Author: Shean Shields

     Do you have more love than people want to receive?  Is your love often unrequited (not returned)?  Has someone lost interest in you?  Jesus feels differently about you!  Jesus is your Best Friend Forever (BFF)!  It’s been said that each of us has a God-shaped hole that only He can fill.  That is true.  As wonderful as our spouses, family, and friends may be, if we have them, the truth is that only God can meet all of our love needs.  He is the only One who is never asleep, never leaves us “unread”, never forgets to reply, never answers unkindly, and will never disappoint us in the end.  If you give yourself to Him, He will never hurt and reject you.  Jesus, Who is one of the three members of the Trinity (God), loves you more than anyone else does or could!

You Are the Apple (Pupil) of His Eye!

     Deuteronomy 32:9-10 (New American Standard Bible) says, “For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.  He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him.  He guarded him as the pupil [King James Version of the Bible says “apple”] of His eye.”  This is spoken about the nation of Israel.  However, if you have given your life to Jesus and believe in Him for the forgiveness of your sins (wrongdoings), this verse applies to you, too!  In Psalm 17:8-9, King David is recorded as saying, “Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings, From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies, who surround me.”  We can pray that prayer, as well, and we can be sure He will answer!  You and I are so precious to the Lord Jesus, as if we were the pupil of His eye!!!

You Were Chosen in Him Before the Foundation of the World

     No matter who may mistreat you or disappoint you, if you prayed for God to save you, then you were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world!  Ephesians 1:3-5 says,

     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestinated us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

    I may have shared that passage recently, but it bears repeating.  You are not a reject if people rejected you.  God chose you and won’t change His mind about the matter!

Jesus Will Never Desert You, Nor Ever Forsake You!

     Hebrews 13:5b says, “…He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.”  John 6:37 records Jesus as saying, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.”  Jesus will never desert you nor forsake you!  He will not cast you out or reject you!  He will not change His love for you!

God the Father and Jesus Are Love

     We read the wonderful news in 1 John 4:16

     And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  We love, because He first loved us.

   A healthy fear of God is a good thing:  we want to stay on His good side and aim to please Him.  But we don’t have to be terrified of God.  He is love!  Jesus is God, and Jesus is love!  His love dispels fear of rejection or any kind of fear!

     I used to be terrified to open up my heart to God.  I thought He would reject me for my faults and abandon me.  He just kept loving me through reading the Bible until I realized that His love is unconditional.  He will never abandon me or give up on me!  The same is true for you!  Jesus is your best Friend forever!

Jesus is Always Available

     We read in Psalm 121:1-4,

     I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

     God doesn’t sleep.  Jesus doesn’t sleep anymore in His glorified body.  Jesus is always available to you to hear you pour out your heart to Him!  You can tell him your hopes and dreams, your wounds, your failures and disappointments–ANYTHING!  Jesus is your best Friend forever.  He is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks per year!  He loves to hear you pour out your heart to Him.  I encourage you to do it respectfully, but you can be honest about how you really feel!  He already knows before you speak it, but He loves to hear you talk to Him!  Psalm 139 says, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.”

Your Voice is Sweet to Him, and Your Face is Lovely!

    We read in Song of Solomon, “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”  This verse was penned by King Solomon, who wrote this verse for his bride.  King Solomon is a type of God to Israel and a type of Jesus to His Church.  If you have adoring eyes like a dove for Jesus, then He wants to hear your voice!  Your voice is sweet to Him; and your countenance, your face, is comely, or lovely!  No matter what anybody else thinks about you, Jesus is crazy about you!  Jesus is your best Friend forever!

     If you would like to delve into Jesus’ love for you in great depth, I strongly encourage you to read the book my husband, Charlie, and I wrote together.  It is A Romantic Journey With Jesus:  Commentary On The Song Of Solomon and can be found on my website or by clicking the link below.  I would strongly recommend this book, even if you don’t feel romantic about Jesus.:)  There is so much of Jesus’ love for you in the Song of Solomon!

