Tag: faith

Featured Writers, Guest Post, Jesus, Mental Health

TWO DAUGHTERS

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?'” 

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”   (Mark 5:21-34)

This record in Mark chapter five of God’s word tells of a contrasting pair of incidents in the ministry of Jesus featuring two different daughters.  One, the daughter of a prominent member of their community who came boldly to Jesus on her behalf to plead for her healing to save her life.  The other a lonely, rejected outcast who approached Jesus secretly in a desperate attempt to be healed also.  The plea in both cases was the same: please heal her body; but the needs were entirely different.

The father came confidently to invite Jesus into his home while the lonely woman sneaked up behind Jesus only hoping to touch his garment without daring to even speak to him.  Without friends or family to help her, ashamed to even be seen in public, struggling just get some relief from her pain and misery, never daring to hope for anything more in life.

And Jesus responded to the needs of both daughters, not exactly in the way they expected.  Yet he provided them with so much more than they sought.  Even though neither one of these situations were on the agenda for that day, Jesus stopped what he was doing to go to the father’s home and heal his daughter until he was interrupted again by that touch on his garment from a bleeding woman who couldn’t even dare to speak to him personally.

But her need was so great that Jesus stopped everything to help her.  The bleeding stopped as soon as she touched his garment according to verse 29, but she still had other needs.  So, Jesus called out for her to come to him.  He knew who she was, but he was going to introduce her to the crowd that day.  Note that verse 29 clearly states that “she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”  It doesn’t say that she was healed.

Like many of us she still suffered from guilt, shame, rejection and neglect.  So, Jesus called her to him, gave her his undivided attention in front of the crowd, listened to her whole story and then gave her his approval and affirmation in verse 34.  (He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”)  Only then was her healing complete.

I believe the Holy Spirit inspired this record to teach us that we need to complete the healing process in our own lives by confessing the whole truth to Jesus about our lives and receive his blessing and affirmation after we have received his payment for our sins.  Freeing us from the guilt, shame, regret and despair we are keeping hidden from those around us.

As great as our eternal salvation is, there is still more that needs to be corrected in our lives to make us whole.  Making our transformation complete as children of God.  He doesn’t want to see us limping into eternity carrying the weight of the past with us.  He continues to call to us to come to Jesus and be set free from the chains of our own making.  Our offenses against our Heavenly Father may be gone but the damage of our mistakes and foolish choices remain until we confess the whole truth as that dear woman did.  Setting her free from the nightmare of her past once and for all.

Only when we bring everything to Jesus and release it to his loving mercy can we experience the true freedom and joy he is offering us.  A relationship with no hidden barriers or secrets that hold us captive to fear.  Trusting that he can heal us from it all.  That is the faith that will ultimately free us from the fear and despair that our guilt, shame and regret produce in our lives.  That woman’s bleeding may have stopped when she touched Jesus’ robe, but her healing didn’t come until she fell before Jesus and personally confessed everything to him, surrendering to all of his mercies.

And, yes, Jesus did go on to heal the other daughter that day in response to her father’s faith, even though she had already died.  In this case Jesus healed both daughters, freeing them from death and a living nightmare. Jesus met their needs  beyond the requests made that day in the same way that he stands ready to meet all of our needs today, if we just trust him.  

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us  (Eph 3:20)

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  (Heb 10:23)

By Gary DeRemer

Charles J. Rolls, Featured Writers, God Loves Us, J3 Khai Ambassadors, J3 Khai Restoration, J3Khai Ambassadors, Jehovah, Jesus, Messiah, Recommended Reading, Yahweh, Yehovah

The Christ of God

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

The people answered Him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever (John 12:34).

Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).

The Christ of God is the hope of glory, for He is the glory of our hope. The title means the anointed One, appointed of God to guard and guide the redeemed host. The rare qualities of the Christ ravish the heart, renew the mind and refresh the soul to the utmost repleteness of satisfaction, until we become complete in Him. Christ in His fairness incorporates the fullness and faithfulness of Godhead bodily. He is the Fountain of ceaseless freshness and compassionate forgiveness; He is also the Foundation of constant friendship and consistent fellowship. The Christ is eminently gracious, extremely precious and exceptionally glorious. He is the Judge of the brutish, but the Justifier of the believer. His anointing attests His kingship and affirms His priesthood, by means of which offices He regains all authority from the adversary and reigns unabatingly through the ages.

