TRANSITIONING TO A PLACE OF FREEDOM
By: Eglaide Seiber Barroso
Have you ever experienced a time when you felt the excitement of a life change that will move you to a better and happier life? What about that great expectation of good things happening soon, accelerating your heart from time to time, making you want to jump ahead of GOD to embrace the new season? If you did, you know that with those charged emotions also comes the feeling of being stuck, unable to move, and the unnerving stress that comes when impatience sets in. At this point, we no longer find joy or peace where we are physically placed. According to a Google search, Transition is the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. As the seasons of life suddenly change in the spiritual realm, a new reality also sets in our souls from where renewal, spiritual growth, and every fiber of our being responds with a command saying, GO, MOVE ON! But we don’t know where we are supposed to move, what the new season looks like, or even how to get there. Therefore, transition opens doors to fear, leading us to insecurities that are connected to failures of past experiences and traumas.
After a long season of medical challenges during these past years, life had become very settled for me. Before this past summer, I was looking forward to my second granddaughter’s first birthday celebration in July because of the opportunity of being together with our blended families. We did have a beautiful and joyful time as a family, leading us to a second family gathering for her baby dedication celebration in September. But by the time I was back home from that second event, my entire body was covered with hives which led me to the local emergency room twice in a week and leaving me without a clear path to the reasons why that was happening to my body, or to how I would heal from such a horrific attack. From there, I began to walk in the dark valley of doubt, unbelief, fear, and shame because of the lies satan was throwing my way. Using the prolonged past season of my physical health trials, he engaged in a barrage of accusations that was coming against a recent promise I received from the LORD. As a result, I became physically and emotionally weary and wondered if my destiny was to live with chronic illnesses.
In the past, I made it through the infirmities in my body, seeing and feeling the presence of my Heavenly Father holding my hand and assuring me that no evil would overtake me. I had come out of different surgeries and nine weeks of COVID-19, a near-death event, stronger and receiving truth from the LORD about HIS love, protection, and provision for my life. This time wasn’t different, but I had given room to doubt, and discouragement started to dominate my thoughts. As the mental battle fiercely tried to oppress my soul, I began to cry for the LORD’S help once again; that was when the presence of GOD increased, reinforcing me with His Word, reminding me of fulfilled past promises of deliverance and health miracles, and leading me to Christian songs that would take me from day to day. Occasionally, however, I felt as if I was the walking dead. Just doing what was in front of me, ministering to others out of desperation to believe that sooner or later, I would see a breakthrough in my own healing situation. But the long journey walking in the valley of the shadow of death made me forget about the promises of GOD for this new season in my life and how that promise had lifted my spirit with pure joy.
I was brought back on GOD’s path for my life through a personal revival on January 8th, when the LORD gave me the clear mandate from Isaiah 43:18-19 KJV, ” 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” After reading these verses, I was free to leave my past tribulations behind and let the LORD Himself dictate every move I needed to make and not miss what HE already had coming into my life. The first thing that happened next was HE moved me to my former Brazilian church and removed everything that was holding me captive to unbelief, doubt, fear, and toxic relationships. However, being obedient to HIS clear directions to move on didn’t change the insecurities that came with transitioning to the new things happening in my life because I had to let go of all the plans and strategies I had made for my future. In order to move on to this new thing HE was doing in me, I was not allowed to take with me the hindrances that belonged to my past. I had to stop going to familiar places and get rid of old clothes and gifts that had become a token of hardship. That also included the people I would have to let go of because they didn’t belong in my future, as they couldn’t see what GOD had for me. They were accustomed to my past failures, the financial lack that had accompanied me for decades, the sorrow that came with every hospitalization for my husband and me, seasons with losses of loved ones, and the grief that accompanied my mother’s death. They couldn’t see me without these events being part of my daily identity. My spiritual and emotional growth had become to them a sign of their own failure because I had moved on from the valley, and they hadn’t, and that was too painful for them to live with. In a subtle way, transitioning to the new me was unfair to them in their eyes and even offensive to them, creating an ill atmosphere where it was hurtful to all.