A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

     Please share with me your comments and prayer requests by filling out the contact form below or clicking the conversation bubble above.  You can also send me a private message on the contact form on the Contact page.  I would love to pray for you! [heart]

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     These are some wonderful songs through which the Holy Spirit of God has ministered to me about God the Father’s and Jesus’ love and acceptance for me.  I really encourage you to listen to them:

Shannon Adducci’s (formerly Wexelberg’s) song “Boundless”:

(55) Boundless – YouTube

Rachel Lampa’s “Somebody to You” (with Andrew Ripp):

(55) Rachael Lampa – Somebody to You (Official Lyric Video) – featuring Andrew Ripp – YouTube

Lauren Daigle’s “You Say”:

Lauren Daigle – You Say (Lyrics) – Bing video

Francesca Battistelli’s “He Knows My Name”:

Francesca Battistelli – He knows my name (Official lyric video) – YouTube

God loves you unconditionally!  No matter what sins you have committed.  No matter what shape, size, or color you are.  No matter how your body may be aging.  No matter what anyone else thinks of you.  No matter what you think and feel about yourself, good or bad.

People in the world often love us “if…”, or “because…”, or “until….”  People sometimes love us if we perform up to their expectations, or because of something they like about us, or until we do something they dislike.  They may just lose interest in us because they don’t find us useful to meet their needs anymore.

Christ Jesus Died for Us When We Were Sinners and Enemies

     God is different (and those filled with God’s love for others feel differently.)  You don’t have to be perfect for God!  You don’t have to perform for His love.  (He doesn’t like it when you try to earn His love.  It is a gift!)  You don’t have to look handsome or beautiful, be perfect, sing perfectly, be rich, be successful, or do anything just right to get His love.  He loves you just like you are.  In fact, Romans 5:8-10 (New American Standard) says,

     But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

     Christ Jesus died a torturous death on a cross at the hands of jealous men around 2,000 years ago.  Why?  Because God the Father and He love the human race, even when we were practicing sinners and enemies of His!  Jesus’ death paid the penalty for the wrongs we all have done.  God didn’t want to have to punish us, so He put our punishment on Jesus!  We can receive full forgiveness and acceptance if we believe in what Jesus did for us and give our hearts to Him.  Of course, Jesus is alive and well now in heaven, and will be returning soon to rule over the earth!  But that is another future blog!

     Ephesians 1:6 (Kings James Version) says, “…To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”  If you believe in Jesus and have asked Him to forgive you of your sins, you are accepted in the Beloved Jesus!

     Jesus said Himself, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, NASB).  Jesus laid down his life for you, His friend.  He laid down His life for me, His friend.  No one loves us more than God and Jesus!  Not even our precious spouses, children, and best friends!

God the Father and Jesus love us so much!!!  God loves you unconditionally!!!

God Loves Us with an Everlasting Love

     Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV) says, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee [you] with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”  He spoke this to Israel as well as to each of us.  God’s love for us is everlasting!  He draws us to Himself with lovingkindness!  God is not ready to bash you with His “club” for your faults!  He wants you to come to Him for love and forgiveness!  He will help us with our problems!

God Will Lovingly Meet Our Needs

     God will meet our needs!  Psalm 23 (KJV), perhaps the most famous psalm, tells us about this:

     The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want [lack].  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Everything you need, God will provide if you ask:  food, water, spiritual nourishment, and peace.  He will restore, refresh, and heal your soul.  He will lead you into the paths of righteousness, making you closer to Him and safer.  Even if you face the prospect of death, you have nothing to fear!  Even if Satan and demons are hovering around, He will prepare a spiritual banquet for you!  He will anoint you with the Holy Spirit so much that His love and anointing overflow out of your heart to others!  Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

     My pastor, Reverend Gerald Rodgers, preached a sermon about Psalm 23 on Sunday at Oak Grove Wesleyan Church.  If you would like to examine the passage more in depth, listen to his delightful message by clicking the link below.  I included another link in case you want to watch the whole, encouraging service.

Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God and Christ Jesus

     Romans 8:35-39 (NASB) shares with us awesome news:

     Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written, FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wow, doesn’t that say it all?!  NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND NO ONE, can separate you and me from God/Jesus, and His love!  His love will make you win in every spiritual battle you face!  You may feel like a sheep being slaughtered in your trial right now, but God will make you to “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved [and loves] us”!!!  NOW THAT IS GOD’S LOVE!!!

