November 16, 2024

He Sets Us Free

July 4, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Today is July 4th and it’s all about the freedom of our country.  We are so blessed to live here in this place where so many have fought and died for us to be able to go to church, read our Bibles and meet together and worship in homes. So many places today still have rules about Christianity and have to meet in secret or they will be killed.  In the Middle East, Christians are being persecuted every day for their faith.

Not only are we free as a country, we are free in Jesus. We should celebrate this everyday, praising Him and worshipping Him for all He has done for us. God sent His Son to die in our place so that we could live free today with our sins washed away. Sometimes thoughts come in of our past—things we have done or said that we so wish we had not.  The enemy starts in on us, and we start with the name calling. Today this was me…so I went to His Word to remind myself of who I am in Him. These were some of the verses that He led me to and I wanted to share with you.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1 Corinthians 6:12
“Everything is permissible for me”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”–but I will not be mastered by anything.

Galatians 5:13-14
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Psalm 119:45
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Psalm 118:5
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.

Acts 13:38-39
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

1 Peter 2:16
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Colossians 1:21-23
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel.  This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Romans 8:20-21
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:1-4
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Galatians 2:4
[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…

I challenge you to check out the word freedom in the glossary of your Bible and look up some of the verses and claim them.  Memorize them so that when those thoughts come in, you have His Words in your heart to combat them and then take them captive.  Let His grace wash all over you for you are a child of the King!

And if you don’t feel free today because you really aren’t in a relationship with Jesus, it’s your day to have a life that is free.  Jesus loves you and He died for you.  You don’t have to do anything except ask Him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior.

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Let’s pray this together:  Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness.  Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for my sins so that I can live eternally with You.  I am ready to be free.  Please come and be Lord of my life.  I give my life to you today.  In Your name I pray, amen.

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Broken Hallelujah

July 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I can barely stand right now.
Everything is crashing down,
And I wonder where You are.

I try to find the words to pray.
I don’t always know what to say,
But You’re the one that can hear my heart.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.

I’ve seen joy and I’ve seen pain
On my knees, I call Your name
Here’s my broken hallelujah
With nothing left to hold onto
I raise these empty hands to You
Here’s my broken hallelujah

You know the things that have brought me here.
You know the story of every tear.
‘Cause You’ve been here from the very start.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.

When all is taken away, don’t let my heart be changed.
Let me always sing Hallelujah
When I feel afraid, don’t let my hope be erased
Let me always sing Hallelujah.
Let me always sing Hallelujah.

I will always sing
I will always sing
Here’s my broken hallelujah.

 Writer(s): Josh Havens/Matt Fuqua/Jordan Mohilowski/Dan Ostebo
Performed by The Afters

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The band, “The Afters,” wrote this song about Job and all the things he went through. Each band member put himself in Job’s place and challenged himself to this: if each one of us lost it all, and we had the trials that Job went through, (death, loss, illness etc.,) would we still praise God for Who He is and for what He has given us? Would we believe that He is good always, even when we don’t like what He gives? And the answer came in a song…this song.  (If you would like to hear more from The Afters about the story behind this song, click here.)

Can you relate? I know for me there are days that just putting one foot in front of the other is all I can do. Everything is so uncertain and the things I have prayed for seem light years away, yet I still praise Him and believe that He is good always and He loves me so much. I see all the little miracles throughout my days and although no one else may understand, I do and I am amazed that He is in the small details of my life. Sometimes the ‘Hallelujah!’ is broken, because I am. But as the song says, my heart is not changed. I am still so in love with my God.

There are times that I don’t know what to pray. Those are the times that I just hold out my empty arms and receive all He has to give  me. When we don’t know what we need, He does. And sometimes He allows pain into our lives and maybe we don’t know why but if we were to see the big picture, we would never change a thing. Because He is our Creator and He loves us more than anyone ever could, we trust Him in these times and rest in Him.