Realizing that these things were the playing field that filled the mind’s battleground with fear, rejection, and insecurities, the next sixty days were left for me to have a godly ordained and much-needed consecration time to seek the LORD about these things. Alone with GOD, as my husband left for Brazil, the LORD began to reveal to me that I had been a people-pleaser for decades, giving into manipulation, jealousy, competition, and envy, becoming defiled by a deceived covenant of disobedience to the LORD, agreeing with strange spirits and ungodly fire doctrines. HE continued to reveal to me that I had bought the wrong belief that I was responsible for changing people’s mindsets and behavior. HE led me to Revelation 2:20-23 KJV which showed me what had opened the door for witchcraft, fear of abandonment, rejection, judgment, entanglement with co-dependency, and controlling spirits. That the attacks on my body with many health issues were caused by the prolonged emotional stress related to these life events, toxic emotions, and relationships, and that the devil himself had used all possible means to stop the will of GOD for my family life, professional career, ministry, and financial life to become a reality.
As soon I began to walk, obeying what the LORD asked me to do, my life changed from having dark thoughts in my mind to feeling hope again. The New Thing promised by the verse in the book of Isaiah took place in my life on January 14th with the reality that during this season of transition, the devil had used every hardship from the past seven years to keep me in bondage to his lies and plans.
I also was reminded that the Bible says in Romans 8:28 KJV, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are called according to HIS purpose.” To know what that purpose was for this season in my life, I had to choose to walk to a place of freedom, leaving the past behind regardless of the pain that comes with not knowing where GOD was taking me. Having the faith that HE who started this wonderful work in my life is faithful to finish and that HIS plan is to prosper me, not to harm. That decision led me to pure joy and to dance and worship GOD again. I realized I had completely died to what was holding me prisoner of my past. I could feel freedom invading all areas of my life and see the promises of GOD becoming materialized. Today, I can’t not list and account for the true miracles happening in my family life and all around me. Thank you, JESUS, for bringing me to A PLACE OF FREEDOM!
Psalm 46:1 KJV “GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” | “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV
Your Name is Love
By: LeeAnn Witzigman
“And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The Lord will hold you in His hand for all to see – a splendid crown in the hand of God.” Isaiah 62:2-3
This verse made me drop to my knees and rebuke every name that’s ever been attached to me by my own acceptance or without my consent. As I was peeling off the words from my heart and tossing them into the fire, I was surprised at some of the names that were tucked away. It wasn’t just a word, but a wound. And often times, what seemed like a label was really a lie. And truth be told, the most difficult ones to detach were the titles located in hard to reach places and others that were slippery with pride. How effortless it’s been to live all these years and hoard the world’s trash inside the most sacred part of me. But, no longer will the weight of humanity’s unkind speech sink my heart or pollute my soul.
I began reading about some of the people who underwent a name change in the Bible and their stories fascinated me. They woke up one day as the same person they had always been and by nightfall they were not only renamed, but God had rerouted them deeper into the Kingdom. Isn’t it just like Him to change the very word with which we identify most … even if we don’t completely understand who that person truly is on every level? Those documented scriptural accounts created such a hunger inside my heart that I was compelled to ask God for a new name. And a few days later the words “Your name is Love” were whispered into my heart and the atmosphere of my life changed in a blissful instant. Heaven’s arrow pierced through the pain of my crippled worldly identity and set my feet firmly on the palm of God’s hand and in the center of His adoring eye.
I believe the name Love is not just for me, but for every daughter of the King. Being made in God’s own image already grants us heavenly permission to embody His infinite acts of love. The power of Love makes the entire world tremble and radically transforms death into life. If we are called Love, we carry the perfume of compassion into every place we enter. Love stands last in line. Love plants seeds of hope in every desert and quenches the thirsty landscape with the flowing inner river of God’s living water. Love beholds visions and cries for dry bones to come to life. Love lives on Heaven’s timeline and surrenders all for God’s will. Love is who we really are and the reason we are here now. There are no words that rival the identity God has designed for you and I. And honestly, anything that doesn’t come from His hand steals the crown from its rightful place on our heads.