     I wrote poems about Jesus’ love.  One in particular is #1, “Come Away, O My Love” in The Bridegroom and His Bride:  a collection of poems based on the Song of Songs.  The link is below.  This may encourage you that God loves you unconditionally.

     Send me your prayer requests and comments.  Fill out the comment form below or click the conversation bubble above.  You can also send me a private message by filling out the contact form on the Contact page.  God loves you unconditionally!

Rev. Gerald Rodgers sermon at Oak Grove Wesleyan Church on 09/10/23:

(16) 20230910 Rev. Gerald Rodgers_sermon only – YouTube

If you want, you can watch the whole service on 09/10/23 on YouTube instead:

(16) Oak Grove Wesleyan Church live stream. – YouTube

The Bridegroom and His Bride – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

Here is an awesome song I love to sing by Shannon Adducci (formerly Wexelberg):

Nothing Can Separate Me – Shannon Wexelberg – YouTube

Here is a popular and edifying worship song by Cory Asbury:

(16) Reckless Love (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube

Love this song!  So freeing!  (And catchy doesn’t hurt):

(18) Danny Gokey – No Pressure (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube

Here is a joyful, freeing, fun song by Ginny Owens:

(16) Ginny Owens Free – YouTube

Love this lullaby by Twila Paris!  God is our Daddy!  I haven’t outgrown lullabies, lol!

(18) There Is Only One – YouTube

Do you need physical healing?  Do you feel hindered by health problems?  Do your dreams seem unattainable with your ailments?

I felt that way recently.  I asked God all the time for healing of my ailments, and some miracles just haven’t happened yet.  Honestly, I was tempted to just give up faith for healing of these ailments and quit believing in my ministry dreams of being a woman’s speaker and going on short-term mission trips.

With God All Things Are Possible

God reminded me of that scripture in Matthew 19:26:  “And looking upon them Jesus said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”  He told me, “Don’t give up your dreams!  With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!”  He brought other scriptures to mind, which I will share here.

He Is Moved with Compassion

     Matthew 20:29-34 says,

     And as they were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”  And the multitude sternly told them to be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”  And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”  And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

     God, including Jesus, cares about our needs, including the need for physical healing.  He was moved with compassion for the blind men, and He is also moved with compassion for us!  He will show mercy to us, as well, by healing us.

     Luke 13:10-17 tells us of another person on whom Jesus had compassion and whom He healed:

     And He [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.  And when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”  And He laid His hands upon her; and immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God.  And the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the multitude in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; therefore come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”  But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to water him?  And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”  And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

     Lessons about the sabbath day can be drawn from this passage; but since we are talking about physical healing, I want to point out a couple of things.  First, this woman was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.  The Bible says and even Jesus Himself said that her sickness was caused by an evil spirit and Satan.  So we learn that sicknesses can be caused by evil spirits.  If we are close to Jesus, we have authority to pray against Satan and evil spirits in our lives and in the lives of those we pray for who are seeking deliverance.

Second, Jesus said she had been bound by Satan for “eighteen long years.”  He argued that she should have been healed on the Sabbath day and not have to wait any longer.  Have you been waiting for physical healing for “long years”, too?  Jesus cares and will heal you and me, too!  We and others will “rejoice over all the glorious things being done by Him”!

How Can I Be Sure God Will Heal Me?

     Psalm 103:3 tells us about the LORD, “…Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases….”  Isaiah 53:4-5 says,

     Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.  But He was pierced through for our transgressions.  He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, and by His scourging [King James says “stripes”] we are healed.

This passage in Isaiah prophesies about the Lord Jesus’ sufferings for us on the cross and right before his crucifixion.  You see, not only do Jesus’ sufferings make a way for you to be forgiven from your sins, or wrongdoings.  Jesus was whipped by soldiers which created stripes on His body.  The passage in Isaiah above tells us that by his scourging we are healed!  First Peter 2:24 bears witness to this.  There it says, “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds [King James Version says “stripes”] you were healed.”  Did you catch that?  You and I Were Healed!  Past tense!

When Will God Heal Me?

