Difficult and Encouraging – 3-23-23

“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.” John 16:1 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In the beginning, God created everything, and you and me. He visited us in the garden and had a personal relationship with us, a friendship with mankind. The curse of sin, which has a price tag of death, came upon the earth thanks to the devil’s trickery and changed everything. Although nothing can separate man from the love of God, sin does physically separate us from God. God created us to commune with Him and the enemy knew sin would destroy that bond. So, God created hell to punish the devil and his demons. The enemy knows it is his punishment, but he plans to take as many humans with him as possible to continue to hurt God. Because God created heaven where he can be reunited with people. Well, people needed help to overcome the enemy so God sent laws and formulas for worship and sacrifice that should point people into a position of acting in love. And the enemy attacked it over time and twisted it until it became punitive. But God so loved us that He then sent His only son, Jesus, to break the curse of sin over mankind by bringing it down into the grave, paying the required price for it, and then conquering it by rising again! Jesus ascended to heaven after 40 days. So that we know through Him we can access a relationship with The Father. God made a way to reconcile with mankind and commune and have fellowship with them again! This is GOOD NEWS.

God also created us with free will. Just as we do not want to be married or in a relationship with someone who is forced and manipulated to be in the relationship (we do not want a partner who is chained and a prisoner to us), God also wants us to freely choose Him. Or we can choose to believe the devil’s lies and go to the devil’s punishment – hell. It is our choice.

I know this sounds like a children’s story. It is simple, moral, and almost imaginative. God made it simple so that even children can believe and be saved from the wrath to come. God wishes that no one parishes. He wants us to at least give a relationship with Him an honest try – and see that He is good. He says that if you repent and seek Him, you will find Him!

Now imagine if you will what it could be like to have your best friend be the creator of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, having all wealth, and super generous – not like a genie in a bottle granting wishes, but a friend with mutual respect and trust and love, who is willing to use His resources to help you. He is willing to talk to you can since he can see ahead, he can prepare you, position you, and protect you from all the craziness in this world. Oh, and all that crazy? It is the enemy knowing his time is short and working very hard to destroy people and distract them from being reunited with God.

It is now years later and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS! I have seen miracles. I have heard His voice. I have experienced Him personally. Oh, and I have to also put in the work because relationships go both ways. Not works like doing good things to earn heaven – that is NOT how this works. I have to put the work into the relationship, you know like talking to Him (because He talks back), spending time with Him (because we both enjoy being in each other’s presence), reading His word (I love learning about his stories and getting to know Him, He already knows me and this is how I can learn of Him), and worshiping Him (because He is faithful and just and worthy!) You know putting the work in as in keeping up on my side of the relationship.

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Do you want to know the truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was a whirlwind of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. I was lost and I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choices. Then I found Jesus, and truth while lying on my floor crying that day. He challenged me to accept Him, trust Him and follow Him and I challenged Him to be who He says He is – I found peace and deliverance from sin.

If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and a relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you. It becomes the two-way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth because he is our only way to the Father.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grows and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

If you have said this life-changing prayer and really want a relationship with God, please reach out to me. You can reach me in the comment section here (comments need approvals so you can use it as an email to me and I will not publish / approve it), or you can PM me on Facebook or DM me on Instagram. I do not always have instant access to my accounts, but I will respond when I check them. I would like to follow up and let you know the next steps to forming a healthy relationship.

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your Word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your Word and our sound mind. And please keep us, bless us, shine your face upon us, pour your grace over us, and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 16 at verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. ²They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³And these things they will do ^[a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴But these things I have told you, that when ^[b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

⁵“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹²“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He ^[c]will take of Mine and declare it to you.

John 16:1-15 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

“¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.”

Today’s reading is STILL the same long conversation at the last supper. Jesus is really hitting home some of these vital points and John really takes the time with letting us know all these things.
The reason, they were about to enter some really difficult times and after that night NONE of them or their world would ever be the same. Some of them realized it immediately and others took a little while. Nonetheless, these words were planted in them so they did not stumble. Words from Jesus, like we read yesterday, saying they would be hated and even killed to His words in today’s reading saying we’ll be rejected.

It is time for the hard truths and not letting them discourage us, scare us, or confuse us. If you follow Jesus in our day and age – you will be a target. In Israel a law was proposed that could make it illegal to speak of Jesus, in oral words, written words, or digitally (via vlog, blog, or post on the internet), punishable by jail time. Here is the truth – even if the law does not pass (and we pray in agreement that it will not pass), persecution is on the rise worldwide, and sooner than you think we will have to draw that line in the sand and stand. You will have to choose if you are really in this regardless of the risks. You can leave the church and God now and go serve your flesh. It is an option, and the end is hell. And I know many speak of once saved always saved and it would be nice if grace could let us be willfully rebellious and not accountable for our sins – but just in case that is not true (and there are no Biblical bases for it being true) you should either sure up your salvation without compromise or just reject it and serve yourself. But flesh makes a mess of things. So you could go serve satan – yeah he will make you do gross stuff but he will promote you on earth. Maybe then you’ll at least have something before you spend eternity in hell – but what you earn will be corrupt, painful, and will destroy you on earth.
My point is that you have options and there is the truth about all of them. ALL of your choices include suffering to some degree, but only one has hope, has life, has love, and has peace.

It is time to wake up – it is time to choose – it is time to stand your ground.

“²They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ^4aBut these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.”

Jesus just prophesied Paul and others like him. Who thought they really were serving God. Which in itself is a big thought to think about. And we are going to take a minute to think about it.
I can give you a million examples of people who were in Christian leadership and they bought a lie from the enemy and that lie slowly corrupted their ministry and eventually exposed them as being on the wrong side of the gospel – yet they prayed daily and when they read the whole scriptures they thought it told them they were right – but it was ALL filtered through a lie and not the truth. Yet they loved the people they led and would never intentionally lead them astray – yet astray is exactly where they all were. I can tell you of so many, too many leaders and Christians who love God and think they are doing His will and are in direct opposition to Him and standing in the way of His Will getting done. Some even have demonic possession, oppression, and influence that is guiding them – and they genuinely love Jesus and think they are doing His will.
This is such a BIG MOOD in our world today. We read about false prophets and false teachers, and I always thought they would be intentional about trying to trick people. But it turns out they were tricked and are completely accidental about passing along a corrupted Jesus. They pray and try so hard, yet they cannot see the power of God because they have a false god without power.

Be vigilant about guarding your thoughts, mind and heart. The enemy will distract you with the wrong mission from God all day long to keep you from the right one! I’ll admit, I’ve been distracted and off down rabbit holes here and there – we are all at risk.
Jesus is not only telling them that Paul would be arriving on the scene – He was also warning them not to be distracted. While he was there He kept them focused. Now that he would be gone, they need to do it themselves.

“^4b “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”

Translated to modern language: It’s getting real up in here – and things are about to go down. Be ready. Stay ready. And ‘I told ya so!’

“⁵“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’

WAIT A MINUTE!! Back in chapter 13 right after Judas left the room to go betray Jesus and Jesus continued to talk in verse 36: “Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
And right now, still in this same conversation, but walking from dinner to the garden Jesus says something else? Jesus says No one asks? Did the author make a mistake? There is no mistake. Jesus is concluding that now they understand better and now they do not ask. They understand that Jesus is going to leave them and go to be with God and will send a helper to help and they will be alone for a short time.
They DID NOT understand that it was literally going to begin to happen within minutes. They did not realize that Jesus’ imminent return would have still not happened in the year 2023 at the moment that I type this.

“⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”

At the beginning of all this, Jesus had a heavy heart and the disciples were cheerful and celebrating the holiday – and now they all have heavy hearts. In other gospels, the authors say they were singing psalms as they walked to the garden. So there were combinations of talking and songs. The disciples were heavy-hearted – but perceived it to still be a ways off in the future and therefore were able to keep some of the merriment of the holiday. We can be happy and sad at the same time.

I point this out – because feeling mixed emotions can be confusing. It can lead to one disciple remembering and describing this walk as song-filled and another to only remember and speak of the heavy things. And Jesus is giving us all deep things to process in the midst of complicated and confusing feelings. This is a lot to process.

“⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

The Holy Spirit is here for our advantage in this fight, for our help, and for our comfort. And thank God we are on this side of the battle! Because when He arrives, the people on the other side will be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment!

“⁸And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

I cannot convict you of your sin. My best teaching and preaching cannot convict you or convince you that you have done anything wrong. It’s all just words on a page with a spellcheck that misses all my typos. The Holy Spirit convicts. People cannot see this spirit, so they hold it against you and me. The enemy inside some begins to get mad and manifest. It’s all because of the presence of the Helper and Him showing everyone their issues. See why people might hate and reject us?

“¹²“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”

I always read this and I become a Peter – Yes I can! Please tell me more!! Can you imagine all the things Jesus would say? He has already said so much GOOD stuff. Yes, tell us more! However, I love when the Holy Spirit tells us and we get a download. Boom! Just like that a whole lot of GOOD!

“¹³However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

We may be rejected and hated – but we have the Spirit and that makes it all worth it. That is a whole lot and THAT is your homework assignment. Spending some time prayerfully thinking about these last 3 verses and about what the Holy Spirit means to you, does for you, does through you – Oooooooo Glory it is good, and thank the Lord for it!

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

***

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Thank you for reading in 2023 – a Year of Grace and Provision
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace. Walk in wisdom.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

22 Mar 202321 Mar 2023

Rejection is Hard, Share Anyway – 3-22-23

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In the beginning, God created everything, and you and me. He visited us in the garden and had a personal relationship with us, a friendship with mankind. The curse of sin, which has a price tag of death, came upon the earth thanks to the devil’s trickery and changed everything. Although nothing can separate man from the love of God, sin does physically separate us from God. God created us to commune with Him and the enemy knew sin would destroy that bond. So, God created a hell to punish the devil and his demons. The enemy knows it is his punishment, but he plans to take as many humans with him as possible to continue to hurt God. Because God created a heaven where he can be reunited with people. Well, people needed help to overcome the enemy so God sent laws and formulas for worship and sacrifice that should point people into a position of acting in love. And the enemy attacked it over time and twisted it until it became punitive. But God so loved us that He then sent His only son, Jesus, to break the curse of sin over mankind by bringing it down into the grave, paying the required price for it, and then conquering it by rising again! Jesus ascended to heaven after 40 days. So that we know through Him we can access a relationship with The Father. God made a way to reconcile with mankind and commune and have fellowship with them again! This is GOOD NEWS.

Now imagine if you will what it could be like to have your best friend be the creator of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, having all wealth, and is super generous – not like a genie in a bottle granting wishes, but a friend with mutual respect and trust and love, who is willing to use His resources to help you. He is willing to talk to you can since he can see ahead, he can prepare you, position you, and protect you from all the craziness in this world. Oh, and all that crazy? It is the enemy knowing his time is short and working very hard to destroy people and distract them from being reunited with God.

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!
It is now years later and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS! I have seen miracles. I have heard His voice. I have experienced Him personally. Oh, and I have to also put in the work because relationships go both ways. Not works like doing good things to earn heaven – that is NOT how this works. I have to put the work into the relationship, you know like talking to Him (because He talks back), spending time with Him (because we both enjoy being in each other’s presence), reading His word (I love learning about his stories and getting to know Him, He already knows me and this is how I can learn of Him), and worshiping Him (because He is faithful and just and worthy!) You know putting the work in as in keeping up on my side of the relationship.

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grows and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 15 at verse 18 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The World’s Hatred

¹⁸“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

The Coming Rejection

²⁶“But when the ^[c]Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 15:18-27 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Today, I believe I have to ask things of you all, that I seldom ask. Please like and share to get the word out there. Please post this to your social media, to all your socials, or since I have already posted it on Facebook and Instagram, you can share it directly from my page! You see NOW is the time for telling people about Jesus! Now is the time for soul-winning! Now is the time for the harvest! There is a special anointing on those who obey and share the Lord.

Many of us do not share because we do not know what to say. So make it easy on yourself and do not come up with new words – just share this post. When I finally surrendered to God and was laying on the floor crying, I saw a Facebook post – a friend had shared her church’s post. God used that share to show me He was still knocking at my door because He still loved me! I returned to God because someone shared. Please help God reach the lost, the desperate, and the hurting – those like me.

And do not worry about them seeing this part down here, and somehow thinking your share was disingenuous because you were told to share. Most will scroll past the post, but it can plant a seed. A few might pop it open and the first thing they will get is the salvation message and most will not even read that all the way through before they leave. And that is ok. Another seed, a little water, and we let God be God and do what He does in their lives. And only maybe 1 will read this all the way down to here. And that one will see that you are a brave and obedient believer and the real deal. And if you are that one who just surrendered to God today, congratulations! Heaven and all of us are rejoicing with you!! I meant it when I asked you to please reach out!

Then after you share I ask that you pray to the Lord of the Harvest for souls! Pray that this does not return void. Pray for everyone who opens this page and reads, even if they only read one word! Our prayers can change their hearts and prepare the way for the Lord in their lives! Prayer works!

We have had that season of God building and establishing – but the seasons are changing to evangelism and outreach for this ministry. (For us as individuals it is always time to share Jesus!) Now, I could feel this shift in the atmosphere and schedule a rebranding and launch of the outreach branch. But I want to be obedient and shift with the spirit, now as the spirit shifts, and without the full bigger picture of what it will be. So, please grow with me and help be part of it by sharing and promoting Jesus!

What if I lose friends? What if people reject me?

“¹⁸“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”

Because Jesus loves you Jesus is warning you – some will be lost and reject you. Because I also love you let me tell you sharing my blog may cause some to hate you. This blog contains the Word of God and it never goes out without opposition. This friction will cause hate in some, unfortunately.

“¹⁹If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

If someone did not hate you, then you would know you are doing it all wrong – questions everything even your salvation! Seriously it would not hurt to start fresh and rededicate yourself to Christ and this time make sure you are in the relationship!

