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eternal life

Slain Day 11 Jean Paul Sankagui

April 28, 2025 by Rhonda Darville Leave a Comment

Slain Day 11 Jean Paul Sankagui

Rhonda Darville

April 28, 2025

Alive,Encourage,Kingdom,persecution,Purpose

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:21-30
John 16:25-33
Joshua 24:14-18
Revelation 2:8-11

Civil unrest in the country of Central African Republic (CAR) became real to me when my sister-friend, Julie, shared news of her sister’s kidnapping by rival, non-Christian factions in CAR. There we were, sitting in her living room in Virginia, discussing atrocities my mind could not fathom but Julie knew all too well. My sister-friend was born and raised in the CAR and personally knew the struggle and violence happening there.

Pastor Jean Paul Sankagui experienced these same struggles when he was martyred in CAR in 2017. As I learned his story, I was reminded of Jesus’s words in John 16:33:

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” 

Shortly before His sacrificial death, Jesus foretold the suffering He would endure, and told His disciples to expect the same. Yet as His disciples, we can take heart, knowing He is ultimately victorious. Our trials and tribulations will not hamper our eternity with Him. The trials of this present life are nothing compared to what we gain by faithfully following Jesus, even in suffering and death.

Pastor Jean Paul embodied this promise. He desired to be a voice for the Gospel in the Central African Republic. His church was situated in an extremely hostile environment and he did not shrink away from proclaiming the Good News to those around. 

During times of conflict, he refused to flee to safety. Pastor Jean Paul had a wife, seven children, and eleven grandchildren; when his family chose to remain in ministry despite the danger, they depicted Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.” They faced strong resistance from local Muslims, who, though a demographic minority, wielded power derived from financial success. Their weapons consisted of the sword and money.

Pastor Jean Paul joined other pastors and believers who took up their cross and followed Jesus. (Matthew 16:24-28) Like Jesus, they too have become conquerors (Romans 8:37-39) and will not experience the “second death” (Revelation 2:11), or eternal separation from God. In Philippians 1:21, early Church preacher and apostle, Paul, explains, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

Pastor Jean Paul and his fellow believers who suffered death for their faith were a witness of the great call of Christ. Their lives are a spiritual heritage to those who knew them and to those of us, who hear of their faith in the face of death. Their testimony lives on. Their faith encourages us to press on! 

As I consider Pastor Jean Paul and others who suffered death for their belief, as well as the faithful followers of Jesus listed in Hebrews 11, and our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, I realise I personally must understand the value of the call to follow Jesus Christ. 

I have found immense value in His call, knowing the love Jesus demonstrated for me by laying down His life for me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8) transcends what anyone else has done or will do for me. In my finite mind, I cannot fully comprehend the depth of His love for me, but I am compelled to respond in kind. 

I realise that, like Pastor Jean Paul and those who have gone before, I am just a sojourner in this world. My life is temporary, so I must be a good steward of the gift given to me. I, too, must join the ranks and take up my cross and follow Jesus. My voice must echo the love and knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice so others may gain freedom.

You and I may not be martyred for our faith, but our own personal desires must be crucified and Christ’s life and sacrifice must be magnified. We, as disciples of Christ, must die to sin daily and renew our minds with the knowledge of Scripture. (Romans 12:2) As disciples, our purpose is to proclaim the Good News and share our testimony of His great love to us. 

In closing, I’d like to leave you with the words of the hymn I Have Decided:
“I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.”

May these words encourage us as we follow Jesus, 
choosing courage and faithfulness in the face of suffering, 
believing He has conquered sin and death!

Tags :
courage,eternal life,hope,martyr,persecution
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Charles Ellicott asserts that the Holy Spirit would bring “all things which He had said to the mind, and quickened their minds so that they could grasp its meaning.”

Jesus made a way for His words to continue teaching the disciples even after His Resurrection and Ascension.
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Posted in: Alive, Encourage, Kingdom, persecution, Purpose Tagged: courage, eternal life, hope, martyr, persecution

Slain Day 10 Pastor Chung-Ryeol

April 25, 2025 by Meribeth Schierbeek Leave a Comment

Slain Day 10 Pastor Chung-Ryeol

Meribeth Schierbeek

April 25, 2025

Alive,Enemies,Faith,Holy Spirit,Hope,Kingdom

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:26-16:4 
Philippians 1:27-30 
Psalm 1

Every day I wake up in America as a woman whose physical life is not threatened. Rather, my mind is often occupied simply by daily tasks and the needs of those around me. I also find myself occupied with the concerns of the consumerist culture in which I live as I fear its effects on myself and those I love.

As believers, we all live in different cultures around the world, but our mission remains the same: we are to be kingdom-minded people daily learning how to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Jesus with joy. 

Just this month, I read about a martyr, Pastor Han, who embodies this call. Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol and his wife arrived in the Chinese border town of Changbai in 1993. The 26-year-old was a Chinese citizen of Korean ancestry known for his prayer life. It was once said of him, “He never failed to start each day in morning prayer – he said if he didn’t pray, he couldn’t do the work.” (Persecution.com)

Stories of martyrs who exemplified faith, courage, and sacrifice aren’t merely encouraging to us, they challenge us to deepen our own commitment to follow Christ no matter the cost.

“Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.”
(Philippians 1:27-28, emphasis mine)

This verse was brought to life by Pastor Han. He and his wife had a clear God-given mission to the Chinese and North Korean people. They sacrificed much, strove side by side, and were persecuted for their faith. Pastor Han’s life was ultimately taken because of his faith and missionary work. Even so, he stood firm in faith to the end in China,  just as I am called to do in America.

How we live our everyday lives depends on where we believe our true citizenship lies. 

Pastor Han was focused on building God’s kingdom not his own. As believers, we are ultimately citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our core identity is Ambassador for His kingdom and mere tourists of the neighborhood, city, or village where we live on earth. This order is important:

Citizens…ambassadors…tourists.

How I spend my time, money, and talents
is dependent on which king rules 
the throne of my heart.
To whom and what do we belong?

John 15 reminds us that abiding in the true vine means we are connected to God, and the work He has given us to do is by the power of His Holy Spirit. Our identity as citizens of the Kingdom begins with abiding in Him. 

Let’s think again about the order of our identity as citizens…ambassadors…tourists.

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself distracted by the things of this world, living as a Kingdom Tourist in my daily life. I grow bitter because I don’t get what I want from a person or activity. I compromise truth for the sake of my Tourist comforts. I forget I have a foundation to stand on and remain committed to, and my heart gets pulled away from being an ambassador and citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Yet, as an ambassador, I have great security in my Heavenly Father, for my citizenship is paid for by the blood of His Son. My roots are secure in His work and in His Word, and those roots produce fruit as I abide in Him.

Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol’s life resembles the Lord Jesus’ own life of sacrifice through the power of the Holy Spirit and serves as an example to us.