     You may wonder, “When will God heal me?  Will He even heal me?  What about so-and-so Christian who prayed for healing and who died without being healed?”  When and how you are healed is completely up to God.  That is His business.  Of course, we want now!  Sometimes healing is now, and sometimes we must wait.  Did God fail those people who prayed to be healed of, say cancer, and died anyway?  I like what David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge in New York City, said:  “Death is the ultimate healing [for the believer in Jesus].”  I agree with that!  God may heal you now, and I hope He does!  –Or maybe you’ll be healed in the rapture or by physical death.  One way or another, God has a divine plan for your healing!  He will not let you down!

Without Faith It Is Impossible to Please Him

     Another scripture God brought to mind is Hebrews  11:6:  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  The King James says. “…who diligently seek Him.”  God wants us to have faith in His Word!  We read in Psalm 119:89-90a:  “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.  Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations….”  We learn in Romans 10:11, “For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”  We may have to wait on God for physical healing, but He will not disappoint us!  Guaranteed!  God is not a liar, and He doesn’t play games with us.  He truly cares and will heal our bodies when the time is right.  

     Hebrews 10:23 admonishes us, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful….”  God is faithful to heal our bodies.  Let us hold onto Him in faith to fulfill His promise of healing us!

Don’t Just Depend on the Doctors

Thank God for doctors.  We need them sometimes.  However, we must not make the mistake of depending solely on doctors and not asking God for healing.  In 2 Chronicles 16:12, we learn about King Asa.  It says about him, “And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet.  His disease was severe, yet even in his disease, he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.”  God commented in this verse that King Asa didn’t ask Him for healing.  One gets the feeling that God was disappointed in Asa for that.  Let us ask God for healing for our bodies.  Something big, something little, He cares about everything!  I encourage you to think of every ailment you have and ask God to heal each one!  He will!

God has healed many ailments I’ve had, including gluten sensitivity, hearing loss, hypothyroidism, severe acute laryngitis, headaches, and more!  I’m going to hang on to God and trust Him in faith to heal the rest of my ailments!  I may yet be a guest woman’s speaker in a foreign country on short-term mission trips!

My husband, Charlie, and I prayed for a woman who had just been diagnosed with leukemia.  Two weeks later, she came back and reported that God had healed her of leukemia!  Her white blood cell count went down from the 900’s to 5!  Glory to God!!!

What physical healing do you need?  What dreams could you fulfill when you are healed?  Leave me a comment below, or click the message bubble above.   —Or send me a private message on the contact form on the Contacts page.  I am happy to pray for your physical healing!

Here is a song about our Healer for you to check out. 🙂

Hillsong – Healer – (with lyrics) – Bing video

Are you being persecuted?  Mistreated for righteousness’ sake?  Spiritually blackballed, rejected, slandered, demoted, and discouraged from functioning?  I know I sure have!  Maybe you have even been physically persecuted.  Let’s look at some scriptures about this subject.

You Are Blessed!

First Peter 3:13-17 says (New American Standard Bible):

     And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.  AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Keep on Rejoicing!

First Peter 4:12-16 and 19 say,

     Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.  If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.  By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God….Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

They may have rejected you for your likeness to Jesus, but rejoice!  The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you!  Entrust your soul to your faithful Creator!  He cares!  He will comfort you and lift you up!  He thinks you’re great!

Your Reward in Heaven Is Great!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12,

     Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you, when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.  Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I love those verses and have found comfort from them many times!  If you are being persecuted for the sake of righteousness, the kingdom of heaven is yours!  You will be Jesus’ wife and rule with Him one day!  Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great!!!

God Cherishes You!

In Matthew 17:10-13 it says,

     And His disciples asked Him [Jesus], saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”  And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you, that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished.  So also the Son of Man [Jesus] is going to suffer at their hands.

Many people in John the Baptist’s day did not recognize him but did to him whatever they wished.  Can you relate to John?  Do people not recognize the life of Jesus in you?  Do they not recognize your gifts and calling?  God values you!  You are loved!  You are cherished!  You are wanted!  You are irreplaceable to Him!

You Are His Shulamite Bride!

Song of Solomon 5:6-8 says,

     I [the Shulamite] opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and had gone!  My heart went out to him as he spoke.  I searched for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.  The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me.  They struck me and wounded me; The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl [King James Version says “veil”] from me.

