. And we find all we need in trusting God.
Look at the context that this verse was given.
This same Jesus, who was born Emmanuel, left and went to be with the Father, but He did not leave us empty-handed. He has sent us His Presence that we can all have Him with us at the same time. Jesus in the physical could not do that, but in leaving, He made this possible. You can even close your eyes and feel His closeness. We are never ever alone. The disciples became apostles. All were martyred but one, whose life was attempted to be taken, but failed. They and the entire early church went through terrible times of tribulation and even persecution. But they chose to stand fast in their faith. Paul and Silas stood fast in hard times.
They were wrongfully beaten and cast into jail, even to being put in stocks in jail. And they chose to sing praises to the Lord. And we know what happened next.
When they chose to praise the Lord, even in terrible circumstances, God not only helped them but God used them to help the jailer and his family come to Christ and countless other prisoners were affected for the better. When the three Hebrews were cast in the fiery furnace, as told of in the book of Daniel, the one who had them cast in, saw four in the fire and the one was like unto the Son of God. And when the fire could not hurt them, they were released and not even the smell of smoke was on them and the only thing that had changed was that the ropes that they were bound with, were gone. By keeping our minds stayed on the Lord and trusting Him, by choosing to praise Him no matter how crazy or despairing this world gets, we can have peace. We can have supernatural peace and supernatural strength. We can operate from a place of joy and peace and have all the strength we need as true followers of Jesus Christ. The other option, is to let the troubles consume us. We could even share our pit with others or join them in theirs. But why would we do that when we can have the fruit of the Spirit and share our fruit with others. Those that have peace, strength and joy fare much better and are certainly better to be around than those that are in depression, despair and are deflated. The choice is up to us. Thank You Lord that You are our God and we are Your children. Thank You for meeting our needs, physical and spiritual. Thank You Lord for Your mercy, grace, peace, strength and joy. Eli Cockrell Many would say that with the China virus, COVID-19, Corona virus or whatever name it is being called, and its effects, that the Lord could come for us any minute.
But there are many other events that must happen first. No temple has been built yet in Jerusalem. No Antichrist has risen to power. We do not even have a global government for him to rise up from. The Two Witnesses have not started a global ministry yet. The transgressors (spoken of in Daniel) while many, have not reached their fullness. And more. I do believe we are in the early times of the apostasy. Many want to believe the apostasy is a time when many in the church backslide. This is not what the apostasy is. The terms mean a deflection from or forsaking of the truth. The apostasy that is coming on this world is of mankind and is global. It is much like we read about in Romans chapter 1. Mankind in general has chosen to exchange the truth of God for the lie. The lie has been the same lie since the Garden.
While we still have a long way to go, we see the world becoming a darker place. At the same time, we see the true body of Christ becoming more consecrated. What is destined to be, will be. Let us consider the Word of our Lord, recorded by the Apostle Mark.
*** I believe Mark 13:14b-18 is 2-fold prophecy. It happened 70 AD and it will happen again before the Lord comes. Verses 19 and 20 describe the severity of the tribulation that is yet to come. The Lord has warned us what will happen before He comes for His church at the end of the current age. These verses are not pre-Armageddon and Second Coming or even pre-Great White Throne of Judgment. Most of Mark 13 is pre-rapture and rapture verses. Is the COVID-19 virus a sign of the end times? I believe it has been allowed by God to be a wake-up call. Even harder times will come. We need to stay close to the Lord and if we are not in the right place with Him now, we need to get there. The Lord does not want anyone ever to perish eternally and He is calling out to all who can hear Him, “... behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b ). Eli Cockrell Articles that relate to this blog: Can The Rapture Really Happen Today? The Apostasy-The Great Falling Away How do we keep our peace and joy when the world seems like it is going haywire all around us? For sure if we listen to the media and additionally, those around us who are in “panic mode,” we can lose our calm very easily.
I have two key verses for today. The first is found in Isaiah.