Where are you today? Are you wondering where He is right now? If you are going through a storm, He is right there with you. If you are on a mountain top, He walked with you all the way there. He never leaves you, regardless of how you feel. So praise Him with everything you have! Hold out those empty hands and let Him fill you with all He has for you. Because He is always worthy to be praised, even if your praise feels a little broken…

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mothers womb and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away;
may the name of The Lord be praised.”
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Job 1:20-22 NIV

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Let us pray: Dearest Heavenly Father, You are worthy to be praised and worshipped. Thank You for the grace that we don’t deserve. You will take our ‘hallelujahs’ however they come. Even when we feel empty, and are in need, You know the answers before we ask. Lord, we ask that You give us the will and the courage to praise You, even when we aren’t where we want to be and we  have lost all we thought was important. When we have You, we have all we need. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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Jonah and the Big Fish

June 27, 2014 by

jonah2.2prayer

Jonah and the Big Fish

I’m sure if you have been to Sunday School ever in your life, you have heard the story of Jonah and the big fish.  Here is a little recap: God orders Jonah to go to Ninevah to warn them that God is going to smite them for their sins.

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai.
“Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach against it,
because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
Jonah 1:1-2

Like many people these days, Jonah isn’t thrilled to go to Iraq and his new assignment.  So he goes missing, nowhere to be found.  Next thing we know, he is jumping ship at Joppa and is headed for Tarshish and God is really not happy with him.  So He sends a storm of huge proportion and the sailors start to pray for a rescue,  “each cried out to their own god…”.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose
that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid
and each cried out to their own god…
Jonah 1:3-5

As the storm gets rough, Jonah goes below the deck and takes a nap.  Why is he sleeping at this stressful hour?  He is avoiding difficulty.

It doesn’t work.  The captain decides to wake him up and the rest of the sailors are trying to figure out why all this is happening to them.  Jonah begins to explain that he worships the Lord God Almighty and that at this very moment, he is fleeing the Lord’s commands.  The sailors are so afraid to hear about God.  They all worship a god of their own so why are they so frightened of the Lord? They are realizing that Jonah’s God is mightier than their own.

Finally Jonah tells them to throw him overboard to please the Lord.  The sailors hesitate at first, not really wanting to toss him over.  They try to row the other way but it’s all for nothing.  So, as a last resort, they throw him overboard (verse 15) and guess what?  The storm stops and the sailors make a sacrifice to God (verse 16).

The Lord God Almighty provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah (verse 17). “Provided” is amazing.  The fish isn’t really a punishment, the fish is salvation.  Jonah spends a long, relaxing weekend in the belly of a fish.  He stayed on his knees praying the whole time and thanking God for rescuing him from death (Jonah 2:2-9).  God commands the fish to spit him out.  He is free and ready to do God’s work.

Do you see how much prayer plays such a big part of this story?  God hears and answers and saves him from certain death.  But the miracle doesn’t stop there. Jonah goes to Ninevah.  The Ninevites pray and it works and God pardons the city.  Prayer again is working (Jonah 2:1,10)!!

Prayer leads to God’s provision—always.  It may not be exactly what you asked for but God always answers.  And, depending on how close you are listening, you just may hear Him.  We see God’s character; He may be demanding but He is always merciful. And you may see something as punishment but it  just may be saving your life.  Whatever you may be going through right now, the Lord knows and He sees and He is ready to save you.  His timing is perfect.   Whether He sends a fish (or spares you the fish), He is always on your side and He has a perfect plan.

Do you know Him? I love Him so much that I want everyone to get to experience His love. If your answer is “no, I don’t know God”, then I ask you to pray this simple prayer with me.  Today is your day and your life can change.

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Let’s pray together: Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus, Your Son, shed His blood for me and my sins are forgiven.  I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior and accept You in my heart.  Thank You for grace unlimited and for this new life that is mine through You.  In Your name I pray, amen.

