Mark 6:56-Sickness!

Mark 6:56 And wherever He went--villages and towns and countrysides--they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him to let them just touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

Cecilia came back from the Orange Conference sick and whatever she had she gracefully passed on to me. It starts with an off throat feeling and then the river starts to flow down the back of your throat. Others prayed for me and I ate Zicam like candy and took Alka Seltzer Cold Plus to keep it out of my chest. This morning the river dried up but I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.

Cecilia is still hacking and coughing!

Wouldn’t it be great to have Jesus walking around healing people? Just touch His cloak and be healed! 

If it’s His will He can heal us and use us for His glory but if He doesn’t, it reassures us of our human frailty. 

Countless souls preceded us and many will follow. 

I wonder if Jesus ever got sick?

Blessings, David 

No Doubt. Psalm 2:7-9 NKJV

Is there any doubt Christ is the One and Only Son of God? Psalm 2 verses 7-9 declare "You are My Son, today I have begotten You". Jesus was not created (as the angels were) He was begotten of God, born of God, God is the Father, Jesus the Son, in Gods image, His firstborn. 

Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 

Hebrews 1:5 NKJV
For to which of the angels did He ever say:
“You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”?

None, God only said that of Jesus. 

Job 1:6 NJJV
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 

Jesus doesn't have to "present Himself before the Lord" because He was with Him in the beginning. 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 

Psalm 2:7-9 NKJV

⁷ “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You  are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give  You
The nations  for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth  for Your possession.
⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” 

Blessings, Cecilia

1 John 5:9 Testimonies!

1 John 5:9 Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.

When we come to Christ and accept His free gift of salvation, we in essence have written on our hearts a human testimony. It’s one of a sinner destined for hell saved by the grace of Christ! 

By the grace of God we are washed in His blood and made clean, as white as snow.

It’s is our life story that we can use, our “testimony” to bring other sinners destined for hell to Christ. 

We reveal our testimony to shine the Light on His testimony of the Son. 

A friend at church the other night told me he was leading a group of people who were going to share their personal testimonials of coming to Christ. 

Sharing these testimonies is important because an unsaved person will see and realize that Christians were, and are sinners like them!

To the sinner that thinks God won’t forgive them, these testimonies reveal we are all sinners saved by the grace of God.

Accept human testimony of those that came to Christ.

And....that the testimony of God is greater.

Don’t make Him out to be a liar, believe in the testimony God has given about His Son.

Blessings, David 

He Laughs. Psalm 2:3-6 NKJV

How can God be in control when bad things happen? If God loves us so much and wants us to be safe and happy, why does He let tragedy into our lives?  

It's not His fault. Evil exists, Satan is real. 

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV 

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

But do you really think, even when Satan throws a wrench into God's plan, God can't work things out for His good? He can. He does. Satan doesn't get the last word. Satan doesn't get the last laugh. 

For all his effort, for all his work, Satan still looses. That's why God sits in the heavens and laughs. He knows it's all in vain. 

Psalm 2:4-6 NKJV 

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; 

The Lord shall hold them in derision. 

5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, 

And distress them in His deep displeasure: 

6 “Yet I have set My King 

On My holy hill of Zion.” 

Blessings, Cecilia

Neh 13:1-2 & Rev 21:10 & 27-Are YOU a citizen or a foreigner?

Nehemiah 13

Foreigners Excluded

      1On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.

The book of Nehemiah is about rebuilding the walls and gates around the holy city of Jerusalem. They find the Book of Moses and read from it.

“when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.”

These verses remind me of another book and the parallel between the two.

Revelation 21:10:And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,....

27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 

As you can see, the book of Moses excludes foreigners and the Book of Revelation (Lamb’s book of life) excludes anyone who’s name isn’t within it, (foreigners).

If you aren’t “born again”, (citizen of heaven) you are a foreigner!

Are YOU a citizen or a foreigner?

Blessings, David 

Titus 3- Our Old Self!

Titus 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

As a snake pops it head up through a hole in the ground so can our “flesh” because of our sinful nature. 

Born again or not it, is a constant struggle to drown our evil desires.

What sets you off? An aggressive driver? A pushy shopper? A disrespectful spouse or child? A nosy coworker? 

We all have our hot buttons!

Titus 3:3 shows what we were like before salvation, before grace, but don’t let Satan win by whispering in your ear at an opportune time! He would love to see you curse God and die. Like Job’s wife had told her husband.

Don’t revert back to your old self. Instead when you feel the old self bubbling to the surface, pray!

Pray and thank God for His grace and watch how fast the old self buries itself.

Blessings, David 

1 Titus 2:1-petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving!

1 Titus 2:1 BSB First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered on behalf of all men.

The other day a received an email from a couple in Tucson. His wife Connie, is starting a prayer ministry for their chaplain corps. Then the other night my brother was hospitalized so I sent them an email requesting prayers for him.

As we can see from this bible verse petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving are a vital part of our daily lives and any ministry.

I pray for my brothers and sisters daily but when we become ill the urgency increases and the more  petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving we can give the better off spiritually a soul may become, according to His will.

Are you offering petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving on behalf of all men?

Blessings, David