It could also be put in second person like this, Because one trusts in the Lord and keeps their mind (focus) stayed on Him, the Lord will keep him in perfect peace. If we allow our minds and hearts to focus on our problems and all the possibilities that fear can bring, we will not have peace. But if we will refuse frustration, worry and despair by trusting that the same Lord who took care of us when we had smoother sailing, knowing that He will still take care of us on the stormy seas, then we can have amazing peace. If we need it, the Lord can multiply anything we have, including, bread, milk, fuel and even money. If we have nothing to multiply, He can send us whatever we need by way of someone or something else, even ravens if necessary like He did for Elijah (1 Kings 17:4-6) or the lady and her son the Lord sent Elijah to help at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16) whose oil and flour never ran out, as long as the drought they were in lasted. The world and the devil, would love for us to operate from a place of fear and panic. God wants what is best for us and to trust Him. To despair is to doubt God. To despair is an insult to our Father and His provision and puts us in a place of sin. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is trust. With faith (trust) in God, nothing is impossible. The second key verse for today is found in Nehemiah.
There is strength in the right mindset. There is spiritual strength too. When we choose to trust God, be thankful and praise the Lord, no matter how stormy life’s seas are, we can navigate our way through with peace, strength and the direction of the Lord! A gloomy heart or fearful heart is not the place to be directed from. But a joyful heart which knows that the Lord knows better than us and trusts Him as our provider, is the greatest place for anyone to be directed from. We are not mere flesh and blood. Our flesh and blood will pass, but our spirit beings are forever. And that spirit being, our inner man, should be feeding itself on the Word of God and trusting the Holy Spirit who has been given to us, to be our Comforter and Strength. He is God with us. When we choose to rejoice and trust God, we are in the best place possible! Why fear as though we have no hope and no God? We are not orphans. If we are born-again, we are the children of God Almighty! So, let us live our faith. We must never forget this closing verse:
This is true when life has smooth or stormy seas, or anywhere in between. If we trust the Lord and seek His kingdom first and seek to do whatever He says is right, He will take care of us. Eli Cockrell Suggested additional articles: Where Does Our Strength As Christians Come From? Trust In God And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." Acts 12:11 When the devil uses people, demons or situations in his attempt to destroy us, God intervenes to save us. Sometimes, the gravity of the situation requires supernatural intervention by the angels of the Lord. In Hebrews 1:14, we read that angels are "all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation." Sad to say, there are believers who believe they have the power to tell the angels to do something for them. They are on dangerous ground, because such a practice, which has no biblical basis, opens the door for demons to lure them into their territory and harm them. The Bible teaches us that only the Lord commands His angels and they fulfill all His commandments, for our own good and for the kingdom of God.
Herod, the king of Israel, had arrested Peter for his faith in Jesus Christ, with the desire to bring him before the people after Passover. But God sent an angel to Peter to deliver him from prison, where he was bound in chains and guarded by 16 soldiers (Acts 12:4). It was the prayers of the church that triggered the intervention of the Lord. The Holy Spirit had led those in the church to intercede in prayer for their brother. Can you imagine how great their joy was and how much their faith was strengthened when they heard Peter's testimony about how the Lord had answered their prayers? If for us it is such great encouragement to read what God has done through His angel, how much more could it have been for them, who were the protagonists of this scene? There are many instances in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament about the angels sent by God to help His children, and to this day, there are many testimonies about the miracles done by the angels of the Lord. Let us not forget that God never leaves us alone when things go wrong. He always has solutions for every problem we go through and when needed, He sends His angels to fight for us. We are not to pray to angels. We are to pray to the Lord and He decides how to help us and when the situation requires it, He will command the angels to do what we cannot do, until He takes us to be with Him, where Jesus went to prepare a place for us! Carmen Pușcaș
I do not know how important this truth is to other people, but I know that it is very important for me to know that my heavenly Father knows all about me, cares about my hurts and struggles and has the best solution for my problems. God really does know everything. He knows what every person will do all throughout their life. As the Lord has never been bound by time and space, He unfolded the existence of the entire Universe before His eyes, before He created it. The Holy Spirit has given portions of revelation to His prophets and to those through whom the Bible was written to strengthen and prepare us for what is to come and also to confirm the authenticity of Scripture. If we would truly realize that worrying cannot help us, we would try harder to give Jesus all our problems. Whenever we truly let Jesus be Lord and not try to take His place, we can rest in the palm of His hand and no one can snatch us out of there. God always wants to help us make the best decisions, not just for now, but for eternity. If we let Him to truly be Lord, trusting that once we have given Him our problem, He will help us solve it, we will be able to reign in life with His peace and joy, day by day. The more we spend time in the presence of the Lord, the more clearly we will hear what the Holy Spirit tells us and as we apply what we hear, He will guide us more and more. Have you ever wondered how easy it would be to really be led by the Lord who knows everything and never fails? The closer we get to Jesus through praise, worship, prayer and understanding the Scripture, the more we become like Him, love Him more and we sin less. Jesus calls us His sheep. He knows us, takes care of us, holds us in His hand and gives us eternal life. Hallelujah!