“²⁰Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

I have many friends who are pastors, and one of them was sharing with me about their early years in ministry in relation to this passage. You see he had studied this passage in Bible School and thought he understood it. He graduates and lands a job as a youth pastor of a very established church with generations of families attending, lots of love. The youth group felt like family and quite frankly they were all siblings, cousins, relatives, and neighbors. They all professed Christ and had memorized scriptures and strived to be good people. He thought it would be easy! Well, they all hated him. It escalated to a huge church special meeting and the parents hated him too and the only one who seemed supportive was the senior pastor. You see, my friend had an evangelistic heart and told the teens they would be doing outreaches and learning about soul-winning and they did not want “those people” in their social club. It turned out the parents felt the same. You see the church was close to capacity so the leadership stopped doing outreaches because there was no place to put more people. And this church lulled itself into a sleepy social club.
My friend and his senior pastor did the only thing they knew to do – they started a door-to-door witnessing campaign, just the two of them. Some members left and hated them speaking evil of them and persecuting them, hoping to drive them out of town. Some hated the change but stayed and made life miserable. Very few kept the word of God and began doing outreach – however 100% of the new converts and needy people from the community came in, did evangelism, regrew the church, and raised enough money to buy land and build a bigger church. That original family bought the old building and tirelessly work to preserve it as a historical site. My friend being a young pastor and having everyone against him, could have ended his career. God obviously had a plan.

Some hate the full gospel, the whole Bible, the servant to the poor parts, the love your enemies parts, and the things that challenge their complacency. While others will keep the whole Bible, full gospel, serving the poor and needy, loving everyone, and growing when challenged.

“²¹But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

You see – this is the core of it all! We cannot choose to repent if we do not think we have done anything wrong. It is harder to convince a good person or a religious person of their sins than it is to convince a drunkard that he is a drunk. But here is the beauty of it. WE DO NOT NEED TO CONVINCE THEM! We must bring them the good news that God made a way to restore His relationship with mankind! Then, the Holy Spirit brings revelation while Jesus shines His light into the darkness. You are out of the equation, except you are still standing in front of them and they are now mad at you because they cannot see Jesus or the Holy Spirit. They now know they are a sinner and they do not want to give up their comfortable life. They can never go back into ignorance and now they have to choose God or sin, knowing their own sin convicts them and condemns them to eternal punishment. The thing they love is destroying them. They are now responsible and want to shift the blame to you.

“²³He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

Yeah – God always knew this would happen. It is like when we are in a dimly lit room and someone turns on all the lights at once! We all gasp and cover our eyes – it hurts our eyes!! Well, imagine that you were doing secretive things in that dark, and now your eyes hurt and everyone can see you were lying or stealing or cheating!!! It was the light that exposed us – but we are mad at the person standing next to the light switch because we cannot see or be mad at the power that is great enough to kill us, loves us enough to expose us to get us out of it, and shines the light so we can see!

“²⁶“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

In the dark times of the first century, when the harvest was ripe and many longed for the light, and in the darkness was persecution and death, believers would need someone to bear witness of Christ in each other to keep us safe and show us who was who. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus in the hearts of others. The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus in you. And the Holy Spirit will confirm your testimony of Christ to unbelievers and give them the opportunity to accept Jesus.

So yeah, sharing Jesus could mean the church rejects you and you may need to go out to the streets to share Jesus, like my friend. Or it could mean the people on the street will hate you and chase you back to your car, egg your house, or otherwise persecute you. It could even come to the point, like in the first century, that you could die for believing. And even with this information, I ask you to share the word of God that is presented here daily. Do not try to save them or convince them. Just offer it to them.

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialists to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff
(Transparency: All moneys go to a for-profit LLC which tithes 10% of all sales, however, the LLC pays for this blog and ministry to operate because this ministry does not collect any funds for itself. I will never ask you for money directly. I do not have an orphanage anywhere. I do not have a sob story to make you pity me – my God provides for me. Please be wise and prudent with what you steward. However, those who have wanted and asked to bless me, because they are blessed by this can support me by supporting my business.)

21 Mar 202320 Mar 2023

Practicing Obedience for Love and Joy – 3-21-23

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.

Do you want to know truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was once a hot mess of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. But I was lost and when I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choses. When I found Jesus, and truth – I found peace and deliverance from those things.

If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and God will reveal truth to you. It becomes the two way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth, because he is our only way to the Father.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 15 at verse 9 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Love and Joy Perfected
⁹“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
¹¹“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹²This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷These things I command you, that you love one another.
John 15:9-17 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

I LOVE WHEN GOD CONFIRMS THINGS IN OUR LIVES! So I was at a women’s brunch and what did the speaker preach on? The passage in 1 John and our reading passage!! The messages lined up well – she focused more on 1 John, while we focused more on our reading. All we can conclude from this is that this is a ‘Now Word’!! I pray God continues to bless us with words in season and in the right time!

Today’s passage in the New King James Version has the subtitle: Love and Joy Perfected. Well, for anything to be perfected we must practice, practice, practice. Practice what? Practice what we read yesterday and the additional things today! Staying in love, casting out fear, abiding in God, and submitting to His will. His ways.

“⁹“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”

In a world of corrupted love, it is difficult to grasp the immensity of this sentence. But we are and have been loved with a perfect love from the Father through Christ and we can abide in it, bathe in it, and let it change and perfect us and perfect our love.

When I returned to Christ, my love was so broken, abused, and destroyed. I asked God to teach me love. I was guessing He might put people in my path that were difficult to love and to my surprise there were not changes in that area. BUT I was challenged to obey more and compromise less.
After noticing I went to God and asked about it. I said I did not ask to learn how to obey and live an obedient life – and I am glad to learn it, because we need it – but I still want to learn how to live in your love, to accept it, let it flow through me, and give it.

“¹⁰If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Then I happened upon this verse. If you obey, then you will abide in my love. The living in love is subject to an IF clause. Now, listen, not many things in our faith are we responsible for doing. Our salvation is by grace alone without works. His promises also are regardless of our works. We can be financially blessed in obedience and financially blessed in disobedience; haven’t you ever seen greedy, so-called Christian, business men prosper? They may not have love, but they sure have money!
It is because most things are not predicated on you and me taking action or doing works – or else we will boast. Even the love of God is given freely and overflowing to us regardless of sin, salvation, or anything we can do or think.
However, if you want to dwell in love, to abide as we have been discussing the meaning of the word, if you want IN on that melting pot of intimate communion, where your will and God’s are becoming the same, where your love and God’s love are becoming the same, and where your thoughts and God’s are becoming the same – this deep experience is conditional. We cannot get this deep, this intimate, this type of dwelling, without actionable obedience and taking on the responsibility for it.
When two people are married both parties assume responsibility for being an active participant in the partnership. If I married you, but then ignored you, never spoke to you, and even did things you said would hurt your feelings – you would be the only one in that relationship and would be wanting out really fast! Yet, we often in fail to understand our relationship with God and we ignore Him, His feelings, His wants and desires, and His commands. We do the things that hurt Him. We also fail to speak with Him and spend quality time with Him. AND THEN we expect to be “dwelling” in His love just because He does indeed love us and we do not fully comprehend the word dwelling – AND we expect the blessings of whatever we ask, being done; and we expect JOY, LOVE, and FRUIT to grow without labor, pain, pruning, working at it or anything. It is like we think we can look at these verses and just by looking at them it is some sort of magic pill that instantly changes things, without any discomfort. But looking at a verse is not the same as ingesting it and getting it in you and feeling the tummy rumbles and processing it and turning it into energy and life processes!

“¹¹“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

You want HIS joy and you want it to remain in you – so you can laugh and have peace in the hard times we are in and the harder times to come? He told us – keep his commands or obey. Then your joy tank will be full.