Can you relate to that Shulamite who diligently sought after her beloved?  Our Beloved is none other than the Lord Jesus!  Are you diligently seeking Him out of desperate love for Him?  -And then some leaders (whoever they may be) come along and rip away your veil and beat you up?  Do they wound and shame you?  If so, we need to pray like Jesus did on the cross, “…Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”  But at the same time, realize that GOD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE!  JESUS KNOWS WHO YOU ARE!  YOU ARE HIS SHULAMITE BRIDE!  Knowing who He thinks you are frees you from the shame others try to heap on you!  Only your Creator can define your identity!

You and Jesus Are Getting Closer!

Jesus understands you perfectly because He was persecuted constantly, even unto death!  It’s also amazing to realize that your being persecuted helps you to understand Jesus better!  Wow!!!  Sharing in His sufferings is drawing you closer together!  Hallelujah!

Comfort for You!

The Psalms of David in the Bible talk a lot about persecution, and you may find much comfort from them!  I sure do!

If you would like to examine this topic a little further, I wrote something about this subject of persecution in one of my poetry booklets.  It is #40, “To The Persecuted Prophets” in Journey To The Promised Land – Bride Of Jesus Ministry.  I encourage you to check it out, even if you don’t consider yourself a prophet!

Press on, Shulamite!  God is with you!

Send me a comment how I can pray for you if you are persecuted!  Comment below or click the bubble box above. 🙂  You can also privately send me a message on the contact form on the Contacts page.

In closing, I want to recommend these four songs below that God has used to comfort me much this year when I felt persecuted.  May God comfort you through them as well! [heart emoticon]

(755) Trenches (Lyric Video) by Tauren Wells – YouTube

Perfect Peace – Tauren Wells (Lyrics) – YouTube

(755) Tauren Wells – Carry On (Lyrics) – YouTube

Are you battle-weary?  Which spiritual battles are you fighting?  Do you feel like you never measure up?  Are you exhausted from all the demands of life or ministry?  Are you tired of rejection and demotion?  Are you fighting for the salvation and/or sanctification of your family member?  Are you sick?  Depressed?  Grieving the loss of a loved one?  Betrayed?  We can daily face many battles.  All of these battles can exhaust us at times.

In 1 Kings 19 in the Bible, we learn that Elijah was exhausted from persecution.  He felt so alone.  His life was threatened by the evil queen Jezebel.  He was so battle-weary that he went a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a broom tree.  Then he prayed that he might die.  He cried out, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers [ancestors].”  Then he fell asleep from exhaustion.

Have you been at the end of your rope?  Or simply just exhausted?  How did God help Elijah?

You Need Sleep, Good Food, and Water

     And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.  And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head.  And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:5-8, King James Version)

So God sent an angel to feed him and give him water to drink after he slept.  Sometimes we just need to sleep and take care of our bodies, to eat well and drink water.

The second time, the angel of the Lord, who may very well have been Jesus before He was incarnated, fed him again.  We not only need physical rest and food, we need to be fed by God through prayer, the reading of the Bible, and godly sermons.  Christian books and websites can be helpful as well.  Bottom line:  we need God and His Word!  Elijah was so energized by God’s ministry and touch that he did not need to eat and drink for forty days and forty nights!  He went in the strength of God’s nourishment!

Jesus Knew the Need for Refreshment

Even Jesus saw the value of getting refreshed.  He would stay up all night and pray to commune with His Father to get spiritually refreshed, since He didn’t often have time during the day.  Other times He would go to deserts to get away from the crowds.  One time in Mark 6:31 He is recorded as having said to his disciples, “…Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:  for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.  And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.”  Jesus took care of His disciples’ spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs.  They were in ministry and were exhausted and couldn’t even find time to eat!  If you are pouring out ministry into others, you need refreshment as well!  Jesus gives the same invitation to all of us, “Come,…and rest awhile.”

You Need a Fresh Touch from God

A fresh touch from God is what we need most when we are battle-weary and exhausted.  A famous passage in the Bible is Isaiah 40:27:

     Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint.

Amen!  God isn’t ever weary!  He will give you the strength to soar spiritually in the heavens!  He will give you the strength to run and not be weary!  He will give you the strength to walk and not faint!  He will give you the ability to keep going with fresh joy and strength!