Carmen Pușcaș The night Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord, said to the nearby shepherds,
The angel spoke these great words of encouragement to the shepherds that day and since then, these words have blessed more people than we could count. The angel was announcing the Messiah, Christ Jesus. And even more, the angel said “a Savior” was born, and not just for the Jews, but for “all people.” John, the apostle, recorded in 1 John 3:8b, that the Son of God came to “destroy the works of the devil.” Not only did Jesus come to be our Savior, paying the price for our sins, but He came to deliver us from the fallen nature that came with sin. The first Adam was created pure and to be sinless, but when he disobeyed God and sinned, we, his descendants, have no longer been naturally born in the image of God, but instead, have been born with a fallen sinful nature. But the second Adam, Jesus Christ, came to us sinless and stayed sinless. And through the Lord and His sacrifice, we can be born-again. Jesus has made the way, for us to get back to the image of God, that man was first born in. We are still, born first, from our parents with a sinful nature, but when we become Christians, we become born-again in our spirits, which no longer have a sinful nature. This was a huge part of the mission of Jesus Christ when He came! Hallelujah! In the flesh, we have the carnal, fallen image of the devil. In the spirit, we (born-again Christians), have the image of God. As long as we are in these bodies, we will have the war. The born-again us, has to constantly rule over the carnal nature. This is why we each, have to pick up our cross and carry it daily. It is our flesh, our carnal nature, that we must keep crucified. In the following verse, we can see that each one of us, is either a child of the devil, or a child of God. Everyone, is one of the two.
We were born "children of the devil" through our earthly parents, but through Christ, we become the children of God!
This is what Jesus made possible! Not only did He acquire forgiveness for us, but He made it possible for all who will repent, believe upon and follow Him, to be able to be one with God. And when He ascended to heaven, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to indwell, comfort, strengthen and guide us! When we belong to the Lord, we are in Him and He is in us. All this is possible because Jesus came and made the way! When Jesus came, He brought life for us, and destroyed the works of the devil, for all who will receive Him! Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God.
1 John 3:1a |
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KNOWING AND COUNTERING THE UNSEEN ENEMY 4/27/2024 JESUS, THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD SAVE US 03/23/2024 WHO ARE WE LIKE IN TIMES OF TESTING? 02/27/2024 THE TRUE SOURCE OF PEACE 1/22/2024 REFLECTION AND ANTICIPATION 01/01/2024 THE PEACE THAT HAS COME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST 12/15/2023 THE ESSENCE OF BEING CHRISTLIKE 11/22/2023 HEIRS OF GOD 10/24/2023 RETURNING TO OUR FIRST LOVE 9/28/2023 HOW MUCH OF THE BIBLE IS ENOUGH? 8/28/2023 THE HEART OF GOD 7/24/23 THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS 6/22/2023 THE LAMP OF THE BODY IS THE EYE 5/19/2023 IT IS TIME TO REIGN IN LIFE 4/25/2023 CAN WE REST PEACEFULLY? 3/25/2023 GOD'S BEST FOR US 2/28/2023 BLESSINGS AND PROSPERITY 1/21/2023 THE BEST CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 12/30/2022 DO YOU HEAR THE BELLS? 