I had heard of people laughing and being baptized in joy at church meetings and was skeptical. I never paid it much attention. One day God had asked me to speak out for Him in a difficult situation at my former job. I did not want to, but I did. The opportunity only presented when I was finally not only willing to obey, but I was in agreement that it must be done. It was uncomfortable and awkward, but I had the mind of Christ and new it was right. After that early morning meeting I was alone, working from home, and I had such joy and peace. I thanked God for giving me the strength to obey and I began to worship Him. As I did, He started pouring joy into me and I began laughing! I know people say it is like being drunk, but I was never a happy drunk – this was much better! I was silly and my stomach hurt and my face muscles hurt and tears were streaming down my face and I could not stop laughing. I had such Joy and Peace. I laughed for the rest of the day!
When it ended. I wondered if I could keep that joy – maybe not to that degree, I still need to function, and I stumbled upon this verse. And I said this is good stuff – so what are the “these things” and I realized it is obedience. Not begrudgingly. It was from repeated obedience until I learned to think and do the same as Jesus, in love. And then, when I obeyed in the hard stuff I was rewarded with the richness of His presence and His joy and His peace in the middle of my storm.

“¹²This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Jesus spoke this foretelling His own death, within 24 hours of speaking it. He loves us, so He died for us. He expects us to do the same for Him – but also for each other. Not in a suicidal way – but in the will of God as we dwell and merge and become more Christlike, we will obey and do the will of the Father.

“¹⁴You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

You see the tasks of obedience get harder as we draw in closer and become more Christlike. If we cannot obey to share Jesus with strangers, how will we share Jesus with our loved ones? If we cannot obey to share Jesus with our loved ones how will we obey to share with our persecutors? If we cannot obey to share with our persecutors, will we deny Christ when a gun is at our head? What if we are asked to obey and lay down our actually life for each other or for Christ? Are we really His friend or are we a fair weather friend only loving and obeying when He is pouring out financial blessings?

“¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

Hold up – some of us are still just servants. So many are biblically illiterate and do not know what the Lord is doing. And some who do read do not know how to read until it speaks to them. So many do not know the voice of God!! And I praise the Lord that, that is changing!!! That more and more are getting good Bible studies and reading in addition to it and are spending quality time in prayer and are transitioning from servant who obeys out of obligation to a likeminded friend who is obeying – but only because everyone is on the same page and love rules and things get done.

Some nag their spouse for help. Jesus never nags us – we do not HAVE TO. We are NOT to be His servants (besides in our disobedience we’d make terrible servants)! Jesus wants us to be the spouse who eagerly shares the chores and is going above and beyond, because of the great love we share.
I’ll do the dishes and they will be the cleanest dishes ever! Hold on, I will cook the meal and it will be the best I ever cooked! I will fold the laundry and while I am at it I will start the next load and organize the closet and it will be so amazing it will look like a professional did it! Do you catch my drift?

“¹⁶You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

It is true – none of us would choose this. It is so against our nature. My nature is to hate people and avoid them, but once I began to change, I find myself tender and loving and helping even stranger at the store. My nature hates to cook. But I find myself wanting to cook and play hostess as a Christian to make people happy with tasty foods and full bellies! My nature is of sin and death and is self-serving. In Christ I am a new creature and I am not only becoming more like Christ – I desire and want to be like Him and eager to do His will. He puts it in us when we obey. Then our prayer line up with His will and we see power and movement in our prayers and things change and the devil runs scared!

“¹⁷These things I command you, that you love one another.”

The practice of obedience bring joy and peace and transforms us into adopting the heart and will of God and places an eagerness to be christlike within us. It all begins with the foundational principle of obedience to love. If we cannot love each other who we can see and touch and perceive their hurts and needs, how will we ever love a God we cannot see and do not understand?

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff
(Transparency: All moneys go to a for-profit LLC which tithes 10% of all sales, however the LLC pays for this blog and ministry to operate because this ministry does not collect any funds for itself. I will never ask you for money directly. I do not have an orphanage anywhere. I do not have a sob story to make you pity me – my God provides for me. Please be wise and prudent with what you steward. However, for those who have wanted and asked to bless me, because they are blessed by this can support me by supporting my business.)

20 Mar 202319 Mar 2023

Abide and You will Birth Fruit – 3-20-23

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 15 at verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He ^[a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you^[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:1-8 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Although I could say every day “This is one of my favorite passages!”, this IS one of my favorites! But if you look in my Bible all of John is well marked, well studied and well loved – along with the three letters from John. But in my Bible, in the margin, next to this passage, I wrote: “I just want to heal from the corrupted broken love given to me by this world and learn GOD, because God is LOVE.”

I know what I was thinking when I wrote it. It actually goes with one of the passages from last week. I had just run out of room and so it ended up next to today’s reading. And it seemingly does not tie into today’s reading about abiding in the vine. BUT yet it does. SO we are going to go with it. Even if I am only speaking to ME.

¹“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Pruning.
I entered a trying period, which I not only have been going through, but have shared with you so I can be an example as well as giving you the ability to receive the blessing when God finishes what He has started – we can ALL learn from this! Early on I compared it to pruning. These trials are in part, God cutting the excess, dead, and unfruitful pieces of my life off from me.
I did the same thing to my lilac tree. Then it grew some small but beautiful flowers. However, the rains came, and lasted too long, and the flowering season was shortened. And the flowers began to die. In order for it to flower again, it must be pruned. Every branch I want to see a flower on, must be cut. EVERY. So I clipped and pruned and cut back and touched just about every branch, in hopes that this coming spring I will see LOTS of flowers! Then it developed black spots and I learned it was being attacked by a bacteria and had a disease called Lilac Blight. The cure? More pruning! Even though the lilac did nothing wrong and produced branches and abided in the good soil, the rain caused blight and the attack mean more pruning. Then the poor plant had to struggle through a harsh winter without enough snow to protect the ground and roots and harsh winds and ice. I look at it frozen and sad looking and I know it will need more pruning this spring if it is going to survive, and that it probably will not flower – but survival will be enough, this year.

Part of me thinks if I dig it up and bring it inside and protect it, it will do better – but the shock of transplanting would kill it. It must abide in the good soil with the good sunlight.

As I struggle with why am I going through what I am going through and I grow weary of the constant healing and growth and looking like a mess to on looking eyes – and comments about my “lack”. I see myself and the book of Job in my Lilac bush. The plant, myself, and Job – it is not about us and we did nothing wrong. External things attacked and we needed pruning anyway, and it just stinks that it happens one after another for such an extended period.

I have had visit from Job’s friends, seemingly understanding until they open their mouths and accuse. I have questioned with God: “Have I done something Wrong?” I have searched my heart, my house, my life for open doors for attacks as well. I have done all I can and exhausted myself, just to collapse and hear his soft voice say – it is not by works. And every time I come and go I see this lilac and it’s struggles and I stop and speak to it with compassion, saying: me too.

“³You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

I was clean and good and planted – abiding in the vine; like my lilac and like Job.

“⁴Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

John uses the word abide again in 1 John 4:12-19:

“¹²No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
¹⁷Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ¹⁹We love Him because He first loved us.”

Abiding in God is abiding in the branch and abiding in love between us and God, confession and love for others. And THIS IS POWERFUL – Love destroying fear and the promise of bearing fruit!

“⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

When I clip a branch from my lilac, it dies. It can do nothing. It cannot live except attached and abiding in the trunk and roots and soil where it is. If I clip a branch the part removed will not ever flower again; however the part remaining, abiding, and attached will not just flower, but spring forth two or more flowering shoots from the place where it was cut.

“⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Back in the first century they were usually burned as a fuel source. BUT if they had blight, they were burned out in the fields as soon as they were dry enough to burn. Blight must be cut off and destroyed or it will spread. That in itself is a sermon!

So between today’s reading and the LOVE and power over fear type of abiding from 1 John 4 – I think we get an even deeper understanding of the word abide.

But we can go one deeper. The word abide also means to dwell. And we just saw the word dwell and dwellings and discussed where God lives and the symbol of the temple and the Body of believers (individually an corporately) and God dwelling and abiding in us and we in Him.
AND THEN one final step deeper – we also recent read about Jesus dwelling in the Father and the Father in the Son. SO then if we ask the son to dwell in us within Him comes the Father – who also wishes to dwell in us in the since of mansioning.

And at this point if it feels like what they are saying is that we are all one big melting pot and it is becoming hard to see where one ends and the next begins – YOU ARE RIGHT! Except… we first must be pruned of things that cannot melt with God. Unholy things that Holiness cannot touch.
I am not speaking of getting clean before salvation. I am talking about being saved, already clean and now pruned and sanctified for a deeper more intimate relationship that produces fruit – that is pregnant with the expectancy of birthing God’s will in our lives!

“⁷If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

In this melted together state your will and desire is His will! You will ask for it to birth fruit and it will.

“⁸By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Now, my lilac probably will not flower this year. It had to go through a lot. Now it must heal for a season and then be pruned again so next season it will bear a lot of flowers! It is sometimes a long process from the first sharp painful blade, clip, to the birth of fruit. Hang in there!

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff
(Transparency: All moneys go to a for-profit LLC which tithes 10% of all sales, however the LLC pays for this blog and ministry to operate because this ministry does not collect any funds for itself. I will never ask you for money directly. I do not have an orphanage anywhere. I do not have a sob story to make you pity me – my God provides for me. Please be wise and prudent with what you steward. However, for those who have wanted and asked to bless me, because they are blessed by this can support me by supporting my business.)

19 Mar 202317 Mar 2023

WEEKEND READING – 3-19-23

“By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 21:4 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading is the Book of Proverbs chapter 22 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Value of a Good Name

22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common,
The Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.

⁴By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,^[b]
And the rod of his anger will fail.

⁹He who has a ^[c]generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

¹⁰Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

¹³The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!”

¹⁴The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
²¹That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who ^[d]send to you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
²³For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,
²⁵Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who ^[e]shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is ^[f]surety for debts;
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not remove the ancient ^[g]landmark
Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man who ^[h]excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before ^[i]unknown men.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff

18 Mar 202317 Mar 2023

WEEKEND READING – 3-18-23

“To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” Proverbs 21:3 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading is the Book of Proverbs chapter 21 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Lord Considers the Heart

21 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the ^[a]rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.

³To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the ^[b]plowing of the wicked are sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

⁶Getting treasures by a lying tongue
^[c]Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will ^[d]destroy them,
Because they refuse to do justice.

⁸The way of ^[e]a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work is right.

⁹Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

¹³Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe ^[f]behind the back, strong wrath.

¹⁵It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to dwell ^[g]in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and angry woman.

²⁰There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.

²¹He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man ^[h]scales the city of the mighty,
And brings down the trusted stronghold.

²³Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

²⁴A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.

²⁵The desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
²⁶He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!

²⁸A false witness shall perish,
But the man who hears him will speak endlessly.

²⁹A wicked man hardens his face,
But as for the upright, he ^[i]establishes his way.

³⁰There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the Lord.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the Lord.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff

17 Mar 202316 Mar 2023

In the Father, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit – 3-17-23

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 14 at verse 25 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Gift of His Peace

²⁵“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶But the ^[g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because ^[h]I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

²⁹“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. ³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. ³¹But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

John 14:25-31 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Today’s reading sums ALL of this week up very nicely. Jesus wants us to have a sure foundation in The Father, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. Since these Jewish disciples knew The Father through their upbringing, a lot of focus was on explaining how Jesus is a reflection of The Father and under the authority of The Father. The Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit – explaining it is the Spirit of The Father and Him. And Jesus began to explain the function of the Holy Spirit – like bringing revelation of the trinity (something no amount of explaining can really explain – we can only understand through the Spirit of God).

Now Jesus sums it up with an explanation of why we need this Helper and more explanation about what is about to go down.

“²⁵“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

The Holy Spirit is going to continue the work of Rabbi, that Jesus began. As the disciples followed Jesus as their Rabbi, they must now follow this Spirit. This Holy Spirit will teach us ALL things. Sometimes that happens by leading us to the right information and sometimes t is a divine download.
I have had moments when verses come to mind, that I did not even recall that I had ever memorized, yet they rise to the surface and are just the right verse for my situation! That is Holy Spirit. When we study the Bible, by ourselves or following someone’s study – we only understand because of the Spirit.
For example, how did some know to question Cov1d, the lockdowns, the mandates and the world’s solutions? Because many of the things they required were in direct opposition to the Word of God. How did some NOT know? Probably they were ignoring the still small voice of the Spirit or ignoring the information the Spirit was leading them to – in their defense it was a very noising time and many voices rose up to drown out the voice of the Spirit. At the time I wondered why many out spoken new age ‘good’ witches were suddenly on the same side I was on. It was because it muddied the waters and further confused whose voice was whose. So that we are aware for the next attack and we have all learned the lessons – the attack comes in chaos and the Holy Spirit is where the peace is.

“²⁷Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

If you are acting on behalf of your fear or someone else’s fear – fear is NOT of God! Jesus left us peace in the Holy Spirit. For example, the only reason for wearing a mask was fear of hurting ourselves or someone else, same with being locked inside or taking an untested drug – fear. Taking off the mask, stepping outside or saying no to the drug did not end fear’s attack nor did it guarantee peace. Peace only comes when you’ve received the download, or heard the Spirit, or received the revelation.
Hearing from the Holy Spirit is not usually an audible voice, and if it is the Bible says it is a still small voice. I believe louder voices may be Jesus or angels. But there is a solid grounded feeling of peace in a whisper that IS the Spirit and it stirs us to be on fire and emboldened and inspired!

Peace is the confirmation that is it the Spirit of God! If you have confusion it is not the Spirit.

Now Jesus explains the spirit, gives them peace, and then explains how we should mourn those who leave us to go to The Father before us – specifically and more immediately, Him.

“²⁸You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”

We should rejoice for those who went to The Father before us! We will miss them, but we are NOT to be earthly minded, but heavenly minded! We will see them again someday just like we will see Jesus someday because he is coming back, not as the lamb – but as the victor and ruler of this world He created!

And when Jesus said this we know a peace fell upon them – because Jesus left them peace. Then the attack came and tried to rob them of it, but understanding that The Father is greater and STILL IN CONTROL will win and bring them back the peace.