Your name is Love and God has created a view just for you – an awe-inspiring glimpse into the beauty of eternity.
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is to be more desired than great wealth. Favor is better than silver and gold.
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.
Contemplative Movement – Part 1
By: Rev. Clete Hux –
To varying degrees, all human beings seek their own autonomy or independence. This is especially true when it comes to a relationship with God our Creator. Suffice it to say that when we come into this world, we don’t come in running toward God. On the contrary, we come in running away from the God in whose image we are made. Shall we call it escape from reason? Frances Schaeffer did when he talked about a “natural theology” defined as man going his own independent way, not seeking the God of the Bible, nor taking the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice.
What Schaeffer meant by this “natural theology” and independence of man forsaking God is different from the revelation of God in nature. One is man driven. The other is God given. We have the general revelation of God’s existence through creation and conscience which Paul speaks of in the first chapter of Romans. All men are consciously aware of our Creator’s existence. Yet, man’s fallen nature wants to suppress this knowledge. For example, a pickpocket picks pockets, but resents his own pocket being picked. The same suppression goes for the knowledge of God salvifically through the special revelation of His word and His Son. Instead, man would rather seek God on his own terms, making himself the point of reference for life’s interpretation and application.
With this independent bent often being described as a thirst for spirituality, some people will gravitate to occult mysticism in hopes of having an experience with God. What He has provided in His word through a relationship with His Son and the guidance of His Holy Spirit seem never to be enough when confined only to what can be found within the scriptural context of the Bible.
The writer of Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” knew that our tendency is to “lean to our own understanding.” Because of the subjective nature of individual spiritual experiences, we are encouraged to trust in the unchanging God and the objectivity of His word. Church history is replete with people going after experiences outside biblical parameters and our day is no exception.
It has been said that the various charismatic movements over the years are attempts to experience God, and it could be argued that there is both legitimacy and illegitimacy to such. However, we would admit that a relationship with God through His Son’s intervention for us is experiential, yet, grounded in the proper bounds of His word. After all, is not the reason why the Father sent the Son…to pay our sin dept so that we can have an experiential relationship with Him? Of course, it is!
The problem is that mankind is forever devising ways to experience God unsanctioned by the one and only rule of faith and practice, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Instead, the idea of experiencing God has led to many subjective ways of being spiritual, which oftentimes has led to mysticism.
I mentioned occult mysticism, which can be defined as the attempt to obtain power through secret wisdom. This is the point where mysticism and gnosticism meet. This so-called secret occult knowledge has been around a long time through various forms such as Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology (involving the horoscope), Madame Helen Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society, many forms of parapsychology and other secret societies too numerous to count.
In our day we have the whole gamut of the contemplative prayer movement and lately, the Enneagram is spreading into the church. Years ago, while in seminary training, I became curious about Christian mysticism. So, I decided to ask one of my favorite professors, Frank M. Barker, Jr., one of the PCA’s founding fathers. He told me that in his opinion mysticism was nothing more than mythism. I will never forget his statement. With this in mind, let’s look briefly at the worldview of the two topics I mentioned: Contemplative Prayer and Richard Rohr’s version of The Enneagram.
Contemplative Movement
One of the most popular names associated with the contemplative movement is Richard Foster. Although having Quaker roots, which is problematic because of Quakerism’s “inner light” leading some toward neo-orthodoxy believing the Bible becomes the word God when one has a spiritual experience, Foster’s contemplative practices are really indebted to Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk. Merton’s mysticism resources can be found in the Catholic Church, much of the Evangelical Church, the Emergent Church Movement, and the New Age Movement. Indeed, many interfaith dialogues not only are promoting religious pluralism, but using some contemplative practices to do so.
