OVERCOMER, OVERCOME - BOOK REVIEW

Overcomer, Overcome by Caitlin Hawk is a stunning book. More importantly, it is a testimony to the power of God to rescue the hurting, restore the broken, and right the ship of anyone’s life for His Glory and our own good.  I had to go through it twice to get into Caitlin’s life story, B.C. (Before Christ).

This young lady’s honest, open, transparent account of her tough life from early teens, all the way through high school and junior college is an absolute must-read for anyone who thinks there is no hope for any family member, friend of even themselves who may be stuck in the vicious cycle of addiction.  With the availability of so many formerly illegal addictive substances, the number of adults, but especially our youth, who are addicted to vaping cannabis is staggering.

Then there is a crisis of identity amongst so many people these days, mostly young women, who are deceived by the shiny objects on social media or the “influencer” cult, etc.  Caitlin’s incredible journey led her to the REAL TRUTH (in Christ), through a very tough, difficult road.  It was only after her transformation at the life-changing Mercy Ministries, founded in 1983 by Nancy Alcorn, that Caitlin not just turned around but began growing into who she was all along – a daughter of the Living Christ. It was Jesus Who gave her the identity she possesses now, which is blessing her husband, daughters, and community around her in Knoxville, TN. (Mercy Multiplied, in Nashville, TN, was the home where Caitlin found her purpose in life).

(On a personal note, I was blessed to be able to meet a delegation in 2011 from St. Louis Mercy Multiplied at the Illinois State Capitol. Former Illinois State Senator Kyle McCarter and his wife Victoria were great supporters of Mercy St. Louis and twice brought up dozens of young ladies whose lives were transformed due to Nancy Alcorn’s ministry. Kyle later became the US Ambassador to Kenya in the first Trump Administration.  His wife and the girls participated in my Annual National Day of Prayer event at the Illinois State Capitol Lincoln Steps that year. What an incredible ministry/mission! God’s Hand continues to guide, now thousands of young women, to better lives because of Mercy Multiplied!)

What Overcomer Overcome shows is that it is not an easy walk; even Jesus rescues you out of the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of His Marvelous Light. As Caitlin mentions, sometimes you will feel like a “fish on pavement”. This is a tough proposition, as the Christian fails a lot, but we have a loving God Who draws us in if we draw near to Him. One of the attractions of this book is a chapter in Scripture which is super meaningful to our author friend – John Chapter 15.  It is the chapter on Abiding, remaining, connecting, living in the zone, feeding off the vine… tied into the “Source”

In the great new movie “A Great Awakening”, the George Whitefield character asked America’s Founding Father Ben Franklin, an avowed unbeliever, “What’s the Source, Ben”?  Franklin, of course, did not answer, but in her book, Caitlin Hawk tells us not just WHO the Source is, but how and from what He rescued her.

WATCH A FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE WITH CAITLIN ON "LIFE TODAY" (2023) ALONG WITH NANCY ALCORN OF MERCY MULTIPLIED.

Read this book with the frame of mind of “how can this either help me, or someone I know”….and it will.  After glancing through it, I camped on it to understand the author's heartbeat and what she was trying to say. What she said will make you cry, cringe, hurt, smile, pray, put the book down, pick it up, feel empathy, feel love, feel sadness, feel hopeful, rejoice, and again, I say – rejoice.

If you’re looking for immediate answers in a book, any book, except the Bible, you won’t find it. If you want to become part of the process that can lead someone, including oneself, to Deliverance, get a copy of Overcomer Overcome by Caitlin Hawk and you will be on the road to freedom, which can only be found in Jesus. 

PURCHASE CAITLIN'S BOOK HERE 

ON AMAZON.COM 

START YOUR DAY WITH GRATITUDE

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

CONSIDER THIS: LIFE

 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live….Deuteronomy 30:19

CONSIDER THIS: Within a 6 month period in 2012-13, two young women in their twenties, passed during an abortion – in Chicago and Maryland clinics respectively. It was obvious they did not choose wisely, as God told us to, through the Prophet Moses. Most of us will never go the route of these two unfortunate women, but we can still mess things up. We have the power with us to choose one or the other. Let us resolve to always promote the Cause of Life, as if it is second nature.

ACTION: Each January is Pro-Life month. The Sonogram machine has become the greatest friend to those who support the life of babies in the womb, from conception to birth and beyond. This month, let us pray for all those who have labored in the Cause of Life, from 1973 to present. Let us pray for the Crisis Pregnancy centers and all who mistakenly think that aborting that child is the best for them. They do not consider the consequences on their bodies and souls, years after that critical choice.