God Will Not Beat You When You Are Down

God will not beat you when you are down!  It says of Jesus in Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”  Jesus will be very gentle with you!  He will not break your bruised heart!  He will not snuff out the smoking fire of your heart!  He will heal you, restore you, refresh you, and catch your heart back on fire for Him with the Holy Spirit!

John the Baptist Was Battle-Weary

In Matthew 11:2-6 we read that John the Baptist was battle-weary.  Being imprisoned for his obedience to God, He started doubting if Jesus was even the Messiah.  John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”  Jesus told those two disciples to tell John about the miracles He was performing.  He also said to tell John, “And blessed is he, whosever shall not be offended in me.”  John needed to be willing to suffer for Christ, even unto death.  Jesus didn’t want John to get offended by the sufferings and unjust persecution he was enduring.  He encouraged him that he would be blessed if he hung in there in the face of opposition.

Go to Jesus for Refreshment

Maybe that last passage applies to you right now.  Maybe it doesn’t.  I know it encourages me.  But whatever the case, to all of us battle-weary ones, Jesus invites us:  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Go to Jesus.  Bring your exhaustion, your pain, your weariness, your sorrow.  He understand you perfectly, and He will give you rest!  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  That means submitting to Him brings the greatest delight!  He is so easy-going!

Comment below or click the conversation bubble above to tell me how I can pray for you to be refreshed.  I will happily pray for you in your battles!  If you want your comments to remain private, click on the Contact page and fill out the contact form.  It will send me a private email.  May God refresh you!  May you mount up with wings as an eagle!…

Who are you in Christ?  Are you confused about your identity?  Do the circumstances of your birth define you?  Are you the bad things your parents may have said about you?  Are you the sum of your past failures and mistakes?  Are you the reject the bullies at school said you are?  Are you the lies and rumors that were spread about you?  Are you who your enemies say you are?  Are you defined by your successes and achievements?  Does the death of your spouse alter your identity?

Step One:  Ask Forgiveness

The first step to finding your true identity is to ask God to forgive you for your past mistakes.  First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  If you haven’t already done so, ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to live in your heart.  Invite Him to be your Lord (Master).  When you do this, you become a new creature in Christ!   Second Corinthians 5:17 (King James Version in the Bible) says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.”  If you prayed for God to forgive you for your sins (mistakes) and you believe that Jesus died on the cross around 2,000 years ago to forgive each of us humans for the sins we have committed, you are a new creature!  The old selfish you was crucified on the cross with Jesus!  He is now alive again, and He will help you to live a life of love like He does!

Step Two:  Know Your True Identity

The real you was designed by God before the foundation (“throwing down”) of the world.  Ephesians 1:4-5 (New Internation Version) tells us, “For he [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestinated us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”  You were predestined to be adopted by God to be His son or daughter!  Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.  As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'”  You, my friend, are God’s offspring!  Your identity is not based on the circumstances in which you were born.  You are not defined by bad things your parents, bullies, slanderers, and enemies said!  Your worth does not change if your spouse dies!  God is your Creator, and He has given you a wonderful identity in Christ!  Read Psalm 139 for some real encouragement about who you are.  The second half of verse 14 of that chapter says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made….”  No matter what identity issues you may be facing, you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God!

Step Three:  Receive His Love

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Who you are is loved by God!!!  THAT is your identity!  His love will heal any guilt, shame, pain, or fear you feel!  His love will inspire confidence and boldness.  Proverbs 28:1b (KJV) says, “…the righteous are bold as a lion.”  Psalm 18:35 (KJV) says, “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation; Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.”  Your identity is not a loser when you know God.  Neither are your successes the basis of your identity!  When God is on your side, His gentleness makes you great!  You are highly favored!   …No matter what anybody else says, good or bad.  That includes the devil!

Step Four:  Resist the Devil

The devil will remind you of past failures.  He will lie to you about your identity.  He will tell you that you are rejected and hopeless and that life isn’t worth living.  He is called “the accuser of the brethren” in Revelation 12:10.  The devil is a bully, but Jesus is your Big Brother who will protect you from him!  James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  Get close to Jesus, and He will give you authority over the devil in your life and in the lives of those around you.