Beyond Foster and Merton, there is Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest, touted by Tony Campolo as one of the great Christians of our time.1 Then there is Thomas Keating, another Catholic monk. And, while we’re at it, we need to mention Matthew Fox, former Catholic priest turned Episcopalian with his Creation Spirituality in which he teaches a panentheistic worldview. Panentheism is the belief that “all is in God/God is in all.” It is akin to what is known as Process Theology. A rudimentary illustration: God is in the world the way a soul is in the body and as the world processes, evolves and changes, so does God process, evolve and change. Obviously, this is not the God of Holy Scriptures who does not change regardless of what evolution-minded people might say.
The biggest danger to which one is exposed in the contemplative movement is a subtle erosion of the Creator/creature distinction toward a monistic or “synthesis of all things” understanding. This has much in common with Eastern mysticism that basically teaches all is one and all is divine by nature. Consider what Catholic monk Basil Penninton said in his book, Thomas Merton, My Brother: “The Spirit enlightened him [Merton] in the true synthesis [unity] of all and in the harmony of that huge chorus of living beings. In the midst of it he lived out a vision of the new world, where all divisions have fallen away and the divine goodness is perceived and enjoyed as present in all and through all.” 2
Merton, who is often quoted by Richard Foster, tells about a trip to Asia where he met Chatral [a Tibetan holy man] whom Merton regarded as the greatest Buddhist teacher he had met. In their conversations, Merton found that he agreed with this Buddhist regarding Dzogchen meditation, which promotes a non-dualistic worldview. This relates to the so-called “mindfulness meditation” curricula that exists in some public schools and other venues throughout the country. What I find interesting about Merton’s time with Chatral is that Merton records Chatral being surprised at getting on so well with a Christian, so much so, that Chatral said that something had to be wrong! Chatral was so surprised by their common meditation understanding that he called Merton a natural Buddha. In other words, there was harmonious agreement that their respective meditative practices were the same. Perhaps, this is the reason why Merton said that he would not be able to understand Christian teaching the way he did if it were not in the light of Buddhism.3
Another name is Brennan Manning, who in the past, endorsed Beatrice Bruteau as a “trustworthy guide to contemplative consciousness”. Bruteau founded two different schools of contemplative practices, both incorporating Hindu and Buddhist approaches to spirituality. This is understandable since Bruteau studied with the Ramakrishna order, named after famous Hindu swami Sri Ramakrishna.4
Golden Eyes King
By Eglaide Seiber
This poem honors the life of our beloved friend King
Golden Eyes King, white angel full of grace,
Watching every move I make
I still sense you standing by
Never departing my wounded sad soul
Still looking for answers and asking God, “Why?”
Your peaceful white presence
Always gave me so much joy
As an angel, you watched me close
As a friend, you always stood by
Where will I find you now that you’ve gone?
When I long for your watchful and loving golden eyes
Oh, I hurt for the times I didn’t hug you
And the busy times, I shut you away
I hurt for the times I ignored your gentle white presence
Following me around, watching me, and hoping
That I would just turn, say hi, or play.
A king following me as only a loyal servant can do
Your beautiful, peaceful, white presence will never die
Because you taught me how to truly love you
White angel with golden loving eyes
A Core Problem with the Core Kids Ministry
By Dawn Hill
The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Charles Spurgeon
One of the greatest privileges and blessings I have as a parent is to share the gospel with my children and to have meaningful moments of Biblical discipleship. Though it is not always picture perfect, there have been numerous opportunities to talk about Jesus, the cross, sin, repentance, and eternal life. There have been conversations with our seven-year-old daughter about reading the Bible, the importance of prayer, the facets of worship, and life lessons with Scriptural application. I would not trade these moments for anything.