“When Pastor Han answered a phone call one afternoon at his church in Changbai, China, near the North Korean border, his wife initially saw no particular reason for concern. She knew, however, that for several months her husband had been warned that he was at the top of a North Korean ‘hit list.’ After receiving the phone call that afternoon at church, the pastor uncharacteristically disregarded all precautions and left the church alone. His body was found later that evening in a rural area along the North Korean border.” (Persecution.com)

For some time after his death, Pastor Han’s wife experienced fear and hurt but, because of her true citizenship, she knew she was safe to bring herself and her fears to the Lord. Han’s wife understood something we often forget: we are to be about the business of God’s kingdom first and our physical address second.  If we find ourselves misaligned here, God’s Word faithfully reorders our hearts and minds as we submit to the Spirit.

We are ambassadors with a citizenship in heaven.
We know the One Who has overcome the world and lives victoriously in us.
Because of the Lord’s work, our delight is in the law of the Kingdom of Heaven and in our Savior, the King of our true Home.

Tags :
eternal life,future,hope,martyr,reward
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“Just one thing:
As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.”
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Posted in: Alive, Enemies, Faith, Holy Spirit, Hope, Kingdom Tagged: eternal life, future, hope, martyr, reward

Slain Day 10 Pastor Chung-Ryeol: Digging Deeper

April 25, 2025 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Slain Day 10 Pastor Chung-Ryeol: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

April 25, 2025

Alive,Freedom,Joy,Kingdom,Life,Safe,Treasure

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Pastor Chung-Ryeol"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:27-30

Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why did Paul choose to use the phrase “citizens of heaven?” (verse 27)

The church in Philippi was started by Paul. (Acts 16:11-40) For additional context surrounding the writing of the letter, Trevin Wax’s commentary provides studied insights. When studying Scripture, don’t hesitate to use the assistance of trusted biblical sources to  help you! (The Gospel Coalition)

Although a small town, Philippi was proud of its recent Roman history and was “very Roman in its self-perception.” Nearly twenty five percent of the town consisted of Roman war veterans and the town held a strong pride in its Roman connections. Near the end of his first chapter, we come to the first instruction (imperative) Paul provides in his letter, “As citizens of heaven, live your  life worthy of the gospel.” (verse 27)

Paul used the pride Philippians had in their Roman citizenship and turned it around, reminding Christ-followers in Philippi that they were first and foremost citizens of heaven. (verse 27,Philippians 3:20) As Roman citizens took pleasure in living a life worthy of Rome, so the church should take pleasure in living daily lives worthy of the gospel.

We know the Philippian church took the gospel seriously because earlier in the letter, Paul recognized both the prominence of the gospel in their lives, and the advancement of it through his sufferings. (Philippians 1:4-5, 7) “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” Paul declared as he made it clear that everything about his life, ministry, and even his persecution and death hinged entirely upon Christ alone. (Philippians 1:21)

The Philippian church knew they represented their true Leader, God Almighty, while living on earth. It was imperative they lived in a manner that reflected their belief in the gospel message, the grace Christ continually provided, and the truth that one day they would live eternally with God in their true homeland.

The Everyday Application

1) Why did Paul choose to use the phrase “citizens of heaven?” (verse 27)

What does it mean to be a citizen of a country? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “citizenship refers to a person’s allegiance to a government in exchange for its protection at home and abroad.”

I am an American citizen and as such I have certain benefits (a term Americans refer to as rights) and responsibilities under our constitution. The Philippians embraced their Roman citizenship recognizing both its benefits and responsibilities.

Likewise, God calls all believers past, present, and future to a different and higher citizenship than our earthly one. We are citizens of the kingdom of God and this citizenship calls us to live lives that are foreign to those around us. The kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom where we consider others as more important than ourselves, (Philippians 2:3) and believe we are blessed when we have been humble, merciful, and even persecuted for righteousness sake. (Matthew 5:3-12)

The gospel provides us with grace, and flowing out of that grace is a supernatural desire from the Holy Spirit to please our true Leader, living out His calling in our lives. When we don’t live in a manner worthy of our heavenly citizenship, we willingly repent of those actions through the blood of Jesus and begin again to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. (1 John 1:9)

We also wish to invite others to join us in our heavenly citizenship. In his song, “Land of My Sojourn,” Rich Mullins captured the tension between our earthly life and heavenly citizenship:

Nobody tells you when you get born here
How much you’ll come to love it
And how you’ll never belong here
So I call you my country
And I’ll be lonely for my home
And I wish that I could take you there with me.

The Original Intent

2) What does it mean to stand “firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel”? (verse 27)

Paul wrote Philippians from prison and acknowledged the shared experience of persecution and imprisonment for the gospel with Philippian believers. (verses 28-29) In the midst of this hostility, he urged them to “stand firm”. This phrasing alludes to a military call, urging a stalwart decision for a battalion to collectively stand their ground in the face of opposition and persecution. “One spirit” is an interesting phrase and deserves more attention than can be given here.

Although this phrase might mean unity, Trevin Wax’s Philippians commentary argues that “spirit” references the Holy Spirit and “is parallel to ‘stand firm in the Lord’”, which is mentioned later in Philippians 4:1. Theologian, Gordon Fee, also favors this interpretation. The same phrase is used elsewhere by Paul referring to the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18, 1 Corinthians 12:13) Thus, Paul is instructing believers to stand firm in the Holy Spirit.

Next, he instructs them to be unified by telling them to be “in one accord.” The picture developed here is once again of Roman soldiers, but this time marching together in lock step toward one goal. They were to put aside their non-essential differences and work together in unity.

Finally, he writes “contending together.” The Greek word used here is made up of “syn,” and “athleo” from which we get the word “athlete.” Paul appealed to the Roman love of sports and, according to Kenneth Wuest (Precept Austin), uses “synathleo” to refer “to an athletic contest in which a group of athletes cooperates as a team against another team, working in perfect coordination against a common opposition.”

Therefore, Paul is instructing the Philippian church that in the midst of opposition they are to stand firm in the Holy Spirit, marching toward the same goal while competing together against their common opposition. 

The Everyday Application

2) What does it mean to stand “firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel”? (verse 27)

As we have seen, the Greek word for “contend together” is an athletic term referring to a team competing in unity. We can conclude that we also are to be both on offense and defense as we contend collectively together for the gospel. Peter reminds us to be ready to give a defense for the hope within us in gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Paul charged Timothy (and us) to “preach the word” being ready whenever the opportunity arises. (2 Timothy 4:2) Earlier in 2 Timothy, Paul urged Timothy to commit to faithful men the words Timothy heard from Paul. (2 Timothy 2:2) This can be frightening, but we must remember that we are not to be “ashamed of the gospel.” Why? It “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

The gospel is the power of God for salvation! Our work in God’s Mission is not to save people, but to share the good news of salvation and redemption found in Jesus Christ; it is God’s power alone which saves. We share Christ crucified, buried, and raised and leave the saving work to the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Paul reminded the Corinthian church that believers are servants who share the gospel and each has a role given by the Lord. One plants the seed, another waters, but it is God alone who gives growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

We also must continually be growing in our knowledge and understanding of God’s word because He tells us His word equips us for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We do all of this in community together as united believers in Jesus, standing firm in the Holy Spirit, in one accord, laying aside non-essential differences for the sake of advancing the gospel, knowing the results are in God’s hands. 