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Not For A Moment

June 25, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

And every step every breath You are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my heart at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Even in the dark
Even when it’s hard
You will never leave me
After all

Not for a moment will You forsake me

Songwriters: Meredith Andrews, Jacob Sooter, Mia Fieldes
Performed by Meredith Andrews and Vertical Church Band

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God promises us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  As you listen to this song, I hope you can let this promise enter into every area of your life.  This week was hard.  My husband and I, along with our precious second daughter, piled in the car at 6 am and headed to Freshman Orientation.  My baby is going to college in August, God willing.  And as the parents were asked to leave and form a separate group, I spilled.  I tried to hide the tears but to no avail.  Emotions hit and I realized that change is coming, like it or not.  But God will never change and He will never leave me in this alone.

The words to this song I sing over and over: “You were reaching through the storm, walking on the water, even when I could not see” (through the “what if’s” and the “no way I can do this”).  And  “in the middle of it all” (the doubting that I can do this financially, the deep sadness of a chapter that flew by and now she is growing up) “not for a moment, did You forsake me”—and You never will!

Then we are reminded of all He is!  After all, He is constant, only good, and sovereign.  All these things He is and it doesn’t matter where we are.  He meets us there.  Even when we aren’t listening or life is busy and so loud that we cannot hear His voice, He is still a constant and He is walking right beside us. He is there—every step, every breath, every tear, every cry, every prayer… in your heart, at your worst, when your world falls down, in the dark, when it’s hard…He is there with you.  He will NEVER leave. Not for a moment will He forsake you.

If this is a trying time for you and you are feeling really alone, this song is for you today.  God wants to remind you that He is always with you and He loves you!  He knows what is going on in your life and He isn’t surprised by any of it.  Please cling to Him and these words.  Write them on a note card and place them in the most seen places.  Remember always: you are loved and you are cherished and you are never alone.

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Let us pray:  Dearest Lord, thank You for walking with us through this hard and sometimes lonely world.  You said that there would be trials and hard times; and to thank You for these times because we get to SEE Your hand in all of this.  We get to feel You carry us and witness Your miraculous ways.  Lord, we love You and we praise Your Name.  You are a Light in the darkness, You dry every tear, and You hear every prayer.  Help us to glorify You in these times and to share Your love with those who don’t know You.  Keep our eyes on You.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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He Found Her

June 20, 2014 by

nameLordstrongtower
There is a story in the Bible about a mother that no one loved. Is there a name that comes to mind?  My first guess was Rebekkah, the mother that deceived her husband and stole the birthright from her firstborn. But it is not. Do you remember Hagar? She was the Egyptian handmaid to Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

Sarah was unable to have children, so Sarah suggested that Abraham have relations with Hagar so he could have a son. She thought she would be fine with it. She wasn’t at all. See, she wanted an heir for Abraham so badly and she was not willing to wait on the Lord, and the plan turned on her. She became really jealous. She put her will before God’s.

So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar and she became pregnant.
But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.
Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault!
I put my servant in your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt.
The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”
Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit,”
Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
Genesis 16:4-6 NLT

So, you can see that Hagar is the least-loved mother  in the Bible.  She was young, she was pregnant, and she was all alone.  Instead of help, she received harshness and Abram, the father, turned his back on her also. She had no one—no family or friends.  But she had God.

The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness,
along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant,
where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“Im running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her,
“Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.”
Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’),
for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.
Genesis 16: 7-11

What do you think of Hagar? When the world was ready to blame her, the Lord redeemed her. Hagar was lost and the Lord found her. She was alone in her wilderness, and really alone but God came to her rescue.

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.
Luke 19:10

The Lord found her… the Lord favored her. He promised her more descendants than she could count and told her that she was already pregnant!  Ishmael is full of God’s favor yet the world thinks differently. Did she deserve it? No, but Jesus says in Matthew 11:28,”Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”

The Lord became her friend. “Therefor, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said,”You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Hagar gave her new friend a new name that day, “El Roi,” which means ‘the God who looks, inspects, considers’.  She considered Him the God who saw her needs and decided to help her. God never left her alone.