When my daughter was three years old, I can recall her laying on prayer requests during intercessory prayer gatherings, lifting her hands while listening to radical worship music, and marching around as my shadow while I paced back and forth in prophetic declarations. This was during our time in the hyper charismatic movement. Personal experience was elevated, and I have no doubt that she would have gone down the same path had it not altered course. Over the past several years, things turned out much different than what I had expected or anticipated, but the changes have been for the better. This is not to say that I discourage her from lifting her hands in worship to God or in praying for others. Rather, I encourage her to return to the Word of God as the final authority for understanding God’s ways and instruction while sharing our need for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We never outgrow needing to hear the gospel.
I reflect on this in light of a children’s ministry called Core Kids, an offshoot from a women’s discipleship group, The Core Group. In order to be a Core Kid, the mother must be a member of The Core Group. I recently spent time watching some episodes directed towards children who are part of this group and the teachings being presented to the children. Some of these episodes have corresponding printable interactive workbook pages and journal pages covering topics such as breaking witchcraft and hearing a word from God. Monthly zoom meetings for these kids called Nights of Fire are held, and declarations that a children’s revival movement are being proclaimed in association with this group.
From what has been stated by the leader of the Core Group, the children are casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and rushing the stage to praise and to worship the Lord. They are laying on the platform crying and lifting their hands. They’re identified as being radical, and they are encouraged to lead now at their age, citing Isaiah 11:6 for confirmation.
When watching the teaching episodes for these children, I observed some things worth mentioning. I noted the teaching of the Law from the Old Testament without the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In one of the videos dealing with breaking witchcraft, the children were told they were forgiven of their participation with things such as tarot cards, objects of witchcrafts, and horoscopes. Yet there was no call to repentance for sin, no mention of the cross and the need for redemption. In other words, there was no good news. The thought occurred to me that perhaps a young person watched this video and had no understanding of why the things mentioned were a sin against God. What if they did not even ask God to forgive them, but the leader is telling them they are forgiven without personal repentance? This gives a false assurance of salvation and reconciliation without true repentance.
Personal testimonies from the leader were shared without the gospel being presented. I understand that we can be encouraged by other’s stories and testimonies of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace. At the same time, we must acknowledge that our personal testimony is not the gospel. People are not saved by our personal testimony. They are saved by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). They are saved by hearing the proclamation of the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the atonement of their sins.
The leader encouraged the children listening that they are to be “all in for God.” I wondered if the children knew what that meant, and if they believed “all in” meant having radical emotions and experiences. Does all in mean claims of casting out demons and prophesying? Does all in mean waving flags and jumping up and down with passion and enthusiasm? Does being all in mean that you blindly follow the leader without question? What happens to these young people when they feel nothing or the hype fades? Will they have lasting fruit testifying of Christ?
I am going to say some things that may spark frustration for those who disagree, and I mean no ill will or malice in saying these things. As a mother, I am thankful my daughter is no longer in this type of environment with this type of influence. Though I was not part of the Core Group, I was associated with similar beliefs and practices. As a mother, it saddens me to hear children hearing the Law apart from the gospel. Yes, our children need to understand the Law of God found in Scripture because they are sinners. Our children are not saved because we take them to church. They are born again when they receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. From there, they need proper Biblical discipleship within the church and within the home.
As adults, we need to understand the Law because it places a mirror before our face to show us our need for Christ. Having said that, if all one hears is the Law, then all one hears is legalism. You and I and our children need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, without apology and without compromise. This is the good news to the bad news of being a Law breaker. Our children are not someone else’s deliverer. Our children need to know the true Deliverer and as believers, they are to testify of Him for salvation of souls. Those who have been truly delivered by Christ Jesus from the domain of darkness will desire to walk in God’s ways and to obey His Word, not out of obligation but out of love for God.
My concern in these types of movements is that a superhero mentality is created to claim power and authority leading to pride, while using the name of Jesus for validation of the message. My concern is that emotional hype and experience are elevated and used as the litmus test for true passion for God, and those who are not as radical are called spiritually dead. My concern is that false converts are being manufactured, an eternal consequence that is too important not to voice these concerns. At the core of our Christian faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and though I hope my daughter unashamedly lifts her hands to God when meditating on His goodness and holiness, raised hands and outward expressions of zeal without knowledge will not mark her as a believer. That work lies in the power of God and the finished work of Christ on the cross, and that is sufficient.