The Original Intent

3) What is Paul intending to convey in saying, “It has been granted” to the church to “suffer for” Christ? (verse 29) 

The kind of suffering Paul refers to here is not general suffering faced by humanity because of sin’s effects, but suffering specifically for sharing the gospel and living according to God’s call of holiness.

Paul stated that his imprisonment was because he was “in Christ.” (Philippians 1:13) Rather than complain about his situation, however, he was joyful that his imprisonment was advancing the gospel. Paul’s joy came from two outcomes of his imprisonment. The first was that the whole imperial guard and others knew that his imprisonment was because he was in Christ.

The second was that faithful brothers in Rome became more confident “to speak the word fearlessly” because of his imprisonment. (Philippians 1:12-14, Philippians 1:18-20) This is the opposite of what we think would naturally happen. We would think other believers would be more frightened, similar to the apostles’ fear after Jesus’ death.

Those men hid in the upper room, frightened the Romans would come for them next. However, once Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were changed men, fearlessly preaching the gospel in one accord. (Acts 2:14-40, Acts 3:11-4:4, Acts 4:15-20)

This same Holy Spirit worked in the hearts and minds of the believers Paul speaks of and they became more confident to preach Christ “fearlessly” because of Paul’s imprisonment. (Philippians 1:14)

Paul reminded the Philippians their opponents were not just opposed to them, but to God Himself, which is much more frightening. Yes, God granted them salvation and suffering, but both were given in grace and victory only through the strength of the Holy Spirit. 

The Everyday Application

3) What is Paul intending to convey in saying, “It has been granted” to the church to “suffer for” Christ? (verse 29)

Have you ever wondered if you would be able to endure suffering for the sake of Christ? Do you hear stories of sisters and brothers in other countries who are persecuted for the gospel and wonder, “Would I stay faithful to God under those circumstances?”

I firmly believe that if you have acknowledged to God that you are a sinner and have accepted His gift of grace and salvation through the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ then yes, you would endure. If we are called to endure and persevere until the end (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13), doesn’t it make sense that the Holy Spirit who lives in us (1 John 4:13) would also provide us with all the grace we need to endure suffering? (1 Peter 4:14, 2 Peter 1:3)

Jesus said, “So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13:11) We have the Holy Spirit abiding in us and we know God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness at all times. (2 Peter 1:3)

Not only does God work in and through us, but His grace towards us is extended through our brothers and sisters. Paul wrote that we are to intercede for one another as well as encourage and build each other up. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We need fellow believers in our lives. We need the church around us and regular gathering around His Word and for worship to nourish and strengthen us. (Hebrews 10:25) We need each other to accomplish the mission to which God has called us. 

Tags :
Easter,eternal life,hope,martyr,reward,Safe
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The GT Weekend! ~ Shofar, Week 3
February 7, 2026
Shofar Day 15 Listen For The King
February 6, 2026
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February 5, 2026

Slain, Day 10
Journey Study

Every day I wake up in America as a woman whose physical life is not threatened. Rather, my mind is often occupied simply by daily tasks and the needs of those around me.

I also find myself occupied with the concerns of the consumerist culture in which I live as I fear its effects on myself and those I love.

As believers, we all live in different cultures around the world, but our mission remains the same.

We are to be kingdom-minded people daily learning how to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Jesus with joy.
Join The Journey!

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Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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April 14 - May 2, 2025 - Journey Theme #139

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Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!

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Posted in: Alive, Freedom, Joy, Kingdom, Life, Safe, Treasure Tagged: Easter, eternal life, hope, martyr, reward, Safe

Slain Day 7 Esther John: Digging Deeper

April 22, 2025 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Slain Day 7 Esther John: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

April 22, 2025

Anchored,Enemies,Gospel,Legacy,Life,persecution

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Esther John"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:22-25

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who are the ones who hate Jesus and His Father? (verse 23)

In John 15:23, Jesus tells His disciples, “The one who hates Me also hates My Father.” Although He taught almost exclusively about love and forgiveness (John 3:16), Jesus and His disciples had many critics. One such group is often referred to in the Bible as “the world,” meaning all the people of the world.

Walter Elwell notes, “the world can also refer to the subclass of indifferent and hostile people who reject God and His ways.” Some people hear about God and His ways and choose to walk their own path, despising God’s plans. Dick Lucas asserts, “We carry around in every heart an enmity towards the things of God until, in His great grace and mercy, He subdues it.”

Indeed, James 4:4 tells us that friendship with the world makes us hostile to God, but Jesus’ haters also included people who claimed not only to love God but to know more about His laws than any other group of people.

Religious leaders of the day hated Jesus and ultimately plotted His death. (John 11:53) Jesus sought to establish that He and the Father are one in spirit and nature (John 10:30); the Sadducees, Scribes and Pharisees regarded this as blasphemous. (Matthew 26:65) Matthew Poole suggests, “It is a common error of the world, that many in it would pretend to love God, while yet they are manifest haters of Christ and his gospel.”

Those who hated Jesus reacted to the God they claimed to serve in the same way the sinful world reacted to Jesus, with a hatred and contempt strong enough to call for His crucifixion.

The Everyday Application

1) Who are the ones who hate Jesus and His Father? (verse 23)

My friend’s aunts got into a heated argument with her mother. The argument had nothing to do with my friend, but the next day she discovered she had been unfriended and unfollowed on social media by multiple cousins. Before realizing what had happened, she requested to be online friends again with one cousin, assuming the unfriending was in error.

She never imagined that something so unconnected with her could garner her enemies in the family. In their eyes, a fight with the mother was a fight with the daughter. Jesus conveyed a similar sentiment in John 15:23, where He told His disciples, “The one who hates Me also hates My Father”.

Jesus declared Himself to be God, the Messiah, the One prophesied in Scripture (Isaiah 61:1) to redeem the world from sin (Galatians 3:13). His message was that in Jesus, God had fulfilled His Promise of a Savior; He and the Father are one (John 14:9-11).

For unrepentant sinners, sceptics, and religious leaders who accused Jesus of being a false prophet (Matthew 12:24), Jesus’ words and actions stirred up hate. He held up a mirror that reflected their sinfulness back to them, and they hated Him for it. They wanted to keep sinning without regard to the consequences, or continue considering themselves above reproach, rather than consider the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) that Jesus represented.

The same mirror is held up for our own souls. According to the Christ, we are each sinners who have rebelled against God with our willful sin. Will we cling to our offense and continue the trajectory of our rebellion, which will land us in an eternity separated from the love of God? Or, will we surrender our rebellion, confess our sin, and humbly lean on Jesus’ offer to save us from ourselves?

The Original Intent

2) What works did Jesus do that made these people aware of their guilt? (verse 24)

In John 15:24 Jesus claimed, “If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.” Jesus and His disciples traveled throughout Galilee and the region preaching the Gospel (Mark 1:14), healing the sick (Matthew 4:23-24), raising the dead (Luke 7:15), and performing other miracles (John 21:25).

The world and the religious leaders hated Jesus because His words and His works revealed their hypocrisy and arrogance and accused them of cleaning the dish on the outside but leaving the inside of the dish filthy with greed and selfishness. (Matthew 23:25) They claimed to be close to God, but Jesus’ teachings made it clear they cared more about their social status and self-importance than the Truth of God’s Word. For the mirror He held up to their lives, they despised Him.