12/15/2022 IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF THE BIBLE 11/28/2022 THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS 11/22/2022 THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART 10/22/2022 THE ABUNDANT LIFE 9/18/2022 I WOULD HAVE PULLED JOSEPH OUT 08/12/2022 THE LORD IS MY REFUGE 06/27/22 PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES 5/16/2022 WINNER OR LOSER? 2/18/22 IN CHANGING TIMES 2/22/22 SELAH 1/1/22 THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR, CHRIST THE LORD 12/14/21 VICTORY IN HARD TIMES 11/10/2021 HOW MUCH DO WE UNDERSTAND OTHERS? 10/8/2021 "LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND ALL THY SOUL, AND ALL THY MIND" 9/10/21 CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES 8/19/21 CAN WE HAVE GOD'S BEST? 7/23/2021 HOW DO WE HANDLE SUFFERING? 6/17/2021 WHEN THE ANSWER TO PRAYER DOES NOT COME AS REQUESTED 05/06/21 IT IS EASY NOT TO SIN WHEN THINGS ARE GOING OUR WAY! 4/8/21 THE BLAME GAME 3/19/21 GOD HELPS US TO SUCCEED 2/15/2021 THE PEACE OF GOD WITH US 1/26/2021 REJOICING IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES 01/05/2021 COME UNTO ME 12/8/2020 THANKFULNESS 11/22/2020 WHAT IS LIFE? 10/30/2020 DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU 9/18/2020 WE FIND "THE REST" WE NEED IN THE LORD! 8/13/2020 WITH GOD, WE CAN FILTER WHAT WE RECEIVE? 7/24/2020 THE ANCHOR HOLDS 7/9/2020 TODAY "I CHOOSE" JOY 6/23/2020 OUR EMOTIONS IN TROUBLED TIMES 5/26/2020 BIRTH PAINS OF A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT 5/12/2020 TEST ALL THINGS 4/22/2020 PERFECT PEACE 3/31/2020 IS THE COVID-19 VIRUS A SIGN OF THE END TIMES 3/22/2020 KEEPING OUR PEACE AND JOY 3/15/2020 GOD SENDS HIS ANGELS TO HELP US! 2/28/2020 GOD KNOWS! 1/14/2020 WHEN JESUS CAME! 12/23/2019 CHAINS OF SMOKE 11/11/19 FALL IS IN THE AIR 9/29/19 WHY IS IT SO CHALLENGING TO REMAIN CONSTANTLY VICTORIOUS IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK? 7/18/2019 LITTLE THINGS 7/1/2019 IT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR SOMETHING TO CHANGE 5/16/2019 FULLNESS OF JOY 3/6/2019 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN UNEQUALLY YOKED? 2/1/2019 LIFE AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY 1/14/2018 FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT 12/4/2018 THE PRODIGAL SON 10/11/2018 WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE 9/19/2018 JESUS DID NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION 7/16/2018 GOD'S LOVE IS IMMEASURABLE! 6/6/2018 THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER OVER CHRISTIANS 5/18/2018 THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED 3/26/2018 ENDURANCE! 02/15/18 HEALING IS GOD'S WILL 1/27/2018 THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 12/19/2017 OUR REJOICING IN THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH 12/6/2017 THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 9/18/2017 IS BAPTISM BY WATER A COMMAND OR NOT? 8/26/2017 HEALTHY FEAR - UNHEALTHY FEAR 6/25/2017 WHAT DO WE TRUST IN? 6/13/2017 BE WATCHFUL, AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN 4/19/2017 GOD IS ON OUR SIDE! 4/11/2017 AWESOME GRACE 2/26/2017 WHO PAID MORE? 2/6/2017 "IT IS HARD FOR YOU TO KICK AGAINST THE GOADS" 1/29/2017 JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN! 1/10/2017 NO ONE IS ABLE STEAL US FROM GOD'S HAND 12/15/2016 LIVING TO PLEASE GOD! 12/7/2016 WHY DO WE HIDE GOD'S WORD IN OUR HEARTS? 11/9/2016 TRULY BELIEVING - ELIMINATING DOUBT 10/14/2016 HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES ARE VALID FOR THE GENTILES TOO? 10/14/2016 CHOOSING FAITH INSTEAD OF DOUBT 10/12/2016 THE WAR BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN WITH MAN IN THE MIDDLE 10/7/2016 LORD GOD IS MY REFUGE! 