Christ is the supreme One in a special sense: He is indivisible in purpose, irresistible in integrity and invincible in strength. His ministry was governed by one superior motive. He was ever in perfect harmony with the mind of heaven, engrossed and enthralled by the Father’s will. His whole being was girded with glorious strength, He was anointed by almighty authority, robed in resolute righteousness and went into battle against the foe fully armed with the accouterments of moral valor and spiritual virtue. The enemy’s glamorous reserves of angels, principalities and powers were amassed in clamorous array to defeat Him. At the central arena of the conflict stood a brutal cross, the emblem of shame and contempt to which wicked hands had nailed Him. The amalgamated forces of evil were enlisted against Him, the power of death was in the hand of the enemy, the whole weight of infernal hatred, diabolical malice and fiendish enmity confronted Him in that crucial hour; but His armor was impenetrable. He triumphed gloriously and made a full exposure of the great adversary (Colossians 2:15), a conquest which entitled Christ to hurl the deceiver from the battlements on high (John 12:31). This Christ is our conqueror valiant in victory. His eternal triumph is attended with resurrection mastery, ascension glory and coronation majesty. The Devil is thoroughly defeated and completely vanquished.

Charles J. Rolls, The Indescribable Christ: Names and Titles of Jesus Christ: A-G (Loizeaux Brothers, 1984).

Personal Prayer:

Jesus you, the Messiah of God is the hope of glory, for you are the glory of my hope. Your title means the anointed One, appointed of God to guard and guide the redeemed host. Your rare qualities ravish my heart, renew my mind and refresh my soul to the utmost repleteness of satisfaction, until I become complete in you. Messiah Jesus your fairness incorporates the fullness and faithfulness of Godhead bodily. You are the Fountain of ceaseless freshness and compassionate forgiveness; you are also the Foundation of constant friendship and consistent fellowship. You are eminently gracious, extremely precious and exceptionally glorious. You are the Judge of the brutish, but the Justifier of the believer. Your anointing attests your Kingship and affirms your Priesthood, by means of which offices you regained all authority from the adversary and reign unabatingly through the ages.

Messiah Jesus you are the supreme One in a special sense: you are indivisible in purpose, irresistible in integrity and invincible in strength. Your ministry is governed by one superior motive. You are always in perfect harmony with the mind of heaven, engrossed and enthralled by the Father’s will. Your whole being is girded with glorious strength, anointed by almighty authority, robed in resolute righteousness and you go into battle against the foe fully armed with the accouterments of moral valor and spiritual virtue. The enemy’s glamorous reserves of angels, principalities and powers were amassed in clamorous array to defeat you. At the central arena of the conflict stood a brutal cross, the emblem of shame and contempt to which wicked hands had nailed you. The amalgamated forces of evil were enlisted against you, the power of death was in the hand of the enemy, the whole weight of infernal hatred, diabolical malice and fiendish enmity confronted you Messiah Jesus in that crucial hour; but your armor was impenetrable. You triumphed gloriously and made a full exposure of the great adversary (Colossians 2:15), a conquest which entitled you to hurl the deceiver from the battlements on high (John 12:31). Messiah Jesus you are my conqueror valiant in victory. Your eternal triumph is attended with resurrection mastery, ascension glory and coronation majesty. The Devil is thoroughly defeated and completely vanquished.

Note: The English word Christ means Messiah. I prefer to use Messiah, using it helps me better remember that Jesus is Father God’s Sent and Anointed One. 

Charles J. Rolls, Featured Writers, God Loves Us, J3 Khai Ambassadors, J3 Khai Restoration, J3Khai Ambassadors, Jehovah, Jesus, Messiah, The Daily Blessing, Yahweh, Yehovah

The Chosen of God

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

From Charles J. Rolls, The Indescribable Christ: Names and Titles of Jesus Christ: A-G

And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let Him save himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God (Luke 23:35).

My servant whom I have chosen (Isaiah 43:10).

Jesus Christ is assuredly preferred above all by the very heart of the eternal God; for He is distinguished beyond all others in the heaven of glory and is pre-eminently desirable because of His holiness in grace and goodness. This same Chosen of God is the One in whom we have been chosen for eternal companionship. What an honor! (John 15:16) To be thus initiated into such an association is one of the inestimable privileges of our relationship in the Beloved. Jesus Christ is God’s Elect, the stateliest of the sanctified, in whom the Father’s soul delighteth because He can never fail in fulfilling the eternal purpose and glorifies the immortal Majesty in all things (Isaiah 42:1).

Jesus Christ is the Chosen of God because of His comely character, because of His charming countenance, because of His changeless constancy, because of His crowning capability and by virtue of His complete conformity in discharging every obligation to do the will and work of God. What an object for our heart’s affection is this unmatched, unequaled, unexcelled chosen of God? We should take particular notice of the sacred simplicity, stately sublimity and the sterling sincerity that characterized all His actions.