Instead of receiving the Truth of Jesus’ words, repenting and finding vast forgiveness, they burned with hatred for Jesus and plotted to kill Him. (Matthew 26:3-4) Dick Lucas suggests that people respond to God’s offer of sanctification with, “I don’t want to be acceptable, thanks. I don’t want you to change me. I don’t want you to make me acceptable to the kingdom of God. I want to remain as I am.” They preferred to continue in their darkness rather than have their sins exposed and forgiven. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

The Pulpit Commentary notes, “The awful condemnation is here pronounced, ‘that men loved darkness rather than light’. (John 3:19)” Instead of rejoicing in God’s power and compassion, they hid from the exposure His light would bring, thereby keeping themselves separated from the endless love, compassion, and forgiveness He offered.

The Everyday Application

2) What works did Jesus do that made these people aware of their guilt? (verse 24)

As a child, I was fascinated by a picture book that portrayed a leader conned by two swindlers who offered to make a magic suit of clothes that only the intelligent could see. They pretended to sew him new garments, and the Emperor and his entourage pretended to admire the clothes because they did not want to appear unworthy and stupid.

The emperor eventually wore the new outfit for a parade through town, where the citizens, also too embarrassed to admit they couldn’t see the new suit, remarked on the quality of the clothing. Eventually, a little boy called out that the Emperor wore no clothes, and everyone realized the Emperor had been conned and was walking around in his underwear!

I get the same sense in reading about the pompous religious leaders in John 15:24. Jesus performed miracles (Matthew 9) that sinners and the religious elite refused to recognize as divine. Instead they hated Him for making them look bad when they professed to be better than everyone else. (Matthew 23:3-4)

Charles Ellicott explains that the religious leaders “met the evidence of works by the assertion that He was a sinner (John 9:16), and possessed a devil (Mark 3:22). Their hatred led them to ascribe the highest good to the power of evil.”

When confronted with our own sin, may we not be like the Emperor or the religious hypocrites who refused to acknowledge the reality of our sin. May we instead welcome and accept the grace God offers to all who come to Him in honesty and humility, agreeing with Him about our sin.

The Original Intent

3) Which part of the Law says that Jesus would be hated for no reason? (verse 25)

Jesus explained to His disciples why His detractors hated him by saying, “But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason.” (John 15:25) Jesus referenced a Messianic Psalm in this verse that described David, an archetype of Jesus, and prophesied about the coming Savior.

Psalm 69:4 reads, “Those who hate Me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my deceitful enemies, who would destroy Me, are powerful. Though I did not steal, I must repay.” The fact that David and Christ were hated for no reason is also echoed in Psalm 35:19, Psalm 109:3 and Psalm 119:161. Albert Barnes writes, “Jesus had broken no law, He had done no injury to his country or to any individual. It is still true that sinners hate Him in the same way. He injures no one, but, amid all their hatred, He seeks their welfare.”

More than having given no reason for his foes to hate Him, Jesus performed miracles and offered forgiveness of sins to His haters, who still refused to acknowledge Him as the Son of God. (Luke 7:28-30) Because of Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and power declaring who He is to the world (Acts 2:22), “Those who hate Him will be without excuse—even the excuse of ignorance. The Father and the Son have made it abundantly clear who Jesus is and what our obligations to Him are.” (Ligonier.org)

Without cause, and against evidence of Jesus’ deity, some people stubbornly choose to hate Jesus and the Good News He represents, fulfilling the prophecies from God’s Word.

The Everyday Application

3) Which part of the Law says that Jesus would be hated for no reason? (verse 25)

In Jane Austen’s 19th Century novel Emma, the beautiful and wealthy lead character holds an inexplicable but intense dislike for Jane Fairfax, a young woman in her social circle. Emma does not hate Jane because she is poor, nor is she jealous of her beauty or musical talent or pleasant demeanor. To a casual observer, Jane is just the kind of girl Emma should be friends with. Even so, Emma dislikes Jane for no good reason that she can name, and she is vexed because she knows everyone expects that she should like and befriend Jane.

These societal expectations and Jane’s own exasperating goodness combine to make Emma hate her all the more, unreasonable though she knows it to be. The religious elite and the sinful world similarly had no reason to hate Jesus. He taught the Word of God that the religious leaders purported to love (John 7:14-19), and He offered freedom and forgiveness to sinners (Luke 5:32), but they still despised Him.

Merrill Chapin Tenney notes, “By both His life and His words He rebukes human sin and condemns it. He uncovers the inner corruption and hypocrisy of men, and they react violently to the disclosure.” Jesus explained this disdain to His disciples by saying, “But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason.” (John 15:25)

Jesus explained that the very Scriptures the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees revered and followed foretold their rejection of Him as the Messiah. (Psalm 69:4) The mirror was before their eyes the whole time, yet they remained blind.

While it’s true that unrepentant sinners and self-righteous hypocrites reject God’s merciful gift of salvation, it’s also true that for all who come to Him in humility, confessing their sin and trusting Him for forgiveness, freedom and abundance are found! (Luke 4:43)  

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On October 14, 1929, Qamar Zia, one of seven children, was born into a Muslim family. At 17, Qamar began attending a Christian school where she began to see a new, profound faith in the life and testimony of a teacher, which sparked an interest in Bible reading.

Her favorite Scripture, Isaiah 53, further motivated her conversion to Christianity.

Qamar’s family moved to Pakistan, and she was given a New Testament. While holding a flashlight under her blankets in the darkness of night, she read her Bible. As she learned more about her greatest love, Jesus, Qamar’s tender faith grew strong.
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Posted in: Anchored, Enemies, Gospel, Legacy, Life, persecution Tagged: Easter, eternal life, hope, martyr, reward

Done Day 4 Adoption Story: Digging Deeper

May 9, 2024 by Lois Robbins Leave a Comment

Done Day 4 Adoption Story: Digging Deeper

Lois Robbins

May 9, 2024

Adoption,Alive,Family,Forgiven,Freedom,Future,Heaven,Holy Spirit

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Adoption Story"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:9-12

He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure that He purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time —to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.

11 In Him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to His glory.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is meant by the “mystery” Paul references in verse 9? 

The New Testament uses the word MYSTERY in a special sense. Rather than a mystery that’s impossible to understand, biblical mystery is something which has long been secret, but is now revealed and made plain for all.

There are aspects of the Christian faith that can seem mysterious at first, but with understanding, the once-mysterious, becomes clear and precious.

For example, suppose someone who knew nothing about Christianity visited church during a Communion Service. Communion, and the language surrounding it, would be a complete mystery. They wouldn’t understand what was happening or why, but to the believer in Jesus who understands the Lord’s Supper, Communion is not only plain and clear, it’s also rich with joy and significance. Communion itself wasn’t mysterious, rather, until its meaning is explained, it remained a mystery to the one who hadn’t yet understood it.