“²⁹“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. ³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. ³¹But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”

So Jesus again lets them know this is prophetic and about to happen. You and I know what happened. We can look at it and think, how many people can predict their own death, and tell people the correct way to handle it? Not many.
I am so grateful that he did and that He also taught us to be grounded in Him in a real way and how he was going to interact with us after His death, because that is when you and I can into this. And now we know how to be grounded with a strong foundation to reach out to the Father, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit!

Please join us tomorrow as we jump into our weekend wisdom reading brought to you without commentary and we will return to continue to discuss the Book of John, on Monday.

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff

16 Mar 202315 Mar 2023

Let Begin a Conversation About the Holy Spirit – 3-16-23

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 14 at verse 15 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Jesus Promises Another Helper

¹⁵“If you love Me, ^[d]keep My commandments. ¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another ^[e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Indwelling of the Father and the Son

¹⁹“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ²¹He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and ^[f]manifest Myself to him.”

²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

John 14:15-24 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Today’s reading continues in that moment after the Last Supper and before they get to the garden. The disciples are full and feel great, full of joy and celebrating. Jesus is heavy and trying to express that most important information to them – which will sustain them in the hard times to come.
To me, it kind of feels like the moment we are living in! That moment of us being distracted by the day to day and unaware of the turmoil ahead – and then a few voices keep rising up saying hard times are coming and few listening. Like Jesus, I will tell you of the foundational things YOU MUST HAVE in place to survive. Because if you are in a position of seeking Him first, everything else is added to you. How bad and how soon? I do not know – and I do know we can keep praying God pushes it back so more can get ready and turn to Him! But then we must also do our share to reach people. I do not even know how long God will answer the prayer to hold back. I know the shaking is coming and is here – but I am speaking of what comes after the shaking, the thing the shaking is preparing us for. Like the disciples in this passage we are in a season of preparation.

SO like the disciples needed a few things (a few being/people) assured-up as their foundations so do we. Jesus made sure that we know that we know Jesus (and we know how to enter into a relationship with him if we do not). And if you really do not know that, please go back a few weekdays and start reading these daily post’s over again, because it is all laid out. Second, Jesus made sure we understood who the Father is, how His authority works and how we can partake in life with the Father as Jesus did. This all led to some of the MOST POWERFUL VERSES on ANSWERED prayer!!! Verses often preached and stood-on outside of the context of us falling humbly in line with the understanding of the Father. So finally today, Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit, who is measure has come to all of us who believe, but has yet to come to the disciples.

The conversation about the Holy Spirit begins with obedience.

“¹⁵“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

And obedience and the Holy Spirit are intertwined throughout the rest of this passage. I think it is because the HOLY Spirit is HOLY and if we are not obedient we become unclean and are no longer holy until repenting. If we remain good at repenting and Obedience, the Holy Spirit dwells within us – but wait!!! Before you say all those scripture verses that are contrary to my implied “disobedience make the Holy Spirit Leave” – I did not say that, nor did I imply it intentionally, but obviously I see where you picked it up. And in the interest of keeping this clean, scripturally clean, all I am saying is:
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 KJV
Which references Leviticus 19-20 and the Hebrew word for holy: “qadash,” which means to be sanctified, consecrated, and dedicated or to be separated from the world, worldliness, and the flesh. And that comes from being obedient. It comes from respect and love for the Holiness of the Spirit and goes back to our lesson about being the temple or the dwelling of God – we do it for the sake of intimate communion.

“¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

This Helper, The Spirit of the Lord, gives us power and boldness, but it also teaches us love, mercy and tenderness. It helps in ALL THINGS!

“¹⁸I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

And most important, once Jesus is no longer here in body – this Holy Spirit makes a way for Jesus to still come to us. I have seen angels and had dreams and vision – but I have never seen Jesus. I know Him well and that is through the Holy Spirit. The disciples had this same feeling of being in His presence and continuing to get to know Him – and it was through the Holy Spirit, who makes it possible for Jesus to come to us and abide with us.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deut 31:6

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5

Jesus then goes on to describe it further so we can fully understand the indwelling.

“¹⁹“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”

Ok – we talked about the mansions and how they are dwellings for God (a few days ago). We talked about being under authority and being in Him like being in the military (yesterday). We talked about relationship, communion, and intimacy. And now when we have Jesus in us and we are in Him we have life. And if you are following all this you also have a good measure of the Holy Spirit. Because on the day the Holy Spirit comes we will not just know, not just understand, but experience:

“²⁰At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

It is a revelation of the Spirit!

“²¹He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

And it is not predicated on obedience but it is wrapped all up with obedience – because it is tied up in love! He who loves me! And it is not conditional – it is actionable.

“²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

A couple things to note here. One is that there are more than the 12 disciples with Him. We know Jesus had many followers and some traveled since the beginning (which we learn in Acts when they try to replace Judas Iscariot). I think the scene on the Last Supper and the 12 painted by Leonardo da Vinci is what we all think of. But Leonardo da Vinci was a better artist than he was a Bible Scholar!

Another thing worth noting is that even though Jesus said when the helper comes you’ll understand – they still did not understand what they did not understand. If these men could change the World, there is hope for me!!!

“²³Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

And finally we see a clearer, less abstract picture. The Father Son and Holy Spirit are like an old style lock and keeping Jesus’s word (aka Obedience) transforms us into the key that fits into that puzzle and we are work together interconnected within each other.

Although there is more on the Holy Spirit, specifically, tomorrow. It is interesting to see how Jesus is really hammering home how vital it is that we be IN HIM and stay with Him even when He is gone to heaven.
And as much as this was probable very helpful for those disciples. It is ALL you and I have since Jesus has not walked the earth in our life time.

I grew up in the church and it was not until I walked away and came back that I studied this and realized the depth of what this means and let it reshape my understanding of accepting Jesus into my heart.
Previous I thought accepting Jesus just meant loving him and having him in my heart meant the same as a lover holding a special place in your heart. But it is not even that abstract. It is submitting obediently and humbly in love into the kingdom, into communion, like enlisting in the army and there is an authority to come into and then today’s focus on the Holy Spirit’s revelation, power, boldness, love, help, comfort and other functions – it becomes an exploit of obedience and being IN is actionable.

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

To Support this Ministry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff

15 Mar 202314 Mar 2023

In The Father with Full Understanding – 3-15-23

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” John 14:10 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 14 at verse 7 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Father Revealed

⁷“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
⁸Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

The Answered Prayer

¹²“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ^[c]ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 14:7-14 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Yesterday we spoke of believing in Jesus like you believe in the Father, as the answer to troubles. The only flaw in that argument is – what if you do not know or believe in the Father? I mean we are 14 chapters into John this year and ALL we have studied is who Jesus is. How and where do we get the revelation of God the Father?

I mean God is this distant aloof being, unseen, only somewhat interested and angry, always ready to punish us for something if he finds out – right?? Did you know the majority of people raised in the church, interviewed for a poll, have admitted to having bought into this lie, some saying they see signs of them believing it at a subconscious level? I will honestly tell you that I too believed these lies of the Father! Consciously, I could tell you of His goodness and of the balance of His justice. But the way I behaved and acted upon my faith was more consistent with the lie. It took a lot of soul searching and some help from the Father to find this out.
I remember doing the Romans chapter 1 exercise – the one we have done together for the last couple of years. It is where we go through the flesh listed in Roman’s chapter one daily for a while to really spend some time soul searching and letting God reveal anything inside us that needs to die. Anyway, one year, not with you, I was really dreading it. I knew I had pride and self and it was strong and I wanted it – and I know that going through Romans would convict me to die to myself in those areas. I said I wanted to serve God whole heartedly, but I thought when we have to confront this God will be so angry, and I was scared of God!!!
On one hand, fear of God is good – but I was not applying the fear of the Lord the correct way!
I was already convicted. God knew before I knew that I have flesh and sin in me! And God was lovingly and gently trying to help me get freed from it. There was no punishment while I went through the exercise. There was only love, refreshing, cleaning and new life! And I learned that I had developed some stinkin thinkin about who my Father is!