Listen to this episode of The Lovesick Scribe podcast, discussing this topic in more detail: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: A Core Problem with the Core Kids Ministry on Apple Podcasts.
In Remembrance of Him
As we are celebrating Jesus Christ Resurrection this weekend,
we invite you to be partaking of the Holy Communion with us by
clicking on the link below:
Ladies Gave The First Resurrection Message
By: Brother Sam Waddell
MATTHEW 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. –5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Comments: Luke wrote: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other woman, Luke 24:10. (NKJV Matthew 28:1-10 and Luke 24:10).
These ladies were the first to see JESUS RESURRECTED. Why? Because they were the first ones there! JESUS loves all His followers the same, no matter the gifts or calling, but it is the ones who SEEK HIM FIRST who find Him. As James wrote: ” Draw near unto God and He will draw near unto you.” James 4:8 NKJV
REMEMBER, it is the ones who are there, when GOD MOVES, that get the BLESSING. Not the ones hiding away, or in bed with a hangover, or at the river fishing. If we want God, as Believers, we must pursue Him diligently and if we are lost sinners, we must repent, call on JESUS, to save us, and believe in Him, in our hearts, then pursue Him diligently. These ladies were first to the empty tomb. Then, JESUS appeared to them and sent them to tell the other Disciples, who weren’t there. Verse 9 “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So, they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.
Comments: JESUS always has a call and a mission for us. He sent these ladies to ANNOUNCE, to the other Disciple, that He had RISEN from the dead and that He would meet them in Galilee. All believers are called to ANNOUNCE THAT JESUS IS RISEN AND ALIVE AND HE RULES AND REIGNS FOREVERMORE. So go with JOY, like these ladies, and tell all those you know in this world, JESUS is alive and will meet them. If them turn around and COME TO HIM.
Brother Sam Waddell was a missionary in Africa and other parts of the world. He holds a M.Div. Theology, Missions and Evangelism at Asbury Theological Seminary.
Life in the Blood
By Fran Gardner Mora
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22
Have you ever watched an animal sacrifice scene in a historical documentary or show and marveled at just how horribly pagan and offensive the ritual was – and then thought, “These people were barbaric! What kind of god would …”
… And then you’re tracking along through Exodus and Leviticus and [insert the sound of screeching tires here] you come right up into chapters of scripture that detail the exact order of events when offering sacrifices to our God – and they include animal slaughter, catching blood in bowls, and sprinkling people and surfaces with the blood!
Because of my love for understanding God’s Word and my analytical nature, I found myself doing a deep dive into the possible answers to the question, “Why?” I didn’t hit the Internet or check the commentaries because I wanted the Holy Spirit to place His illumination on the subject.
I saw that the blood was sprinkled on people and smeared on specific parts of the body (ears, thumbs, big toes, etc.), which means that the blood of the sacrificial animal would have, undoubtedly, gotten on their clothes. Also, when men brought animals to be sacrificed, they had to slaughter them at the place where they burnt the offerings, which was a messy task! At this time in history, clothes were not washed very often, so these people would have walked around for days, or maybe weeks, with the stains – and the smell – of the blood on their person. Very disgusting! The priests, however, were told to wash their garments if they got blood on them.
Scripture also tells us that life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:14). But once the blood leaves the body, life leaves the blood, and it becomes putrid. So, sin causes this cycle of death and waste that destroys both the innocent and the innocence. In the sequence of events that were prescribed for sacrificial atonement, it seems that God wanted us to be conscious of His blood covenant with us. But, perhaps God was also demonstrating that atonement for sin is very costly and that we should bear the smell of the sacrifice in our nostrils as a reminder that life is sacred. It’s no small thing for one life to be slain for another, whether it’s a full-growth bull or a tiny dove.