For Paul, “the mystery of His [God’s] will”, was made plain when Jesus came to fulfill the “good news gospel story” that the Lord God had been weaving since before time began. (Ephesians 1:4) When Jesus came to sacrifice Himself on the cross, He paid for every sin across all of time. (1 John 2:2) That “credit” of righteousness was now available to all people. When someone accepts this credit, their debt of sin will be erased in full because of Jesus’ righteousness. This acceptance through faith (Romans 10:9-10) is what moves someone from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son, making them a child of God. (Colossians 1:12-13, Romans 10:13)

This was always God’s plan to redeem mankind, but it wasn’t clear in the Old Testament Who the promised Messiah would be, neither did many understand that God always intended for this gospel to be extended beyond Jews, offering payment of sin to Gentiles also.

These were both mysteries, but when Jesus was revealed, the mystery of the gospel was made plain!

The Everyday Application

1) What is meant by the “mystery” Paul references in verse 9? 

Up until the time of this writing, mankind had been living in a divided world. Either you were Jewish, or you were a Gentile, which included Greek, Barbarian, and, well, everyone else.

All around the known world there was strife and tension because of this division, but Jesus came into the world to wipe out the division and offer rescue from sin for all people. (Ephesians 2:13-14) This was the secret of God, bound up in the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. Not only was He the now-revealed promised Messiah from the Old Testament, He also extended forgiveness and new life to all people, regardless of nationality. (Revelation 5:9)

The Bible teaches that through the ages, history is the active working out of the will of God. (Ephesians 1:11-14) Today, we continue living in an age in which humanity continues loving Self. Lines of division are drawn in cultures all around the world to evidence this Self-Worship, proving faithfulness to our agendas and our versions of right.

Just as Jesus came to erase division between Jew and Gentile in the first century, so He is at work in our world through His people to bring unity under the Name of Christ Jesus.


Paul understood that one day, as the mystery of Christ continued being proclaimed around the world, people from all backgrounds would come to faith in Jesus, building one family in Christ.

It is the great task of the Church (believers in Christ) to work out God’s purpose of unity, and live every day with His mission in mind, serving one another in love and humility with our lives while our tongues tell of the grand rescue of Jesus who made a way for us to be forgiven and live free from sin!

The Original Intent

2) What is the intended connection between inheritance and predestination? (verse 11)

In the context of this passage, Paul uses the Greek word “προορίζω”, which is translated “predestined” to emphasize the pre-determined choice of God. As Sovereign over all things, God has “foreordained, decreeing from eternity” His plan and purpose in redeeming mankind.

God’s “predestined” plan was known in full to Himself, the all-wise, eternal God (1 Corinthians 2:7), and always included the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23) to make the atoning payment for sinners. No part of the redemption plan was accidental or a “backup” plan. Christ’s death was God’s plan to save His beloved people and bring them Home.

The Greek word, “κληρόω”, translated “inheritance” in English, references the possession of salvation for those who trust in Christ Jesus through faith. (Romans 10:8-10) These believers receive the inheritance of salvation (Hebrews 1:14), but its meaning to the first Greek hearers was much deeper than the English “inheritance through a will of the deceased”. This “κληρόω” was a divinely appointed heritage meant for ownership and possession to the one who received it by order of the Almighty God.

The believers’ inheritance of salvation is described as an eternal, joyful existence with God. Believers are promised, by divine order, “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading – kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4) The doctrine of predestination teaches that all who are saved were chosen by God before the foundation of the world through His foreordained rescue plan which He planned, purposed, and brought to fruition by His divine power.

Therefore, for all who come to Christ, our inheritance in the heavenly kingdom for all eternity with God is secure by order of the Almighty. (Isaiah 14:27) This inheritance is accessible to all who truly turn to Christ through repentance and faith in Jesus alone.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the intended connection between inheritance and predestination? (verse 11)

Paul carefully chose his words so his recipients would not miss how loved, treasured, known, and loved they were in God’s sight. His plan to forgive and restore humanity was determined and set in stone long before any of us took a single breath. His plan is secure, and the inheritance of all who come to Him is immovable.

The God who predestined the rescue of sinners according to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is truly the Almighty King. He enacted His predestined plan because He is altogether a perfectly loving and righteous Father who “predestined us to be adopted as sons”. (Ephesians 1:5, emphasis mine) We are so loved that we are His own, chosen for adoption.

Predestination is an act of infinite fatherly love, bringing outsiders into His family forever without any basis of merit on the part of the sinner, for we truly have nothing to offer a perfectly holy God! (Isaiah 64:6) This is extravagant love!

His predestined plan for our salvation brings Him praise and glory. In essence, our rescue from eternal death brings a smile to the face of God.

When we perpetuate this mission of God in our own lives, we are carrying on His legacy and making known His offer of rescue to all people. We are putting God’s grand love on display in everyday life and ordinary circumstances. (Grace by CityAlight)

The Original Intent

3) What group of people is meant by “us” and “we”? (verses 9-12)

Paul’s letter was written to those who had come to faith in Jesus, but were not of Jewish descent. The Jews were the original “chosen ones” in the Old Testament. As Jews were the first chosen people, they had the first opportunity to come to the Father through faith in Jesus. It was first to the Jews that the mystery of the ages was revealed. (Romans 1:16)

Sometimes figuring out who the pronouns belong to in a passage of Scripture can be challenging. The best method for determining their identity is by walking back to the beginning of a passage, which can sometimes mean multiple chapters! Don’t be discouraged, rightly studying God’s Word is worth it!

Studying the opening verses of Ephesians, Paul addresses the “faithful saints”, which is inclusive of all who have genuinely come to faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. (verses 1-2) “Us” and “we” in verses 3-8 inclusively declare solid, unchanging truth of our inheritance and reality as adopted believers in God’s family. Regardless of descent, all who trust in Jesus are safe for eternity by His “good pleasure”. (verse 5)

Verse 9 marks a transition as Paul identifies “us” as his own nation, the Jews, who were the first ones to whom God “made known the […] mystery of His will” of salvation through Jesus. Continuing through verse 12, Paul explains how the Jews were also recipients of the same inheritance, under the same predestined wonder of the divine Almighty that is now extended to the Gentiles. Paul shares this to highlight the deep unity the Lord intended among all believers, Jew or Gentile.

Emphasizing this unity, Paul uses “you” in verse 13, “In Him, you also […]”, to call out Gentiles specifically. He then hems all believers together again in verse 14, “the Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance […]”.

The Everyday Application

3) What group of people is meant by “us” and “we”? (verses 9-12)

The Jews’ assigned part to play in God’s mystery was to be the nation from whom God’s Messiah would come. All through history they had dreamed of and waited for the Messiah’s arrival; they were the first to have the opportunity to believe in Jesus.

God desires salvation for all people. (1 Timothy 2:4) All are in need of a Savior, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23); all are on equal footing before God. Still, the Jews were the people most prepared to welcome Christ, as He fulfilled every Old Testament law and prophecy. (Matthew 5:17)

All over the world, God prepared the hearts and minds of peoples and nations so they would readily receive the message of Jesus when it came, but the great privilege of the Jewish nation was to anticipate the coming of God’s Anointed One.

Whether Jew or Gentile, when people respond in faith to this Good News, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit as proof of their authentic belief. (Romans 8:9) The Holy Spirit teaches us to walk in God’s ways and equips us to obey Him.