Step Five:  Humble Yourself

James 4:6b says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  We need God in order to be great.  We are not great in ourselves, no matter how many achievements we have under our belts.  Our identity is not found in our successes.  None of us are “self-made men.”

On the one hand, there is great big God.  On the other hand, there are us.  Compared to Him, we are just little people.  We are not more important or worth more to God than somebody else.

We need to humble our hearts before God.  If we don’t feel humble, but want to, we can ask Him for a humble heart.  He will gladly give it to us.

Some people take humility too far.  They think that we are nothing to God, not important at all, that only Jesus matters.  Jesus didn’t die for “nothings”!  He considered you to be so precious to Him that He gave His precious life and blood so that He wouldn’t have to spend an eternity without you!  There is no higher price He could have paid than His own life and blood, other than when His fellowship with the Father was suspended on the cross for a few hours.  He paid that price for you!  You matter to God!  You are not just the “toenail” on the Bride of Christ!

 The truth is that each of us humans is precious and irreplaceable to God!!!  That is our identity!  We are children of God and individually brides of Jesus!

I addressed this issue also on pages 8-9 in A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry.  I encourage you to read this paragraph talking about how your identity is a bride of Jesus!

Do you struggle with identity issues?  Let me know how I can pray for you!  I myself have certainly struggled in this area!  Post a comment below or click the conversation bubble above.  If you would prefer to keep this private, fill out the contact form on the Contact page and send me your comment!

Are you waiting on God?  How can you know that He will answer your prayers?  I wanted to include this with the last post but didn’t want to make it too long.  So here is part 2!

Is God My Main Pursuit?

First thing is to ask God, “Are You my main pursuit?”  If so, we can be sure He will answer our heart’s desires.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (New American Standard Bible)

Did We Ask God?

Second, did we ask God?  James 4:2b says, “You do not have because you do not ask” (NASB).  So often we, I included, go without blessings simply because we do not bother to ask God to bless us!  God likes to be asked!  He is the ultimate Giver!!!  James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (New International Version)

Is What I Am Wanting His Will for Me?

Third, ask the Lord, “Is what I am wanting Your will for me?”  If we can answer yes to that question, then we can be sure that God will give us our requests.  In 1 John 5:14-15 it says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (New King James Version)

Am I Asking for a Blessing for the Right Reasons?

Fourth, inquire of Him, “Am I asking for a blessing for the right reasons?”  James 4:3 says, “Ye [You] ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”  Do we have impure motives for asking for something?  For example, do we ask for an expensive sports car because we want to impress others?  –Or do we ask for the car of His choice so that we may tend to our and/or our family’s needs and use that car to serve God?  Having the correct motive is so important!  If we feel convicted our motive is wrong, we simply ask God to forgive and cleanse us and put within us His dreams.  First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins [wrongs we have done], He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Do I Have Faith for What He Wants for Me?

Fifth, seek God, “Do I have faith for what You want for me?”  Hebrews 12:2  tells us that Jesus is the “author and perfecter of faith.”  You cannot work up faith.  Yes, memorizing scriptures will help our faith to grow, and I highly recommend that.  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (King James Version).  Memorizing scripture is great, too.  However, true faith comes from the Author of Faith, Jesus. What God gives you faith for, He will give you!  In Hebrews 6:12, God advises us “that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  Patience is waiting on God.  In Romans 10:11 we find, “For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM [GOD] WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.'”

Do You Lack Faith?

Do you lack faith?  Ask God for it!  He will gladly give it to you!  Wait on God with faith.  He will not disappoint you!!!

Update on Me

Remember I told you last week in “Waiting on God Part 1” that I was waiting on God to sing and play the piano at my church?  Well, glory be to God, I DID sing and play Sunday!!!  God gave me that desire of my heart.  May He continue to heal my throat from laryngitis.  I know He will!  He will continue to give me the desires of my heart!  He will continue to give me every good and perfect gift!  I am asking according to His will, and I pray I have the right motives.  God hears me, and He will continue to give me the petitions I have asked of Him!  The Author of my faith, He will also perfect it!  He will NOT disappoint me!!!