But Jesus ended the requirement of wearing the stench and shame of our own sin. By pouring out His righteous and precious blood and taking the cup of the sins of humanity, He placed the seal of redemption on us and gave us the only way back into the Fathers holy presence. His blood carries eternal life, washes away all other blood and guilt, and restores our purity and innocence. We are free to hope because we are validated by this new covenant and not bound by lies. We are free to love because we can move in the graciousness of God and not be bound by fear. We can live to the fullest because we can drink from the flow of living water and not be limited by thirst.
Oh, Jesus, I love you. The only thing that I can ever do to thank you for my salvation is to serve You by humbly serving others, to honor You by being a reflection of You to those around me, and to glorify You by making Your influence over my life known. Holy Spirit, help me to do this well. Increase my measures of faith and perseverance, place before me anointed opportunities, and breathe into me a mighty, fresh wind. Amen.
And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:24
https://www.pearlsandpresence.com/
January 6th Two Years Later
By: Jeff Sutherland
Two years ago, on January 6th congress was counting electoral votes to decide the election. There has been over 1000 lawsuits brought against the votes claiming fraud and despite that, these were ignored, and Biden was elected President.
Uncountable millions of hours on media and social media have backed that President Trump incited an insurrection, calling people to kill and destroy our democracy. But in reality, our democracy is a constitutional republic where the winner of the electoral college in each state ultimately decides the outcome of the election and congress approves the vote.
A committee was formed to look into the happenings on that day but only those who hated Trump were allowed to be on the committee. When one side or other controls the media, education, congress, and the Presidency, where it is considered almost unlawful to discuss anything, we are turning Marxist in our government thinking. The first amendment is being butchered.
While in college I ran around with the people in the Debate Club. At the time they were discussing nuclear armament. You would get up and argue for disarmament then thirty minutes later you were required to argue for armament. Imagine if school was still taught this way where both sides are exposed, discussed and thought through rather than just decided that your side is right and everyone who doesn’t believe that is wrong. Even if you are right and the other side is wrong, we can be civil and discuss the issues. This has not happened.
One side hates Trump and will do anything to make sure he is never able to run for President again. The other side believes that Biden has done well, heading our country in the right direction, determined to shut up the right and their thinking.
In the founding of our country, over the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, there was much debate that lasted for months. However, there was one agreement, a general consensus that no matter what direction we took as a country, that God, not government was the giver of our rights. This thinking lasted well into the 20th century where President Eisenhower began his inaugural address with a prayer to God that we would continue to look to Him for answers, for security and that He would lead and guide us as a country of believers. January 20, 1953. He was a general in world war two and was determined to keep our country focused not on arguing with the other side but focusing together on our walk with the Lord. He is the one who added “one nation, under God” in our pledge of allegiance. He determined to put, ‘in God we trust’ on our money. He was not considered a radical but a man who wanted to continue to lead this country as our founding fathers did, focusing on putting God first in everything.
Everything about January 6th 2021flies in the face of this thinking. It is a small tip of a huge iceberg headed right at our capitol. This isn’t even about politics, there is a much deeper more sinister root to this malodorous bloom that started in the 20th century.
But how do we fix the problem? As a former landscaper, I can tell you that if the real problem is in the roots of a plant, you will never fix it by pruning, fertilizing, or doing anything to the top of the plant. Our country wants to focus on everything but the roots.
There is a great example in the Bible of how to deal with problems. It is found in John 8.
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning He came again into the temple area, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began teaching them. 3 Now the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 Now they were saying this to test Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard. 10 And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [a]Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.”
Consider the Pharisees. They thought it would be great to show Jesus this woman caught in sin. They may have thought that He would bless them for exposing this ‘evil’ woman. He didn’t. His statement hit right at the heart of the problem. He who is without sin, cast the first stone. None did. Jesus is the only one who could have but He didn’t either. He simply told her to go and sin no more.
This small teaching, if applied to January 6, our government and those involved, would simply realize our own sin, drop the stones we are ready to throw at others we could make a huge repentant turn across this whole country.