Our Father, You are the Author of Life, Who giveth breath and created every living thing. Father, for all the sixty plus million babies whose lives were sacrificed since 1973, and now inhabit an area around Your Throne in Heaven. Lord we pray for those who still labor in the fields of promoting the cause of Life and especially those who are on the frontlines in hospitals and crisis pregnancy centers and elsewhere, where the new technology of high definition sonograms leave no doubt that what was conceived is undoubtedly a living, breathing human life. Lord, when prospective mothers see that beautiful child, many change their minds and proceed to give birth rather than the alternative. Lord, just like how You change the hearts of those whom You call to repentance and salvation, we pray that not just technology, but that the Spirit of God will move in the hearts of more and more folks, so that eyes may be open, and an increasingly pro-life world will emerge. We ask all of this, in the Name of the Way, the Truth and the Life – the Lord Jesus, amen and amen.

OUR LIVING HOPE - STRONG AND SECURE

 TEXT:

1 PETER 1:3-9

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

PART 2: - PRECEPTS FOR LIFE...THE PEACEFUL, JOYFUL LIFE

In Psalm 19:8, the praise continues with the Psalmist (King David) saying “The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad, the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.”

What are the “precepts of the Lord” and why would they give us peace, joy and contentment in our souls?  

First of all, this is one thing only a truly converted child of God (i.e. born again) can comprehend. The reason is that the empowering and enlightening agent is the Holy Spirit of God.  To understand what the precepts of the Lord are, is the key to a different level of thinking which the unsaved do no possess. The precepts are the statutes, laws, decrees and commands of God. We know what those are.

They are not just the ten commandments but the decrees of the Lord which encompass love, mercy, compassion and living a lifestyle which is both pleasing to the Lord, while not offending others. The bible tells us that while some things may be lawful, as regards food and drink etc. not everything is profitable. If something causes someone else to stumble, that thing is an anathema. Why would be want to diminish our testimony by going into a liquor store, buying a bottle of Jack Daniels and a case of Budweiser just as our next door neighbor is driving by, to whom we are trying to witness?

The precepts of the Lord is more than just those which concern loving God and your fellow man. God gave us these to save us from ourselves, as well as to protect His Glorious Name. Committing adultery not just destroys marriages and families, it has the capability to ruin the health of the participants, the children of those families who are now scared for life, once sin is discovered and lead to drug abuse, sin, and depression. Obeying God’s commands to stay faithful to Him and our spouses, gives us peace and harmony in our homes and brings contentment to the nth degree. Stealing robs not just the victim, but it robs the soul, and tarnishes the Name of the Lord. Lying, cheating, coveting and more....are violations, for sure against other people that can have legal as well as ethical repercussions. Not doing those things is optimum and should never be part of our nature or thinking.

These commands and commandments are not to keep us from having fun. They are keep us from harming ourselves! Read all the decrees in the New Testament from the Apostle Paul, in many places, and see why the Lord put them there. It is for us to have a joyful and as pure a life as we can.

God’s Word is pure! His Commandments are pure because He is as Pure as His Word. When He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:13b and following: “Be at peace among yourselves…..admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all (verse 14). Then He says “do not repay evil with evil….”(15).  “Rejoice always  (16). Pray without ceasing (17). Give thanks in call circumstances (18). Do not quench the Spirit (19). Abstain from every form of evil (22)……He says all of this so that our “whole spirit, soul and body will be kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (23).

All of this put together, as Psalm 19:8b says, for “enlightening of the eyes”! In the great big Heart of God, what He saying here, is that the eyes of our own spiritual hearts, will see the beauty, joy and comfort of the Lord in the darkness which exists out there in the unsaved evil world.

What an amazing loving God. He cares so much for us, He gave us what the world sees as rules, but we see as the roadmap, to a truly peaceful and joyful life, while we journey here on earth. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

DEEP SEA PRAYING: SESSION 3

JONAH DELIVERED FROM THE DEAD

Jonah's Tomb in Mosul, Iraq 2014, before its destruction.