The Spirit’s indwelling proves the authenticity of our adoption, and He grows fruit in our everyday living. One cannot have the Spirit and remain the same as before trusting Jesus. The Spirit provides a new self, a new life, and a renewed knowledge that is conformed to the Creator God. (Colossians 3:10-11)

Once we were orphaned. Once we were slaves of sin. Once we were rebellious and cut off from the Father. But when we come to the Father in faith, through Jesus’ sacrifice, He pours out His Spirit into our hearts, enabling us to call with the tongue of the adopted daughter, “Abba, Father!”. (Romans 8:15-16)

Here, in the heart of God, we are Home at last, welcomed into His family!
So live boldly as His child and share how Jesus has made you His! (Matthew 28:19-20)

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Journey Study

What comes to mind when you read adoption?

For many, “adoption” quickly conjures the human arrangement of assuming legal responsibility for a non-biological child.

While this arrangement is called adoption, the adoption we find in Ephesians 1:3-12 reaches far beyond human institutions; it is God’s own arrangement from long before the foundation of the earth.
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Posted in: Adoption, Alive, Family, Forgiven, Freedom, Future, Heaven, Holy Spirit Tagged: adoption, eternal life, Holy Spirit, hope, predestined, rescue, Safe, Savior, secure

Mission Day 10 The Light Of Mission: Digging Deeper

May 19, 2023 by Debbie Collin Leave a Comment

Mission Day 10 The Light Of Mission: Digging Deeper

Debbie Collin

May 19, 2023

Family,Forgiven,Fruitfulness,Gospel,Heaven

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "The Light Of Mission"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Paul writes, “the love of Christ compels us”. How does this kind of motivation differ from others? (verse 14)

One way to dig deeper into an author’s meaning is to study what their writings in other biblical books. Let’s look at other letters from Paul!

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Romans 10:2) Paul was referring to the Jews who passionately, but tragically, followed their traditions without a true understanding of God. Their “devotion” for God led them to violence and hate even to the point of persecuting Christians in the early church.

How can Paul testify about this? He had first-hand experience as a persecutor! “For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.” (Galatians 1:13-14)

But, in this passage, Paul says “the love of Christ compels us”. The Greek here could mean two different things (and perhaps both!). It could mean Christ’s love shown on the cross for us (Romans 5:8) and/or it could mean our love for Christ. Either way, Paul uses this to describe how our motivation changes when we become a “new creation” in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Everyday Application

1) Paul writes, “the love of Christ compels us”. How does this kind of motivation differ from others? (verse 14)

Think about the last time you bought someone a gift. If it was for a coworker, you might have felt an obligation to contribute to a group gift. If it was for a loved one in your life, you may have spent weeks determining the perfect gift.

Which scenario do you enjoy more? Obligation or love?

Most of us would probably say we want to love Christ (Matthew 22:36-40), but how many of us would say we are compelled by love like Paul’s passion represents? If we are really honest with ourselves, our answer might be that we want to love Christ like Paul’s example, but, there’s a going on for us.

Maybe you feel as if you don’t have enough time or energy to get involved with one more thing. Extravagant love feels too heavy. Let’s keep digging!

The Original Intent

2) What does it mean to no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ? (verse 15)

Paul wrote in the letter to the Galatians describing how his old self had died and a new creation was birthed by the Spirit of God, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Again, he reiterates this same reality he had experienced when teaching and encouraging the Colossian believers, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:3-4)

Paul’s words describe the transformation made evident in genuine Christ-follower’s lives as they are marked by the very presence of Christ.

How is this radical transformation made known to others? Love.

Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

The Everyday Application

2) What does it mean to no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ? (verse 15)

Let’s take a moment to adjust our mindset. Often, when we approach anything connected to the Christian life or ministry, we view it as an item on a “to do” list. The “list” of performances seem to get longer when adding in prayer time, worship, Bible study, or fasting!

Living for Christ, according to the Bible, is not behavioral modification, rather, it is an identity. As we live a life that honors Christ, His love will be reflected to the world around us because of His own Spirit at work in us! (Matthew 5:16) Developing our identity in Christ takes time, but it’s worth it! The first step is to pray and ask God’s help and wisdom! (James 1:5) Bring to the Lord an honest, humble heart that asks how we can best reflect Christ as we live out our roles as women.

Whether you are mom, sister, daughter, wife, friend, co-worker or something else, you were made to reflect the kind of love Jesus evidenced when He sacrificed Himself on the cross for us to pay the penalty for sin we never could. As we seek to love like Jesus with humble hearts, the Holy Spirit will guide us to see Jesus more clearly through Scripture and experience Him more deeply as we study His Word with other believers and worship Him together.

The Original Intent

3) How does this passage deepen our understanding of a right motivation to share the gospel? (verses 14-15)

Paul reminds us in this passage that the love of Christ, shown through His death and resurrection as He paid the death penalty for us, is the key to His mission. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

It is Christ’s sacrificial example that motivated Paul to offer his own life as a sacrifice for the gospel. Paul wrote, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.” (Ephesians 2:4-5) God’s great love brought Paul from death to life, and His love is still holding out that same offer to each of us.

Paul suffered beatings, imprisonment, hunger, and danger for the gospel; for the love of Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 11:16-27) He did this so others would “comprehend… what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love” and find salvation in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:18)

Jesus’ love on display fueled Paul; what fuels you?

The Everyday Application

3) How does this passage deepen our understanding of a right motivation to share the gospel? (verses 14-15)

In verse 14, Paul writes, “the love of Christ compels us”. Let’s pause for a moment and consider the depth of this kind of love. “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.” (John 3:16) That’s amazing love! We live in a world that is starving and desperate for love and forgiveness like only Jesus offers. When we surrender to His Spirit, His own love is made manifest in us!

How has the love of Christ made a difference in your life? Pray and give thanks! Ask Him how you can use your story to encourage someone in your life.

“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:19)

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Mission Day 10
Journey Study

When we consider His example of mission, it is striking that He genuinely cared about others. He was never motivated by a desire to prove Himself. He had real compassion for those who were struggling and lost. (Matthew 9:36)

As we look to Him, we can embrace His compassion for us, which allows His compassion for others to flow through us, reaching the point where, as early preacher and teacher Paul puts it, “the love of Christ compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)
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Posted in: Family, Forgiven, Fruitfulness, Gospel, Heaven Tagged: eternal life, gospel, hope, teach

Training Day 11 Hungry For More

February 7, 2022 by Audra Darville Leave a Comment

Training Day 11 Hungry For More

Audra Darville

February 7, 2022

Christ,God,Jesus,Prayer,Restored,Truth,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 4:27-38
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 6:9-21
Esther 4

 

From my childhood, fasting has been a discipline I have heard about and witnessed. I grew up in the Bible Belt, an area in the midwest and southern US where Protestant fundamentalism is widely practiced. Appearing “godly” is part of the culture. When I was younger, though I felt shame and guilt for not participating in community fasts, I didn’t really see the need for fasting. Why should I starve myself in order to seem holy?

As I grew in spiritual understanding, I learned fasting is an essential part of our relationship with God. It wasn’t actually about starving myself, but about finding satisfaction for my soul-hunger! Each time I’ve fasted, I’ve gained a new understanding of God.

First, I’ve learned fasting can bring true repentance.