10/6/2016 GOD'S PROVISION FOR THE AGED 9/17/2016 DOES IT MATTER HOW WE LIVE? 9/7/2016 THE THORN IN PAUL'S SIDE 8/26/2016 WALKING ON THE WATER 8/25/2016 WHATEVER IS TRUE... 8/6/2016 LIFE WITH JESUS IS WONDERFUL! 7/29/2016 WHY PRAY? 7/14/2016 PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION WITH GOD 7/13/2016 FLESH OR SPIRIT? 6/7/2016 THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD 5/23/2016 GOD'S WILL FOR MANKIND 3/30/2016 THE TRUE MEANING OF FOLLOWING CHRIST 2/13/2016 WE NEED THE PRESENCE OF GOD 1/29/2016 THE PRICE OF SEPARATING FROM GOD 1/21/2016 THE IMPORTANCE OF TRULY "KNOWING" GOD 12/5/2015 HAPPY OR SAD 11/23/2015 JESUS IS THE TRUTH 9/3/2015 FREE IN JESUS 8/22/2015 GROWING IN THE LORD 8/11/2015 ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU 8/11/2015 CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY 8/7/2015 BLOG BY TOPIC BIBLE - THE WORD OF GOD ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU 8/11/2015 GOD'S PROVISION FOR THE AGED 9/17/2016 HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES ARE VALID FOR THE GENTILES TOO? 10/14/2016 HOW MUCH OF THE BIBLE IS ENOUGH? 8/28/2023 IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF THE BIBLE 11/28/2022 THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD 5/23/2016 THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED 3/26/2018 WHY DO WE HIDE GOD'S WORD IN OUR HEARTS? 11/9/2016 CHRISTIAN LIVING BE WATCHFUL, AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN 4/19/2017 BLESSINGS AND PROSPERITY 1/21/2023 CAN WE CHOOSE WHAT WE RECEIVE? 7/24/2020 CAN WE HAVE GOD'S BEST? 7/23/2021 CHAINS OF SMOKE 11/11/19 DOES IT MATTER HOW WE LIVE? 9/7/2016 DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU 9/18/2020 ENDURANCE! 2/15/2018 THE ESSENCE OF BEING CHRISTLIKE 11/22/2023 FLESH OR SPIRIT? 6/7/2016 FREE IN JESUS 8/22/2015 FULLNESS OF JOY 3/6/2019 GOD'S WILL FOR MANKIND 3/30/2016 GROWING IN THE LORD 8/11/2015 HAPPY OR SAD 11/23/2015 HEALING IS GOD'S WILL 1/27/2018 HEALTHY FEAR - UNHEALTHY FEAR 6/25/2017 IS BAPTISM BY WATER A COMMAND OR NOT:? 26/82017 "IT IS HARD FOR YOU TO KICK AGAINST THE GOADS" 1/29/2017 IT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR SOMETHING TO CHANGE 5/16/2019 IT IS TIME TO REIGN IN LIFE 4/25/2023 THE LAMP OF THE BODY IS THE EYE 5/19/2023 LIFE WITH JESUS IS WONDERFUL! 7/29/2016 LIVING TO PLEASE GOD! 12/7/2019 LITTLE THINGS 7/1/2019 LORD GOD IS MY REFUGE! 10/6/2016 "LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND ALL THY SOUL, AND ALL THY MIND" 9/10/21 NO ONE IS ABLE STEAL US FROM GOD'S HAND 12/15/2016 REJOICING IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES 01/05/21 RETURNING TO OUR FIRST LOVE 9/28/2023 TEST ALL THINGS 22/04/2020 THANKFULNESS 11/22/2020 THE ABUNDANT LIFE 9/18/2022 THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 12/19/2017 THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER OVER CHRISTIANS 5/18/2018 THE PRICE OF SEPARATING FROM GOD 1/21/2016 THE PRODIGAL SON 10/11/2018 THE THORN IN PAUL'S SIDE 8/26/2016 THE TRUE MEANING OF FOLLOWING CHRIST 2/13/2016 THE WAR BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN WITH MAN IN THE MIDDLE 10/7/2016 THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED 3/26/2018 WHATEVER IS TRUE... 8/6/2016 CHRISTMAS DO YOU HEAR THE BELLS? 