The affection of the Father had a perfect object in His Chosen and therefore He had no need to choose us; but we are nevertheless chosen in Him who is the Chosen of God, which reality is according to the good pleasure of His will. God is inconceivably pleased with His Chosen, because His and God’s blended interests form the essence of mutual harmony and their agreement is the very soul of affectionate accord and abounding amity. Herein we approach the fathomless mystery of Godhead and comprehend in some small degree the perfect consciousness of prevailing calm which abides the ages.

All resources are revealed in a Person, whether they be the realities of goodness, the riches of grace, the rays of glory or the rarest of gifts. All reach us through the Chosen of God. No spiritual blessing comes to us by blind chance but by divine choice. We are chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, we are called in Him, justified in Him and blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3–7). These stupendous verities magnify the amazing mystery of reconciliation which was wrought by one infinitely blessed. Who could doubt acceptance with God in One so acceptable? No one who selects the Savior as Surety and Substitute will ever regret the step taken. God rests in Him, in Him I rest, even “My servant whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 43:10).

 Charles J. Rolls, The Indescribable Christ: Names and Titles of Jesus Christ: A-G (Loizeaux Brothers, 1984).

David Coffield, Featured Writers, God Loves Us, Guest Post, Jehovah, Jesus, Messiah, Testimonies, Yahweh, Yehovah

“but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven””

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

I have a sticky note on my desk speaking of Luke 10.  It struck me as I was reading through the gospel.  Luke 10:17-20.  Jesus sends 70 out and He gives them power over demons and to heal.  It would be the equivalent of waking up in the morning and discovering you had the powers of Superman or Spiderman.  What you could do was astounding, amazing, spectacular.  You were above mere mortals.

To that Jesus responds (my paraphrase), “You guys think that is something?  I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning”.  And then He says in verse 20, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven”.

Our value and worth to God resides in our relationship with Him as sons and daughters, never in our abilities or strengths or accomplishments.  We are to rejoice in who we are to God, not in what we can do.

All of our culture, all of our upbringing, most of our experiences teaches the opposite.  People have value because they are important, intelligent, wealthy, beautiful, productive.  We have a book in the country entitled “Who’s Who”.  We have sports competitions, quiz shows, Mensa, Suma Cum Laude, advanced degrees, etc.

I don’t have to perform for God.  Not only do I not need to perform but there is nothing in me that can accomplish His work.  The Holy Spirit is the One accomplishing the building of the Kingdom of God.  He gives salvation, understanding, motivation, the desire to participate with our Father in what He is doing.  It is His desire to bring glory to Jesus and He is good at what He does.  

It is wonderful to rest in our relationship with Jesus.  It has been granted us by grace.  It can’t be earned, it can’t be bought, it can’t be lost.  We can get misguided, confused, and led astray which Satan delights in and works at.  But we can’t escape the loving hand of our Savior.  May the Lord give us grace to maintain that focus!

You remain daily in my prayers and on my heart,

Your brother,

David

David Coffield, Featured Writers, Guest Post, Jesus, Messiah, Yahweh, Yehovah

Called . . . Beloved . . . Kept

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

Our couple’s study is working on Jude, and I was struck by verse 1.  “…To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.”  This verse says nothing about our responsibility or actions—only the sovereign work of our Father.

“Called”.  Funny that I have never heard a group of Christians calling themselves “the called”.  It emphasizes the sovereign work and choice of God.  God doesn’t call those who are worthy because there is no one worthy.  He saves sinners.  We will be sinners until we stand in His presence and this body of flesh is done away with.  It is not about my works or efforts but about His mercy and grace.

“Beloved”.  This describes our relationship with our Father.  For some inscrutable reason, He has chosen to love us.  He can’t love us more than He does or less than He does.  He loves us perfectly and deeply.  We are always on His thoughts and in His heart.  I think we do a sad disservice when we teach people that our sin separates us in the relationship and causes the Father to be angry with us.  We end up living as Pharisees constantly concerned that we are not good enough and striving to do more and be better.

There is nothing good about sin.  Romans 6 gives 3 reasons not to be involved in sin.  1-We are dead to it.  2-God has provided something better.    3-Sin produces crap and who wants crap?  But if we live thinking that less “sin” (whatever that looks like) makes us more like Jesus we are deceived.  Walking with Jesus makes us more like Jesus.  We won’t walk with Jesus if we think He has something against us or if we think we aren’t good enough.

We can’t move out of the state of being beloved by the Father.

“Kept”.  People lose things all the time.  If you are a professional athlete, you know that you are only secure as long as you can perform adequately.  There is always someone younger, faster, stronger, etc.  We are held in the hand of the Jesus, and we are forever secure, not because we can perform but because He loves us.

Letter from David Coffield.

