A New Name!!

Elohim gave Gideon a new name. Instead of naming him according to how he appeared at that precise moment, which was “scared man hiding in the winepress”, the Creator of Heaven and Earth called Gideon by the name befitting His calling and destiny for his life, “mighty man of valor”.

Have you ever noticed the personality transformation of someone who’s been given a new name? It happens in the workplace all the time; a grocery store “manager” no longer resembles the carefree kid who was first hired as a “bagger”, nor does an impressive, successful “businessman” act like the reckless “class clown” he once was. And how about all of us who transition from “single” to “married” and, eventually, “mother” or “father”? These are just a few examples of how a life can be transformed once receiving and rising up to the higher standards of “a new name”.

As born-again children of the Most-High, Abba-YHWH, we’ve also been given “a new name”—a written, secret name our Father has given each and every one of us. It’s not a common name like John or Mary, but one which denotes Elohim’s specifically designed purpose for each of our lives. Furthermore, because it’s a secret name, it is a name that no one else knows or can even understand except the Father who gives it and His child who receives it.

Therefore, let us come boldly to Abba-YHWH’s Throne of Grace asking Him to reveal His new name for our lives that we may begin to mature in it, too, rising up to meet its standards just as Gideon did, in the Name and by the Blood of Yeshua Ha’ Mashiach, Messiah Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

[Tracie Justice]

Judges 6:12 ... And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Revelation 2:17 ... He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. ❤

Solomon's Song ...

When inward piety is low, then the externals of religion are frequently made much of. The Pharisees, who were furthest from God, were the most bitter advocates of ritualism and formalism. They would not even have a man healed on the Sabbath day or allow the hungry to rub a few ears of corn out of the husks.

It is not always so, but yet too often:  "The nearer the church, the further from God."

The more of religious display, the less of genuine grace.  The more visible religiosity, the less of heart holiness.   The more of religious machinery, the less of true godliness.

Beloved, let us not only have Christ in the head, but Christ in the heart. Know all we can about Him, for everything we learn about Jesus, ought to be another argument for affection to Him. How I loved Him when I only knew myself as a sinner, and Jesus as a Savior. But oh, I love Him more as I see my greater sinfulness, and his greater mercy and grace!

Oh, to get more knowledge, and then to have our hearts enlarged that we may love Him more and more! You can love other things too much; but not your Lord. Embrace Him. Cry in the language of Solomon's Song, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!" The unsaved do not understand this Song: they say it is a mere love-ditty. They never will understand it until the Lord Jesus is precious to their hearts; and when He is once there as their joy and their all, then they will need just such golden speech as Solomon's Song.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Song of Solomon 1:2 ...  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

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Reaching For a Miracle

I think the story of the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years stands out as a powerful example of how God as the ONLY ultimate LIFE SOURCE can supply the BEST in medical coverage.

Where man’s ways often fail and have multiple negative side effects. Jesus offers LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10) with no medical bills and no negative side effects. Think about that.

I often marvel at the level of faith that people have for doctors and the entire medical system. Yet many don’t realize the third leading cause of death is medical malpractice. Mistakes that doctors make along the way. Not to mention the wake of millions of permanently injured people via Big Pharma vaccines, chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation.

I think of the secret battles going on right now of millions of people suffering going from doctor to doctor spending all their life savings on trying to deal with some tormenting health condition. Think of the living nightmare of the woman with the issue of blood. The level of social rejection. The embarrassment and horror of suffering with this potentially painful, messy, unending condition and having no hope.

I wonder if she contemplated taking her own life. The utter misery of it all. I think of millions today who can’t afford health insurance and have no back up emergency fund. They live check to check. Barely surviving.

Then Jesus arrives. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Not just for those in the New Testament but for those who live on earth in 2026. Which includes you and me.

Do you need a miracle?? Read this story with fresh faith and reach for Jesus with new hope. God wants to heal you today!

[Troi Nelson Cockayne]

Luke 8:43-48 ... And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.  And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. ❤

"Covetousness"

Covetousness is explicit idolatry. Covetousness is the darling sin of our nation. This leprosy has infected all sorts and ranks of men. Covetousness being idolatry and the root of all evil, is highly provoking to God. Whatever a man loves most and best that is his god.

The covetous man looks upon the riches of the world as: his Heaven, his happiness,

his great ALL. His heart is most upon the world, his thoughts are most upon the world, his affections are most upon the world, his discourse is most about the world.

He who has his mind taken up with the world, and chiefly delighted with the world's music he has also his tongue tuned to the same key and takes his joy and comfort in speaking of the world and worldly things. If the world is in the heart, it will break out at the lips. A worldly-minded man speaks of nothing but worldly things. "They are of the world; therefore, they speak of the world," John 4:5. The love of this world oils the tongue for worldly discourses, and makes men forget God, neglect Christ, despise holiness, forfeit Heaven.