Is this you today? Do you feel alone or abandoned? If the world has cast you out or maybe you have retreated to your own desert, the Lord sees you. He knows where you are and He will meet you right there! He loves you and He is your friend. He sees you! Hold on to His love today and cry out to Him. There is so much joy waiting for you and blessings beyond your wildest dreams. And if you don’t know Him or you don’t know how to reach Him, then pray this with me:

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Dear God, I am a sinner. I know I need Your forgiveness and mercy. I want a new life, and I want to walk with You. Today I ask You into my heart, to guide me and direct me. Thank You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

{{ If you prayed this prayer today, please let us know in the comment section.  We  would love to rejoice with you in this journey and be praying for you! }}

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Mighty Warrior

June 18, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You call us out from the depths
Into Your freedom
Our chains are gone
No weapon formed shall prevail
Your Word is stronger
We overcome

Your glory resounds through the age
All saints declaring
Your great renown
Your Kingdom forever will stand
We won’t be shaken
We will not fear

Our God a mighty warrior
You’re a consuming fire
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name
Jesus the great commander
You conquered death forever
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name

And we declare Your name is power
Exalted One, no name is higher
You stand alone our Strong Defender
Above You there’s no other, above You there’s no other

Jesus the great Commander
You conquered death forever
In victory You reign
We triumph in Your name

Songwriters: Chris Brown, Jane Williams, Matthews Ntlele
Performed by Elevation Worship

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Is there anything that can destroy us if we are His children? As you listen to this song, I hope you are reminded that nothing is impossible for Him and there isn’t anything that is more powerful than our God.
There is freedom in His Name and chains are broken and we are victorious over anything that attempts to destroy us. Because He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place and to redeem us and restore us, we will forever live with Him in His home, Heaven.
We won’t be shaken, we will not fear, for nothing can ever separate us from Him. No weapon can be formed against us. Forever we will be free. Our God is to be exalted in the Heavens and the earth, now and forever more. He is to be praised and worshipped and loved by His children. We are to spread His hope to this dying world. He alone is our Joy and our Hope. He is our Rock and He never changes.
Oh friend, I pray today that you know Him. I pray today that you can rest in Him. Get into His Word and hear all He has for you—all His promises and blessings that are yours. And if you don’t know Him, reach out today. Your life will never be the same!

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Let us pray: Dearest Lord, we praise You and we love You. We thank You for being our Rock. You are our Provider. You give us joy and peace and make our lives here on earth so much more fulfilled. All around us are Your wonders and Your artwork. Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us and restore us. Thank You for breaking chains and giving us freedom in Your Name. Your Word is our shield and our hope. We can do anything with You as our God. Thank You for songs like this, that remind us of Your character. You give each one of us a way to glorify You. Help us to use it for Your glory. Give us courage to spread the hope of You to this world, for it’s in Your son’s name we pray, amen.

 

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Give Me Faith

June 11, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I need You to soften my heart
to break me apart
I need You to open my eyes
to see that You’re shaping my life

All I am I surrender

Give me faith to trust what You say
that You’re good and Your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give You my life

I need You to soften my heart
to break me apart
I need You to pierce through the dark
and cleanse every part of me

I may be weak
but Your spirit’s strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God, You never will

Songwriters: Matt Brock, Chris Brown, London Gatch, Wade Joye
Performed by Elevation Worship

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My prayer through an extremely hard time was this Bible verse, ”I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24 ).  This world can be full of so much pain and heartache! And, even though we know God is good and all He gives is good, there are times when we would love to change the details of our lives.  Sometimes we think we know what is best!  And, for a minute, we forget that He loves us so much and only wants what is best for us.  We really don’t know what is best….