How can I pray for you as you wait on God?  Leave a comment below or click on the conversation bubble above.  I love to hear from my website visitors!  I want a friendship with you and not just to increase my website and search engine rankings! 🙂

Are you waiting on God?  Welcome back to my blog!  Has God ever made you a promise that you read in the Bible or that He personally spoke to you?  …And then so much time has passed, and it still hasn’t happened?  Joseph in the Bible had the same experience!  God gave him dreams that his brothers and parents would bow down to him (Genesis 37:5-11).

Yet years later after faithfully serving God, he found himself unjustly in prison!  He interpreted dreams while there.  One was to a butler.  Joseph prophesied within three days that the butler’s position to serve Pharoah (the King) would be restored to him.  Joseph asked the butler to remember him to Pharoah so that he could be released from unfair imprisonment.  Guess what?  The butler forgot to mention him to Pharoah!

Do You Feel Like a Joseph?

Can you relate to Joseph?  I sure can!  My dream has been to play the piano since I was five.  In college I took piano lessons for a few months.  Then God called me out of college where I was studying music education and told me, “I’m training you My way.”  (That was His plan for me.  Others He calls to college.)  When I was 21, I wrote a song and played it at church on the keyboard.  Then I didn’t play keyboard again until I recorded my CD in 2004.  Afterwards, I stopped again for many years.

In March of this year, God showed me to play my keyboard again.  He asked me to sing to Him “Oh, Father of Jesus” by Michael Card.  I have diligently practiced the keyboard, often ten hours per week, learning my songs and “Oh, Father of Jesus.”  Yet here I find myself struggling with a weak voice, unable to sing consistently.  I keep having to cancel my singing engagements.  This has been a trial of my faith!

Our Dreams Will Come True!

If you have read Genesis chapters 37 to the end of that book, you know it all turned out well for Joseph.  He got out of prison and did indeed become the governor of Egypt.  His brothers did bow down to him.  Even his parents were under his governmental authority.  God put Joseph there to feed the hungry in the famine and preserve many lives, including those of his family.

God is going to take me out of this prison of mild laryngitis so I can minister to God with my voice and play the keyboard publicly to minister to people as well.  Like Joseph, my heart’s desire is to feed the hungry in the spiritual famine!  God will make good on His promises to me!  I just need His grace to keep trusting in faith that He will answer when the time is right!  In the meantime, He is purifying me and helping me to grow into a more mature bride of Jesus.  He is doing the same in your life!  One thing is for sure:  He cares about our suffering of patience!

I wrote a poem about waiting on God.  It is called “The Promise.”  It is #9 in my poetry booklet Journey To The Promised Land – Bride Of Jesus Ministry.  This is on my website.  Perhaps you will find it encouraging!

What promises are you waiting on God to fulfill?  Leave me a comment below or click on the conversation bubble above so I know how to join you in prayer for your answer to come!

Welcome to my blog!  What does it mean to be a bride of Jesus?  I think it is the same question as:  What does it mean to run the race to win the prize of a spiritually intimate relationship with Jesus and rule in His kingdom?  On page 134 of  A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry, I wrote the following:

      Paul said he was running a race to win the prize and exhorted us to run in such a manner as to win the race and inherit the prize as well (Philippians 3:14; I Corinthians 9:24-25).  He was talking about “running the race to win the prize” of marrying and ruling with Jesus during the coming ages.  What does “running” look like?  It looks like surrender; like yielding; like crying out to Him, “Help!”  It looks like saying “yes” to the Lord when He gives us a command, even if it hurts to obey, even if it means suffering for a season because we didn’t get our selfish way or personal preferences.  It looks like spending intimate time with Him, LETTING HIM LOVE US until our hearts and souls are overflowing with His love.  It looks like seeking Him daily, through reading the Bible and talking (praying) to Him.  It looks like laying aside every (ankle) weight, including needless drains on our time (activities outside of the Lord’s will) that would slow us down (Hebrews 12:1-2).  It looks like loving others, helping them meet the Savior-Bridegroom and prepare to marry Him.  It looks like being an oddball in a sinful world (John 15:18-21; 1 John 3:13).  It looks like repenting when we fail.  It looks like a romantic journey with Jesus.

What are your thoughts on what it means to be a bride of Jesus or what it means to run the race to win the prize of being close to Jesus and ruling with Him?  How can I pray for you to run this race?  Please leave a reply below or click on the conversation bubble above.:)