Ah! the time, the thoughts, the strength, the efforts which are spent upon the world, and the things of the world while sinners' souls lie a-bleeding, and eternity is hastening upon them! I have read of a greedy banker, who was always best when he was most in talking of money. Being near his death, he was much pressed to make his WILL. Finally, he dictates:

"First, I bequeath my own soul to the devil, for being so greedy for the muck of this world!

Secondly, I bequeath my wife's soul to the devil, for persuading me to this worldly course of life.

Thirdly, I bequeath my pastor's soul to the devil, because he did not show me the danger I lived in, nor reprove me for it!"

[Thomas Brooks]

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1 Timothy 6:9 ... But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Colossians 3:5 ...  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ❤

250 Years!!

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

 Psalm 32:12 ...  Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

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Kingdom of Christ

As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday this week, we reflect on God’s providence and blessing on this nation over the past two and half centuries. And while America has been a blessed country, it is like any other nation that will rise and fall. It is up to the Lord and His sovereignty if the United States will last another 250 years. He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations and leads them away. (Job 12:23)

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries. (Acts 17:26)

But the good news that we have is that the kingdom of Christ will last forever. We do not have be so concerned about our nation, our government, or even our politicians. They will all let us down at some point or another. And if this great country falls away one day, the Kingdom of Christ will remain.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14)

And one day, all of the kingdoms of world (including America) will eventually be gone forever. I pray that as we celebrate the big 250 this week, that we do not lose focus of our eternal hope!

                                                             christianphotoshops.com

Revelation 11:15 ... And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ❤

J.U.L.Y.

 

J. ~ Jesus first in everything.  Matthew 6:33

U. ~ Understand God's will.  Ephesians 5:17

L. ~ Let your light shine. Matthew 5:16

Y. ~ Yield your plans to God. Proverbs 16:3

Choose Jesus!

When it's difficult.

When it's easy.

When it's chaotic.

When it's peaceful.

In Joy and in Sadness.

Keep choosing Him.

[message from the Internet]

Deuteronomy 30:19 ... I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: ❤

Could You Be?

 Would you call beloved departed believers back to earth again?

Would you wish them back, back from the presence of the Lamb?

Back from the sweets of glory to the bitterness of time?

Back from those rivers of pure pleasure which flow at God's right hand--to the muddied streams in this valley of sorrow?

After they have reached the haven of rest would you recall them to struggle again with the storms of life?

Could you be so selfish and so cruel?

[G. Whyte]

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Revelation 21:3-4 ... And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Psalm 36:8 ... They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

Psalm 16:11 ... Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. ❤

Is Hell Real?

Hell exists, and everyone deserves it. When we understand God for who He is as perfectly holy, we immediately see not only who He is, but who we are utterly sinful. Some speak of hell as the absence of God, but hell is not the absence of God absolutely; indeed, it is the presence of God in wrath. Hell is the presence of God the righteous wrath of God, as unbelievers suffer the torments of their ruinous sin forever. 

The point is this: a penitent murderer goes to heaven; an impenitent orphanage founder goes to hell. All of our badness does not make us harder to save. All of our goodness does not make us easier to save. The world tends to believe that heaven is for the good, and hell is for the bad. The Bible teaches that heaven is for the penitent, and hell is for the impenitent however good or bad anyone has been. Jesus had no hesitation warning the crowds of the horrors of hell, because He, more than anyone, saw the true frightfulness of it. No one who ever lived will receive injustice from God. Some will receive mercy. The rest will receive justice. 

No one is ever treated by God unfairly. (Genesis 18:25) We tend to think that the default destiny of all people is heaven, and that hell is reserved for the particularly wicked. But in truth our default destiny is hell, and heaven is reserved for those who honestly admit their wickedness and look to Christ alone for salvation. More than likely, in the next few days, within a few miles of the spot where you are sitting right now, someone will descend into hell. We are not any further from hell if we've lived a moral life. 

We are not any closer to hell if we've lived an immoral life. Heaven is not for the deserving. It is for the repentant. Hell is not for the undeserving. It is for the unrepentant. Hell is filled with people who think they should be in heaven. Heaven is filled with people who know they should be in hell. The astonishing surprise is not that there is only one way to get to heaven. The astonishing surprise is that there is any way to get to heaven for miserable sinners such as us. 

[Dane Ortlund] 

Ephesians 2:3-5 ... Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

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New Beings!!

 Dear friends and cowfolk,

We do not control the Holy Spirit but evidence of His presence within us and the effects of His power are prominent and visible in the changes He brings to our very nature.

No longer do we desire to pursue the sins of our past. No longer are we bound by sin to worldly despair. We are freed from our bonds and walk a narrow path that is distant from our prior dark hearts and broken behavior. We are born again. We are new beings through the Holy Spirit!

Jesus is Lord!

John 3:6-8 ... That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ❤