In Joel 2:12-14, the Lord exhorted Israel to fast, mourn, and weep as an expression of turning their hearts back to Him. Setting aside the sustenance their bodies required symbolized the people’s realization of their desperate need for God that surpassed their physical desires. 

God’s emphasis was on capturing Israel’s heart,
not on asking them to put on a faux “godly appearance”.
“Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God.” (Joel 2:13a)

This call to fasting as an expression of deep spiritual conviction, rather than a shallow, false display of piety, is echoed and expanded to all believers in Jesus’ teaching.

“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

Whether expressed in private moments with our Father, or as a time of communal repentance, fasting turns our hearts from the idol of self. Selfishness wrecks the intimacy we can share with God, but fasting reveals our lusting desires to pursue ourselves and our attempt to wrest control of our lives. Denying our physical bodies shifts our attention onto the One who fully satisfies us because He alone is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love.” (Joel 2:13b)

Next, fasting can be a sign of authentic worship.

As infant Jesus is dedicated at the temple in Jerusalem, we meet Anna, an elderly widow who dedicated her life to fasting and praying as an expression of authentic worship.

“There was also a prophetess, Anna [. . .] She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
(Luke 2:36-38)

Anna was an authentic worshiper of Christ, privileged to be one of the first in His life. A lifetime devoted to fasting and prayer prepared her spirit to recognize her Savior in the unlikeliest of forms, a newborn. After 400 years of silent prophets, an elderly, vulnerable, poor widow gives voice to the words of the Lord, giving thanks and declaring the arrival of Jesus.

Third, fasting magnifies our true need in life, God.

Every time I have fasted, I’ve been reminded of the reality that without God, I am nothing.
He is my sustainer,
He is my redeemer,
He is the answer to all my questions.

For me, fasting has been a way to literally empty myself and fill up with only Christ.
Fasting, then, is a physical representation of our spiritual lives.

When we are empty and hurting, we should turn our eyes, hearts, and minds to Christ, because only in Him will we receive our deepest needs.

Jesus demonstrated this truth in a shocking conversation with a Samaritan woman near a well.

“Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.’” (John 4:13-14)

Later, the discussion continues among His disciples…

“In the meantime, the disciples kept urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said, ‘I have food to eat that you don’t know about [. . .] My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work,’ Jesus told them.” (John 4:31-34, emphasis mine)

The only water that will quench the thirst of our spirits is the water of eternal life.
The only food that will satisfy our starving souls is doing the Father’s will.
In fasting, we abandon the physical in pursuit of the eternal.

Finally, I know many believers who’ve chosen to fast from physical desires other than food. True fasting worshipers set aside that which has consistently pulled their attention away from God. They actively turn from idols in their lives and replace them with praying and reading God’s word.

Sisters, I encourage you to practice this spiritual discipline. Fasting is a powerful way to renew and refresh our relationship with God and deepen our faith and trust in Him. In fasting, we proclaim Christ as the sole-supplier of our greatest need, Himself.

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authentic,eternal life,fasting,heart,holy,New Understanding,questions,redeemer,repentance,satisfy,Sustainer,Teaching,training
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Digging Deeper

When we fast as Mordecai did for his people, we are bearing up the burden of reconciliation and bringing it to the Lord who loves to bring unity.

Mordecai was heartbroken for his people and desired their preservation, so his response was to bring his burden to the Lord through fasting, weeping, and lamenting.

Jesus came for the sins of the entire world (John 3:16), therefore we should be concerned for the salvation of our world.

Lamenting over our division through fasting and prayer as Mordecai exemplified is the place to begin.
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Posted in: Christ, God, Jesus, Prayer, Restored, Truth, Worship Tagged: authentic, eternal life, fasting, heart, holy, New Understanding, questions, redeemer, repentance, satisfy, Sustainer, Teaching, training

Pause V Day 15 Redeemed & Restored

November 12, 2021 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Pause V, Day 15

Yesterday’s reading ended with Jesus dead and buried in a tomb. Peter was distraught because he had denied even knowing Jesus. Judas committed suicide after betraying Jesus. And what of our dead Jesus?

He rose!

After He conquered sin, He took three days and conquered death. He was resurrected from the dead so that death was also rendered powerless. We have eternal LIFE in Jesus’ name! (John 20:31) We are restored to fellowship with Father God through the empty tomb, discovered by Mary Magdalene and Peter, the denier.

But Jesus still had one more thing to do. One more piece of redemption and restoration to accomplish.

Peter.

Over a breakfast Jesus lovingly cooked while Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and Zebedee’s sons were fishing, Jesus restored Peter. Asking Peter three times if he loved Him, Jesus gave Peter a different responsibility each time.

Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

Shepherd my sheep. (John 21:16)

Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

Peter was to continue building upon what Jesus started by feeding, shepherding, and maturing those who believed in Jesus. This also is our job.

We’re not going to build the early church like Peter did, but we can help others know about Jesus, learn more about Him and mature in their faith.

As we close out Pause V, remember we’ve been redeemed from the bondage of sin and restored to fellowship and relationship with God. Not only can we help build the church, we should. We must. We ARE the Church!

Today's Invitation

1) Read through John 20 out loud today twice. Slowly. Explore deeper by studying some cross-references or write out your own paraphrase of the events. Thank the Lord for His eternal provision as you pray!

2) Here is our last hand-crafted Spotify playlist for Pause 5! Remember, you are prayed over and delighted in! Put this playlist on repeat this weekend and be reminded of the rich truths God has shown you this week in Pause 5! Let your worship be an act of joy and thankfulness before your God!

3) Memorize John 17:23

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John 20

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them,
“They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came.
He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them,
“and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying?
Who is it that you’re seeking? ”Supposing he was the gardener, she replied,
“Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”
And she told them what he had said to her.

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”

28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way:

2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.

3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.

“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.”
So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them.

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him.

16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”

He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.
18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.

After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you?
As for you, follow me.”

23 So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause V Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause V!

Posted in: church, Fellowship, Jesus, Love, Redeemed, Redemption, Relationship, Restored, Shepherd Tagged: Building, eternal life, Feed, Peter, responsibility, Rose, We Are

Word Day 2 Do You Believe?: Digging Deeper

April 20, 2021 by Lori Meeks 2 Comments

Word Day 2 Do You Believe?: Digging Deeper

Lori Meeks

April 20, 2021

Believe,Digging Deeper,God,Holy Spirit,Jesus,Love,Relationship,Worship

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Do You Believe?"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 4:7-15

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.

9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”

11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

15 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”

16 “Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.”

17 “I don’t have a husband,” she answered. “You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ ”

Jesus said. 18 “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Being a Jew and knowing the culture, why would Jesus ask this woman for a drink? (verse 9)

Jesus was never one to let a teaching moment pass Him by. During this encounter at the well, He was simply doing what He always did regardless of the audience, engage with love on purpose. He took an everyday situation and flipped it into an impactful lesson for many.

Jesus came to destroy the old way of thinking with strict laws as means of coming to God. Ordinary people, like this woman, were easily bogged down with all the rules and had lost focus from the main point of having a relationship with God. Jesus took the opportunity that presented itself in the flow of His normal life, and used the fact that He was physically thirsty, to open this woman’s mind to her own spiritual thirst.