It is so easy to think Jesus is Love and the Father is Punishment – while the Bible says Jesus is the Just Judge and the Father is love!
And so I wonder how we see Jesus as love when he turned the tables of the money changers and publicly defied and challenged the Temple leaders, religious leaders and the government! He said: now I came to save you because later I am coming back with a sword of judgment! (Not so comforting or empowering – that is why we have the Holy Spirit, but we will get into that tomorrow!)

“⁷“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Wait a minute! I thought the Bible had NO contradictions and Earlier John said NO ONE has seen God:
“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18 NKJV
So why is John contradicting himself? Well, let’s take these verse back to the original Greek scripts and learn stuff.

1. ‘No one has seen Him’ – Moses was the closest to seeing God. He sat and talked with him in his presence and received the tablets and the laws and learned and fellowshipped with God. There is even evidence in the New Testament that He knew Jesus as well. They were all friend. But Moses never saw God. He was in His presence and never saw Him. So one day, Moses asks to see God. And God told him to hide in the rocks and peek out at His back, because man cannot see God’s face. Isaiah said He saw God high and lifted up and His train filled the temple, but the vision matches up with John’s vision of Jesus on the throne, So Isaiah probably saw Jesus. Daniel saw angels. The point is – no one has actually seen the Father except the Son.

2. ‘Jesus has declared Him’ – This word, declare, is a poor translation. The Greek word is: ἐξηγήσατο (exēgēsato) meaning ‘has made [Him] known’. In Strong’s 1834: To lead, show the way; met: I unfold, narrate, and declare. Which is why the NKJV uses the word declare. In modern English declare is an action one person takes… in this sense declare is an action two people take, meaning one says and does in order to teach or reveal and the second person receives in active participation. This is because it is from the root word ek and hegeomai; which means to consider out, i.e. rehearse like a play or performance, or unfold. It is lending to an experience. Now back to today’s verse.

3. ‘You know and have seen God’ – to know is to have a personal intimate knowledge. And ‘have seen’ is ἑωράκατε (heōrakate). In Strong’s 3708 it means properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear. That definition is not very clear. Although this definition means to clearly and actually see something tangible, it also means to discern it, to attend to it in a physical or non-physical way, and to experience!

So at the beginning of this book John explains that Jesus is about to reveal, explain, show us and introduce us to The One True Living God The Father through His actions, His love, and His life. And now moments before Jesus was betrayed John shows us that Jesus believes He has completed this mission as we now successfully know The Father, because we know Jesus.

Philip however did not have this book of John and the resources we have so poor Philip still doesn’t understand.

“⁸Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

I mean, fair enough. After all this time, they should understand and Jesus has precious little time to get the rest of his MOST IMPORTANT pieces of informant out before He dies! And Philip is slowing us down with his questioning.

“¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

This is a great question! With all the questions about how do we have ONE God and He has a Son who is Also God and a Spirit that is Also God and there is three in one and all that. I have often, as well as many of you have, just taken it as something we’ll have to understand that later and try to avoid ever having to explain it!
But here is a good beginning for understanding it: Jesus is speaking acting and being in and under the authority of God, because He is in God and God is in Him. I think this authority idea makes explaining easier. God is the Army and Jesus is the commander and Jesus can do nothing without the Army’s say so. The Army is in Him and He is in the Army!
Now let’s personalize this verse. We say we have accepted Jesus, to come inside us and be our Lord. Except our modern culture does not have Lords and authority under them like they had until the end of Victorian England. So we say this, but what do we actually know of this authority structure and how we are to act if this has really occurred inside of us? So let us look again at modern authority structures we do understand to some degree.
In the Army soldiers train to be less of them and more of the Army. Less of their own will and more of the will of the Army. More disciplined and more obedient. They accept Army into them as well as over them. If it was over them and their own self did not break under the authority (or submit in full surrender to it) then they never accepted and let it in to change them. Army must get inside and change them as well as rule over them.
Now if we accept Jesus like a recruit accept the Army, then we like a good solider would not speak except under authority, and it would be that authority which gets the credit for the work, and does the work through the good soldier. Have we accepted Jesus in this way? Less of me and more of Him?!

“¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”

If someone is or was in the military, you can still tell they are or were in the military even in civilian clothing. Military people just carry themselves differently, and they behave differently – they even fight differently. They always seem to have the greater good, safety and a bigger picture in mine and are acting on behalf of it.
Here Jesus is pointing out how if they could not see He is a soldier based on the way He carries Himself, then His actions definitely show it and point to God.

At this point, the disciples’ foundations for their belief in Jesus was just that He called them and they already believed in God. Jesus now has precious few minutes to sure up that foundation. Going forward the disciples cannot say, I believe because He called me. That experience is enough for each of them – but not enough to stand up to what these disciples are about to go through.
Same with you and me. We each have a valid experience that turned us to Christ – but we cannot live without the solid structure in place and coming under the authority correctly and understanding it. Once we are correctly under authority with our experience… it straightens our experiences and adds to them in a powerful way!

“¹²“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Belief is not just a theme of a sweet feel good Christmas movie. Belief is actionable and it MUST BE within a structure of authority. I can say I believe the sky is purple and I can imagine it until I convince myself that it is. and that belief is completely useless to anyone including myself who would then be delusional. HOWEVER, If the sky is dark and threatening and I am under the authority of God who DID NOT call for a storm, and God is in me and I am in Him so I know the storm must go, then I can say I believe the sky is blue and clear and the sun is shining. Then from the position of belief, I can tell the storm to dissolve and be gone. Immediately the clouds will evaporate and dissipate until they are gone.

“¹³And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Now, this verse makes so much more since under authority! In Him!
We just need to get in Him and get it done!

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

On a side note for those who may have missed it (I will not continue posting this permanently). I am now also making Christian T-Shirts!! Some of you have reached out in interest of blessing me, however, these studies are made available free! Freely I received and freely I give. However, If God is moving you to bless me, be blessed with a t-shirt as well. T-shirts and other merch are for sale now. (As well as some other fun things people have asked me for.) Right now they are only available for sale and shipping in the USA (free shipping). I will need to learn more about international commerce in order to sell internationally. The link is on the Facebook page with examples of some of the products – I encourage you to follow this blog over there as well. And I’ll give you the link to the Christian T’s and my other silly designs here as well: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff
On Facebook I am explaining which verse each one came from. This makes these a powerful encouragement for others as well as a clean word, and least offensive, means to open a conversation and share the good news (without soliciting or preaching). Although there is a time and place for that, you catch more flies with Honey – we are drawn to Jesus because of His love! I hope you enjoy them!