This song is my own personal prayer to Him.  When my heart hardens to the world and those who are suffering, I need Him to break it for what breaks His.  A softened heart and a clean heart are what we desire and only God can change our hearts.  There are times when He needs to open our eyes to what HE is doing in our lives and through our trials.  He is shaping our lives as the Potter does to the clay.  All that we go through and endure is forming who we are.  We gain strength and endurance, peace that passes all understanding, and patience when we walk with Him and trust Him in the midst of all that we don’t understand.

The chorus speaks volumes—“All I am. I surrender.  Give me faith to trust what You say, that You’re good and Your love is great.  I’m broken inside, I give You my life.”  Do you trust Him with your life?  He created you and knows you more than you know yourself.  You must trust the God who loves you unconditionally. And when we are broken inside, the only way to make it through is to give Him your whole life.  You cannot do this on your own. We were created to need Him and to have a relationship with Him. You may be weak but He is strong.  You may fail but He will never fail you.

Let this song be your prayer today as well.  We will all be praying it together!  And all God’s people say… AMEN!!

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Let us pray; Oh dear God, You are our Stronghold, our Portion.  You are our Strength.   You change our hearts and our lives.  We thank You for loving us so much and for the grace You so freely give.  Lord, I pray that You open our eyes to what You have for us to do and that You will break us so that You can penetrate the cracks in our souls. And when we fail, Lord, You pick us back up and give us the strength to endure. We love You and worship You.  In Jesus’ name, amen!

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You Have a Friend in Me

June 6, 2014 by

On the very day that David killed Goliath, Jonathan pledged his loyalty to him. God did this.

The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David,
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel 18:1

Jonathan loved David and gave him his own sword.  He gave David his garment and crowned young David as king.  And then, he protects him.

When Jonathan hears of Saul’s plot to come after David, Jonathan tells his new friend, and hides him.

My father Saul seeks to kill you.
Therefore please be on your guard until morning
and stay in a secret place and hide.
1 Samuel 19:2

Jonathan gave David a promise, a wardrobe, and protection from his own father. David found a good friend.

Do you have a friend like Jonathan?  A soul mate to protect you and who seeks nothing but your interests.  Only your happiness matters to them.  You feel safe with that person and you can be yourself.  You don’t have to think before you speak…they already know what you’re about to say.  They know what you’re thinking.  You know that their hand will shield you.  And you know that you matter.

David had that kind of friend, sent from God. You have a friend that God gave you like this. Remember these words from Matthew 28:20?

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Hasn’t Jesus clothed you?  (He really outdoes Jonathan, don’t you think?)  He took your sin so that you can go to His home with Him.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21

Hasn’t He equipped you, like Jonathan did with his sword? He tells us to put on all His armor so that we can resist the devil and his strategies (Ephesians 6:11).  As part of His armor, He gives us a belt of truth and a body of righteousness.  And He gives us the sword of the Spirit in the form of His Word.

You have the truest friend of all.  No one can, or ever will, love you more. No one can take your sins from you so that you can enter into Heaven’s gates.  No one but Jesus.  He is your Hiding Place from all that wants to harm you.  He is the Lover of your soul.  He alone can fill that empty place.  And until you know and receive His love, you may not have the joy and peace that He wants to give you.

Do you know Him?  He is waiting for you with arms open wide.  He is so ready to be your friend.  He will always have your interests first.

Do you want to know Him?  It’s never too late and you’re never too far that His arms can’t reach you. If you are ready to receive Him, will you pray this prayer?

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Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I need You to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. You alone can set me free.  I need forgiveness.  I want to walk with You in this life.  Thank You for paying the price for me.  It’s in Your precious name I pray, amen.

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Carried to the Table

June 4, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall 
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy Presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me

~ Sing this song with me as part of your prayer and worship today ~



Words & Music by Leeland Dayton Mooring, Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd

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As you listen to the words, imagine…He is calling you by name.  There is a huge table and He has saved you a seat.  He has forgiven all you have done and you are clean. You are weak and cannot take a step in the right direction so Jesus carries you in His arms and places you right beside Him.  He loves you so very much.