First, he spoke directly to her. Men of her culture would have completely ignored her. With His words alone, Jesus demonstrated that He saw her and cared enough to engage in a conversation. Secondly, he guided this woman to understand that even though He had asked her for water, He was offering something far greater, eternal life.

Jesus was a risk taker and never allowed cultural norms to stop Him accomplishing His mission and share His message of love with everyone He encountered.

The Everyday Application

1) Being a Jew and knowing the culture, why would Jesus ask this woman for a drink? (verse 9)

There is no question that tensions run high when it comes to race, culture and even our moral belief systems. As much as we’d like to believe these are new things, we learn from this passage that respecting people with different colors of skin or cultural upbringings has been a source of tension since the beginning of time.

At first glance, it can be tempting to think of this passage as a good moral lesson with some interesting history, but having little impact on our lives today. In reality, this true narrative is still as relevant today as it was when Jesus first had the conversation.

Jesus refused to let the cultural standard or current belief system stop His work of meeting and loving people where they were. He took a risk and talked to someone most people would have avoided. He engaged in a conversation, which included listening to and responding to her questions as well as asking His own. He used a normal daily task, drawing water from a well, to teach, convict, and ultimately change this woman’s life and those around her.

Every Christian today needs to follow Jesus’ example. None of us need to look far to find someone different than ourselves, we have look up and see them, be willing to engage in conversations, and look for opportunities to share Jesus’ message. In verse 26 Jesus says, “I am He” (meaning the promised Messiah), we must ask ourselves, just as this woman, do I believe Jesus is who He says He is? If our answer is yes, then we are compelled to share that knowledge with those around us, just like this woman.

The Original Intent

2) How does the water Jesus gives keep us from getting thirsty again? (verse 14)

Jesus was a master at teaching in a way that others could relate to and understand. In this story, the woman’s interest is piqued and she asks some clarifying questions. “Where does this water come from?” “Are You saying You are greater than our father Jacob?” As the dialogue continues, understanding begins to dawn on this woman. The water Jesus spoke of wasn’t literal water, but eternal life.

For this woman, a known adulteress and public sinner, she initially desired a way out of a daily struggle. Her life choices had resulted in consequences that made her life difficult and shameful. She didn’t want to go to the well each day to get water, she didn’t want the knowing looks, ridicule, and judgement of those who saw her.

Ultimately, she comes to understand how this man Jesus is different; He’s even greater than a prophet. In fact, she gets so excited that John 4:28-29 records her leaving her water jug and running back to town to bring others saying, “Could this be the Messiah?!”. 

For this woman, the realization that she could be free from her past by simply accepting the free gift being offered her in Jesus was life changing!

The Everyday Application

2) How does the water Jesus gives keep us from getting thirsty again? (verse 14)

In this story, Jesus gives the woman what she needs instead of what she wants. She is looking for physical water so she wouldn’t need to face the shame of judgement when she comes to the well. Instead of giving her more isolation, Jesus gives her what she really needs, the way to eternal salvation and a transformation so deep it changed her life. Once we come to a place of accepting Jesus for who He is and the salvation He gives, we can stop searching for other things to fill us up; He is enough! You only need to acknowledge and accept Jesus as your Savior one time in sincerity, and He will faithfully rescue you for eternity.

The analogy Jesus makes with water and a well doesn’t make as much sense to us today since most of us simply go to the faucet and turn the handle for water. For the people in our story, getting water was a daily chore requiring advance planning. Drawing water meant physically walking a dusty road with a heavy earthen jar. It was something that had to be done day after day after day. Much like following the law of the old covenant, it took repeated effort, day after day, all the while knowing you’d need to do it all again the next day.

An unending cycle of trying to live up to an impossible expectation, failing, and working to atone or pay for those failures with the appropriate sacrifice. With Jesus, none of that is required! He has done all the work; all we need is to go to the faucet (Jesus) and turn the handle (pray in faith) that allows the water (eternal life) to flow. 

The Original Intent

3) What is meant by “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”? (verses 23-24)

Jesus is teaching that regardless of being Jew or Samaritan, He welcomes all to trust Him. He isn’t looking for a particular race, gender, or culture, instead He is seeking hearts who will take Him at His word, believe Him, and worship the Father. Culturally at this time, the Jews viewed themselves as superior to the Samaritans. The Jews were God’s chosen people, descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were considered less than because they were only half Jewish.

The Samaritan race came from marriage between Jews and other races following the Jews’ return from exile. Everyone knew the Messiah would be of Jewish lineage, specifically from the tribe of Judah. This knowledge led the full-blooded Jews to look down on everyone else. While the Samaritan people worshiped God, they did not have the same “inside knowledge” as the Jewish people, in many ways they worshiped a God they did not know or understand.

Additionally, the Jewish people believed you could only worship God in Jerusalem, which furthered the divide between these two people groups. Beginning in verse 21, Jesus breaks down that old belief system by saying it doesn’t matter where you worship or who you are, but that “true worshipers” (regardless of their nationality, history, or past) will worship “in Spirit” (a matter of the heart vs. the keeping of the law) and “in truth” (believing Jesus and embracing Him as the promised Messiah).

By having this conversation with a Samaritan, who was also a woman, Jesus broke down several cultural stumbling blocks. He came for everyone, even this woman who was currently living in sin and, from all accounts, could never live up the standard of Jewish law.

The Everyday Application

3) What is meant by “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”? (verses 23-24)

Plain and simple, true worship comes down to the heart. Nothing else matters. Regardless of your skin color, your family’s ancestry, political party, church membership, or anything else, God desires the full worship of our hearts. True worshipers take Jesus at His word, believe He is in fact the Messiah, and did come to save each and every one of us from the deadly consequence of our sins.

True worshipers follow Jesus from the heart, because they know it impossible to earn or work their way to salvation. True worshipers live all out for Jesus every single day, not those who simply spin their wheels trying to check all the right boxes. True worshipers have “tasted and seen that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8) and can’t imagine life without Him.

We worship God in “Spirit and in truth” by allowing His Spirit living inside of us to teach us as John 16:13 says, “when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth”. The beautiful thing about life with Jesus is that He knows us and loves us for who we are, right here and right now. Even if our words and thoughts are a jumbled-up mess, He knows and sees what is in our hearts; this is what matters!

Tags :
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The GT Weekend! ~ Shofar, Week 3
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Shofar Day 15 Listen For The King
February 6, 2026
Shofar Day 14 Dear Believers In Laodicea: Digging Deeper
February 5, 2026

Word, Day 1
Journey Study

His message remained the same, though His words were different, as He met each pair of eyes and unique story with His faithful, enduring love.

He spoke value to the woman who married five times and then shared intimacy with a man not her husband. (John 4) He spoke life to a dead boy in a casket. (Luke 7:11-17) He spoke counter-cultural truth bound up with grace to the masses. (Matthew 5:1-12)

The response? Revival. Wholeness. The fullness of life.
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Posted in: Believe, Digging Deeper, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Relationship, Worship Tagged: chosen, Do You, eternal life, Life Changing, Message, Messiah, Risk Taker, True, water, Word
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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14