Featured Writers, God Loves Us, Jehovah, Jesus, Mental Health, Messiah, Recommended Reading, Sylvia Gunter, Yahweh

God is Able

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

You can sign up to receive Sylvia Gunters weekly devotional at: https://thefathersbusiness.com/devotion/god-is-able/

Able is the Greek word dunatos, related to dunamis, meaning ability, abundance, capability, mighty works, miraculous power, prevailing strength. “God is able” means God has the mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength. Romans 16:25 says God is able to establish you. Listen to the richness of the verse when read with its full definition “God has mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength to establish you.”

Bring your inability to the ability of God. As you read these verses drink in the bigness of God as you replace “able” with “has the mighty power to do a miraculous work out of His abundance and strength.”

God is …
Able to give much more. 2 Chron 25:9
Able to deliver from fire. Dan 3:17
Able to raise up children of Abraham from stones. Mat 3:9
Able to give sight to the blind. Mat 9:28-29
Able to destroy in hell. Mat 10:28, James 4:12
Able to perform what He promised. Rom 4:21
Able to graft in the Gentiles. Rom 11:23
Able to make you stand. Rom 14:4
Able to establish you. Rom 16:25
Able to make a way through temptation. 1 Cor 10:13
Able to make all grace abound to you. 2 Cor 9:8
Able to do exceedingly beyond all your asking. Eph 3:20
Able to subdue everything under His control. Phil 3:21
Able to keep all we have committed to Him. 2 Tim 1:12
Able to help the tempted. Heb 2:18
Able to save from death. Heb 5:7
Able to save completely, to the utmost. Heb 7:25
Able to raise men from the dead. Heb 11:19
Able to keep you from falling and to present you before His presence without fault and with great joy. Jude 24

To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 25

Be blessed in the name of God who is able.

© Sylvia Gunter, 2016, Prayer Essentials For Living In His Presence Volume 1,

David Coffield, Featured Writers, God Loves Us, Guest Post, Jesus, Testimonies, Yahweh

What is the will of God for you?

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

Rejoice always, talk with God continually, and thank him for everything.

This is a letter from Dave Coffield, shared with you with his permission.

“Several of us are studying our way through 1 Thessalonians, and I am struck by 5:16,17,18.  ‘Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.‘ One of the guys in the study, Russ, suggested that all 3 verses represent God’s will for us.  I had never considered that before, and I am grateful for his input.

‘Rejoice always.’  It doesn’t say to be happy always.  Rejoice is a choice I make with my will to lift my heart to God in gratefulness regardless of the circumstances.  It is our ability to rejoice in hard and unpleasant circumstances that bear testimony to a watching world to the reality of God and our faith.  It is a compass heading.  I don’t always do a good job of it.

‘Pray without ceasing.’  We can pray without ceasing because our God is always present with us.  We are always in communication; the line is always open.  

Our sin doesn’t separate us from God.  In the early days I believed and taught that.  However, all of our sins have been forgiven on Calvary, past, present, and future.  All of them.  We don’t have to connect with God or regard Him, but He lives inside of us.  We carry Him around with us and Psalm 139 says He has intimate knowledge of us.  Every word, every thought, every deed.

So, the Lord and I talk all day long.  He is a constant companion, an ardent listener and deeply loving of us.  Incredible.  There is nothing that we can’t share with Him, nothing that He doesn’t know, and nothing that He doesn’t care about.  Incredible.  How lonely must be the life of an unbeliever!

‘In everything give thanks.’  We don’t have to feel thankful.  We don’t have to see the event as ‘good.’  We can give thanks because our Father is absolutely sovereign over this world and its smallest events.  So, what we see as an accident, an intrusion, a mistake, is all from the hand of our sovereign Father to accomplish His purposes.  We can give thanks because our Father loves us with a matchless, wonderful, profound love.

So, this is God’s will for us.  May our lives move in this direction.”

David Coffield, Featured Writers, Guest Post, Jehovah, Jesus, Mental Health, Messiah, Recommended Reading, Testimonies, Uncategorized, Yahweh, Yehovah

Embrace the suck

Michael J. Weiss, Sr.

Written by Dave Coffield

“God is far more likely to use pain, suffering, sorrow, grief, troubles, and such to grow us up into the character and image of His Son than He is to use happy times and pleasure.  I know what I like better.”  

“There is a reason that James says to ‘count it all joy when you encounter various trials’ and Paul says, ‘not only this but we also exult in our tribulations‘.  What would it be like to rejoice in the goodness of the Lord in the difficult times that He brings into our lives to accomplish good things in us?”

“The Army has a term I like.  ‘Embrace the suck’.  The understanding that you will be in environments that are difficult, painful, stressful, etc.  You endure it.  Hebrews says of Jesus, ‘Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame…‘”