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

14 Mar 202313 Mar 2023

Troubling Times – 3-14-23

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading we will re-read the same passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 14 at verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

¹ “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many ^[a]mansions; if it were not so, ^[b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And 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. ⁴And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
⁵Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:1-6 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

As you know I write these at least a day before they are posted, often times I am a few days before. I have been sitting his struggling to put recent world events into order and I believe God doesn’t want me to speak on things unless in some way our reading is relevant.

I think future historians will lookback, should the Lord wait this out long enough for there to be future historians, and declare that World War III started in 2019 with an attack on the citizens of earth by a join effort from their governments. History would then reveal that the citizens, in mass, did not recognize the assault on them until a supernatural shaking of EVERYTHING that can be shaken occurred in 2023.

The shaking started with the church leaders, and to my surprise God seemed to let many sleepers remain asleep and did not shake them. And once it was done, He stirred the hearts of the youth. Many called this the Asbury Revival, although if it was a revival or not, time will tell – by faith let us claim it is. Regardless, it birthed a longing for the presence of God. And that seems to have woke up many who slept and they feel they missed out and struggle to figure out where they fit in all this rapidly changing and shaking world. The battle trumpet was sounded and many believers heard the cry and found their place on their knees, in their secret places and prayer closets, and in a life of worship.

Today, let us talk about the slowest moving shock wave and second biggest banking crash in the history of the USA! Friday, end of business, the Silicon Valley Bank collapsed! On Sunday Signature Bank (a NY bank that is a leader in cryptocurrency) followed and became the third largest bank collapse in US history! What did we think it would look like if EVERYTHING that can be shaken will be shaken? If this has or has not affected you today – do not fear! That is what the enemy wants. You see he thinks he is destroying finances and wealth to inhibit the move of God. What he fails to realize is that God is using this to raise up his army of lions!

In Haggai we’ve read that God said, “The silver is mine and the gold is mine”. Printed notes representing currency has no value and they are vulnerable to the enemy. Granted all the funds that I perceive I have are in these notes held up in banks. Do not worry. Eyes on the provider and not the provisions.

I have been open and honest about my struggles with that over the last two years. Yet here I am in a warm house with food in my belly and a loving Father that meets needs. He also still goes above and beyond. So like Peter stepped out in the storm and walked on water – so should we. In this storm, we are safe as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and the Father and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the only way to heaven – and He is the only way to survive this shaking. Jesus is the truth – so when they say finances and provisions have collapsed, we know the truth is that the Father is the provisions, not the world’s systems. Despair in the coming days will bring death to many, be extra loving and tender as our Father is to us. Our Father gave us life through Jesus and we need to share life with others!

“¹ “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

The disciples were facing troubles: Jesus Himself was about to be hung on a cross. Earthquakes, walking dead, and the curtain in the temple was about to be ripped up! Then persecution and death to most of them before the prophecy of Jerusalem’s fall came to be in the year 70!
From Stephen’s death in acts chapter 7, the church was never going back to their financial systems, their social systems, or the old religious systems. (Although, the disciples had long since left those systems and had not even realized it.)
It was critical that before all of this – the disciples needed to be grounded in and solid in their belief in God and in Jesus!! When your heart is troubled – BELIEVE. Nothing else. No magic formula. Nothing to do by way of good works. Just believe!

“²In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

It has always seemed like a leap that Jesus would switch gears mid-paragraph and talk about mansion lined streets of gold. So I realized as I got older that I had missed something! AND something BIG I did miss!
Revelations says we get to heaven and have a worship party then jump on horses and ride into battle (where we show up and instantly the opponent dies). It talks about taking turns standing in front of the judgment seat. It talks about the new heaven and new earth. So if we are not spending a lot of time in heaven why is he building huge lavish houses for us?
In Greek the word mansion just means resting place. But that really over simplifies it and doesn’t give us the bigger mean of why this verse even exists after the command to believe and not be troubled.

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Cor. 5:1 NKJV

Here is one of the two other places this word is used in the New Testament. In this verse we understand “this tent” to be our body – and if it is destroyed we receive a new one in heaven.

So if this is the same word – then Mansions are literally God just preparing all the details of heaven for us, including our new flesh.

It is also found again in this chapter of John where it is translated to home:
“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” John 14:23

So this new flesh has something to do with Jesus living with us. But we know God only dwells in tabernacles and temples and isn’t heaven just one big temple?

The word mansion ALSO occurs in once place in a book called 1 Maccabees. This book is not canonized in the King James or other popular versions of the Bible. But it is included in the Hebrew Scriptures that are studied; even Jesus studied the books of Maccabees when He was a child.
In 1 Maccabees 7:38 it says: “…give them not and abode” which is the same Greek word “mansions” – meaning resting place or dwelling.

All of this to say a mansion is not a physical place like a house or temple – but it is the actual word for when we become the resting place for God – He dwells in us. God does not dwell in heaven… He dwells in and with us! He abides with us.

Imagine if you will that your Pastor and family invited themselves over to your house for dinner on Sunday. Honestly, how much cleaning would you do? What would you hide? Well, the One who is greater, abides with you, shouldn’t you live like it? He has eliminated the temple and we care the mansion, the place of communion!

“³And 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.”

Jesus had to go – go through death and sin to destroy it and prepare our ability to join Him in heaven where God Can have many dwelling places – many of us to live in!

“⁴And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Time to take the Bible literal! Jesus IS the way and they know Jesus. You and I are getting to know Jesus, (Jesus is the word and we are studying it!) Therefore we also know the Way – because we know Jesus and He is the way!

“⁵Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Now if we know Jesus, in deep communion in a mansion kind of way – He is in us and leads us to the Father who wants to dwell with us eternally with our new body mansioned together with God the Father.

Now let us go back to where we started:
“¹ “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

Why would we be troubled? If our bank collapses, it happens also to Jesus within me and God! They are not standing on the sidelines watching these things happening to us – they are here sharing it. Why do we always think they are so far away when we are going through the storm? Jesus even walked on water to go be near the disciples while they were in trouble – He never leaves us or forsakes us, because He lives in us!

Why be troubled – just believe. Just Psalm 91 yourself into the secret place… that place is a mansion… a dwelling, resting place, where we can abide together in worship, enveloped in love and communing intimately with Him. Invite Him in!! Invite God’s presence into you and your home and your space!

Why be troubled – we have Jesus and God and they are not just on our side!!! We all live together in this!

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to discuss the Book of John.

On a side note. I am now also making Christian T-Shirts!! Some of you have reached out in interest of blessing me, however, these studies are made available free! Freely I received and freely I give. However, If God is moving you to bless me, be blessed with a t-shirt as well. T-shirts and other merch are for sale now. (As well as some other fun things people have asked me for.) Right now they are only available for sale and shipping in the USA (free shipping). I will need to learn more about international commerce in order to sell internationally. The link is on the Facebook page with examples of some of the products – I encourage you to follow this blog over there as well. And I’ll give you the link to the Christian T’s and my other silly designs here as well: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicasSillyStuff
On Facebook I am explaining which verse each one came from. This makes these a powerful encouragement for others as well as a clean word, and least offensive, means to open a conversation and share the good news (without soliciting or preaching). Although there is a time and place for that, you catch more flies with Honey – we are drawn to Jesus because of His love! I hope you enjoy them!

***

I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862