12/15/2022 THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR, CHRIST THE LORD 12/14/21 THE PEACE THAT HAS COME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST 12/15/2023 FAITH & TRUST SELAH 1/1/22 CHOOSING FAITH INSTEAD OF DOUBT 10/12/2016 THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER OVER CHRISTIANS 5/18/2018 THE LORD IS MY REFUGE 06/27/22 TRULY BELIEVING - ELIMINATING DOUBT 10/14/2016 WALKING ON THE WATER 8/25/2016 WHAT DO WE TRUST IN? 6/13/2017 FORGIVENESS JESUS, THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD SAVE US 03/23/2024 THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS 6/22/2023 GOD: THE FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY 8/7/2015 COME UNTO ME 12/8/2020 GOD IS ON OUR SIDE! 4/11/2017 GOD'S LOVE IS IMMEASURABLE! 6/6/2018 GOD'S WILL FOR MANKIND 3/30/2016 HEALING IS GOD'S WILL 1/27/2018 JESUS DID NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION 7/16/2018 JESUS IS THE TRUTH 9/3/2015 THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 12/19/2017 THE HEART OF GOD 7/24/23 THE IMPORTANCE OF TRULY "KNOWING" GOD 12/5/2015 THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 9/18/2017 WE NEED THE PRESENCE OF GOD 1/29/2016 GRACE AWESOME GRACE 2/26/2017 JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN! 1/10/2017 WHO PAID MORE? 2/6/2017 WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE 9/19/2018 HEALING GOD'S BEST FOR US 2/28/2023 HEALING IS GOD'S WILL! 01/27/2018 LOVE OF GOD FULLNESS OF JOY 3/6/2019 GOD'S LOVE IS IMMEASURABLE! 6/6/2018 MISCELLANEOUS FALL IS IN THE AIR 9/29/19 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN UNEQUALLY YOKED? 2/1/2019 HEIRS OF GOD 10/24/2023 HOW MUCH DO WE UNDERSTAND OTHERS? 10/8/2021 IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF THE BIBLE 11/28/2022 IS COVID-19 A SIGN OF THE END TIMES 3/22/2020 THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS 11/22/2022 THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART 10/22/2022 THE ANCHOR HOLDS 7/9/2020 THE BLAME GAME 3/19/21 WHAT IS LIFE? 10/30/2020 WHEN JESUS CAME! 12/23/2019 PEACE CAN WE REST PEACEFULLY? 3/25/2023 KEEPING OUR PEACE AND JOY 3/15/2020 PERFECT PEACE 3/31/2020 PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES 5/16/2022 THE PEACE OF GOD WITH US 1/26/21 THE TRUE SOURCE OF PEACE 1/22/2024 PRAISE AND WORSHIP PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES 5/16/2022 REJOICING IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES 01/05/21 PRAYER PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION WITH GOD 7/13/2016 WHEN THE ANSWER TO PRAYER DOES NOT COME AS REQUESTED 05/06/21 WHY PRAY? 7/14/2016 SALVATION THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS 6/22/2023 SELF-EXAMINATION WHO ARE WE LIKE IN TIMES OF TESTING? 02/27/2024 STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE BE WATCHFUL AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN 04/19/2017 CHAINS OF SMOKE 11/11/19 CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES 8/19/21 DO YOU HEAR THE BELLS? 12/15/2022 ENDURANCE! 02/15/2018 GOD HELPS US TO SUCCEED 2/15/2021 I WOULD HAVE PULLED JOSEPH OUT 08/12/2022 IN CHANGING TIMES 2/22/22 JESUS DID NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION 7/16/2018 KNOWING AND COUNTERING THE UNSEEN ENEMY 4/27/2024 THE BEST CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 12/30/2022 THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER OVER CHRISTIANS 5/18/2018 TODAY "I CHOOSE" JOY 6/23/2020 WE FIND "THE REST" WE NEED IN THE LORD! 8/13/2020 VICTORY IN HARD TIMES 11/10/2021 WINNER OR LOSER? 2/18/22 TESTIMONY, DREAMS, ETC. JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN! 1/10/2017 Archives
April 2024
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