Yes, you have been broken and you don’t feel worthy to sit at His feet.  But better than that—He wants you to be beside Him.  When you cannot do this life on your own, He carries you.  And we belong because He says we do.  You don’t see your brokenness anymore.  All you see if a life full of freedom and joy and blessings far beyond all you can imagine.  It’s all for you!!!

Yes, there will be fear, but in His presence it fades and joy takes over.  Peace envelopes you as you share this cup with Him.  His blood washed you and His body was broken and poured out so you could be whole.  Take this to heart today and just rest in this hope.

If you feel far away today, all you have to do is call His name and remember He has already called you.  He has a seat saved for you right beside Him.  He will carry you if you’re too weak.  He is waiting….

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Let us pray:  Dear Lord, thank You for giving us a place at the table with You. We are so undeserving yet You love us anyway and forgive us for all of it.  You share a cup with us and we are completely satisfied for it is living water.  Our brokenness is gone and we are made whole with You.  Oh Lord, we love You so very much and we are amazed at the grace You bestow on us freely.  We cannot thank You enough.  Thank You for the joy and the abundant life full of blessings. For those far away, gently nudge them back and let them know that Your arms are open ready to take them in.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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Get Off Your Mat

May 30, 2014 by

If you have been to Sunday School in your lifetime, you heard the story of the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to be healed by Jesus. It was so crowded that they carried their friend up to the roof and let him down, through the roof, into the house on his mat. I colored the picture. Four men on the roof of Jesus’ home, cutting a hole in the roof and letting their friend down through the hole in that roof to see Jesus. They couldn’t use the front door because the crowds were so big, inside and outside of the house. So they had to get creative. That’s when they cut the hole themselves and let him down on the mat. He landed right in front of Jesus. I still remember coloring that picture.

Mark 2:1-5

When Jesus returned to Capernum, several days later, the news spread quickly that He was back home. Soon the house where He was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While He was preaching God’s Word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed  man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.

This was Jesus’ fifth miracle. He had just begun His public ministry and He had been out teaching and preaching and healing for the past few days. I imagine that He was tired when He came home that night, after teaching and He wanted a little rest. He goes to close the door and the people won’t let Him. They are everywhere.They have come from everywhere, from Galilee to Judea.  Outside, these men are carrying their friend. He is sick and paralyzed and people assume it is because of some sin his parents committed sometime in their life. So they find the stairs and take the stretcher up and get creative. They dig a hole in the roof to lower their friend down. Which meant they had to dig through a mud roof, not a wooden one.

Jesus saw their faith. Not only did the man on the mat have faith, but his friends believed as well. All of them came together in this time of need and brought their problem  to Jesus. Jesus healed him and told him to take up his mat and walk.. Have you ever thought about those words? Now up to this point, the man’s friends have done the work to get the friend here. After Jesus heals him, Jesus tells him to take up his mat. Jesus is asking him to take action. The man’s mat represented his paralysis. But a mat could be anything that has you paralyzed.  Sin is only fun for a time and then it turns on you. You ask Jesus for His help and you ask for forgiveness. Jesus is always ready and willing to forgive and take you back under His arms and love you.

What is your mat? After reading this, did anything come to mind that Jesus may be asking you to take up and sin no more? He is waiting with open arms. He loves you and wants you to live a joyful abundant life that He has planned for you. I pray today that you are willing to help a friend as these men did, instead of turning their back on the man. Jesus loves you. He forgives you. Let us come before Him and ask Him to reveal to us anything that would keep us from Him.

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Dear Lord,  thank You for Your Word…so full of stories of miracles just like this one. Thank You for being so willing to forgive us when we sin against you. Lord, we may not be lowered through a roof on a mat, but  we all have a mat that we need to pick up. We pray today that You would reveal to us anything that is hindering us from living the abundant life You have planned for us. We love you and praise You. In  Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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