Resurrection is Coming
By: Tresa Walker
Think about that feeling of waiting expectantly for something. Christmas and birthdays as a child, your wedding day, the birth of a baby, a long anticipated visit or trip, milestone birthdays (maybe when you were younger, now you probably dread those big birthdays). Most of the time, our wait is a few short weeks, months or maybe even years. But there is coming a day that Christians have awaited for nearly 2,000 years! John 5:28-29 says, “A time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come out — those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.” For believers, there is a glorious new life in our future that is much more than anything this earthly life can provide. The joy will far surpass anything we have anticipated here on earth, and it will be a joy that endures through eternity!
Easter is a time of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but the events prior to the resurrection were heartbreaking for those who witnessed the events. Jesus was betrayed, arrested, tortured, and then crucified on a rugged cross and died for all to see. The Gospels retell the details of these events leading to the death of Jesus. After His death, His body was wrapped in linen cloth and placed in an empty tomb which was sealed with a heavy stone. The tomb was then secured by guards to ensure that no one could attempt to steal His body under cover of night and then falsely claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. But no stone or army of guards could have compromised God’s perfect plan!
On the third day, an angel appeared at the tomb and removed the stone causing the guards to collapse in shock. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James went to the tomb to anoint His body with burial spices, and the angel announced that Jesus had risen from the grave. The tomb was empty! Imagine the confusion the women must have felt. In Matthew 28:6, the angel said to the women, “He is not here! For he has been resurrected, just as he said.”
Just as He said! Jesus had predicted His own death and resurrection and tried to prepare His disciples for this moment on three different occasions. Matthew 16:21 says, “From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” Similar statements are also found in Matthew 17:23 and 20:18-19. This idea was completely incomprehensible to them, so they did not grasp the concept of resurrection and His future return.
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christian belief. If Jesus had not resurrected from the grave, He would have simply been a great teacher. But He conquered death just as He predicted and as had been prophesied many times in the Old Testament 700 years prior to His crucifixion! Jesus was truly the long awaited Messiah, the Savior of the World which was precisely who He claimed to be! Everything prophesied had come to fruition. Everything believers of that time had trusted, shared, and held onto had become reality because death could not hold our Savior in the grave! And everything that we hope for today is irrevocable truth!
The story of Jesus did not end at the tomb. He arose victoriously from the grave! Therefore, the story of a Christian’s life doesn’t end at the grave either. This is confirmed in John 3:16-17 which says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” His resurrection changed everything! It finalizes God’s promise of eternal life for those who believe. If there had been no resurrection, there would be no basis for our belief as Christians.
After hearing from the angel that Jesus had been raised from the grave and seeing the empty tomb, the two women left full of joy and ran to tell the good news of the resurrection. Jesus then met them on the road, and they immediately fell at His feet in worship. What a moment! Their beloved Jesus was alive! He had conquered death and rose from the grave just as he claimed he would do!
His resurrection gives us confidence that there is more to our existence than just this earthly life of pain and sorrow. It gives us hope of everlasting life with the almighty God. It gives us assurance that what we hope for is real. The resurrection fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and secured the promise that followers of Jesus would have everlasting life. John 11:25 states, “Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.’” Because Jesus is life, those who believe will be resurrected to new life with Him. Even when we die, death will not defeat believers; we will have eternal life. We will be raised to everlasting glory!
As Easter draws near, make time to reflect on the resurrection. Death did not win the victory. Jesus did! Reflect on the empty tomb that could not hold our Savior. Reflect on the witnesses who saw Him, touched Him, and worshiped Jesus in all His glory. Reflect on the love of a Savior who took onto himself every sin that you have ever committed and then suffered and died in your place so that you could have eternal life. Reflect on the promises of a resurrection to a new life in glory that we have been promised as believers. The resurrection for believers is coming! Until that day, worship Him, teach about Him so that others may believe, and faithfully wait with joy and anticipation for that day! What a day, glorious day that will be!