“The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought my life from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple” (Jonah 2:5-7)

In almost graphic detail, Jonah proceeds to explain how he died! Note that he said here that “the waters closed in over me to take my life”! This makes Jonah the second mortal man, along with Lazarus, whom God raised from the dead! Of course, Jesus Christ rose from the dead as well and the Resurrection is the hope of every believer in Almighty God- from Adam to Abraham until the trumpet sounds for the Call to rise and meet the Lord in the air. There will be tribulation saints, after what is commonly called “The Rapture” occurs, because it is only at that time will the Gospel be literally be preached to the ends of the earth. This will not occur in the current church age for many reasons, which is a matter for another discussion.

Jonah said two very interesting things in this statement. He said “the bars closed upon me forever….yet you brought my life from the pit”  Jonah was not just dead, he was in the abode of the lost. Only those who rebel against God end up in the pit! How many times we have read the psalmist David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say – “let me not be like them that goeth down into the pit”. Hell is described as a bottom less pit. Peter records that even though Jesus Christ the Lord was dead and buried in physical form, in a tomb, He nevertheless went down to the place of the dead and knocked down those same gates of hell (where the bars close around the lost) and preached the Victory He had just won on the Cross.

So what does this all mean? It would appear that just before Jonah was allowed to be conscious enough of his surroundings, that by ONLY the Grace of God, he was able to repent.  In all his dying and going to the depths of Sheol, the place of the dead,  he admits he only thought of the Lord when the very gates of hell were shut behind him! Isn’t this like the majority of mankind – from the time of Noah and before to now? Rebellious humans would rather face the uncertainty of eternal separation from God than cry out, even on their death beds, to the Only One Who has the power over life, liberty and love – God Himself. 

What happened with Jonah is the only recorded example of such a thing in history and definitely, the Bible. We know from the Word of God that it is appointed once for a man (or woman) to die and then the Judgment. The only reason Jonah was rescued from where he landed in the next life was that God was not through with him!  Jonah never said what his prayer was which reached to the very Throne of God, Who did what He had planned to do – let Jonah live to work for Him. All we can tell is – Jonah repented even in death and became the biggest evangelist ever recorded in the Bible – even bigger than Peter was at Pentecost where 5000 souls them 3000 were brought into the Kingdom by Peter’s preaching. Jonah preached and an entire city repented, believed and were saved. There is nowhere else in history, even with the great Billy Graham, where this was accomplished. 

The story of Jonah appears incomplete, because we see the disagreeable prophet complaining to God that He saved the Ninevites as Chapter 4 ends abruptly. History and tradition tells us that Jonah actually stayed in the same region of Assyria, where he literally once had hated the people, and taught them about the Lord! Later on, this region of Assyria/Nineveh and now Mosul, Iraq, became one of the largest Christian communities for almost 2000 years until the Islamic state terrorists persecuted them by the thousand and ended up driving them out. The Christians who lived there for two millennia were the product of Jonah’s evangelism and discipleship. After the churches and homes of these Christians were destroyed, the modern day Philistines then proceeded to destroy Jonah’s tomb, which even their own religion held up as a prophet! That sacrilege was too late as Jonah already completed the work which God had sent him to do.

777 - SEVEN DAYS OF PRAYER (JULY 1-7, 2014)

DAY 2 (JULY 2, 2014):

PRAYER FOCUS: THE AUTHOR OF LIFE

Peter, the man with the "keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" (which is actually the Living Word of God" in the most stirring sermon by any mortal man, in an act of divine revelation, called Jesus "The Author of Life" in Acts 3:15. The man who ran like a coward and denied Jesus three times when the high priest of Israel had Him arrested, was now boldly preaching Christ in the marketplace, as an example for us to proclaim the Word of Life. (Thousands were convicted and saved that very day).

The word Author is translated from the original Greek word "archégos" which the Holy Spirit put in there to designate Jesus as  the Originator, the Founder, the Leader, the Predecessor, the Creator of Everything. We know that He is the Word. We know that Jesus is the Word Who was with God. We know He is the Word Who IS God. We know He is the Creator of ALL things so let's go directly into prayer at this time:

Most Holy and Righteous Father, I thank Thee on this very day for the Life You have breathed into me, which is meant to glorify You in every way. I thank Thee for Thy Grace which thought of me...and everyone around me which brought this entire paradigm into being, for such a time as this. Lord, I thank You for Your Son - Jesus Christ - the Way the Truth and the Life. I have Life today, because of Him. I have breath today because of Him. I have Eternal Life as well as physical Life today, because of Him.

I have Liberty today, because of Him. I have bread today because of Him - not just the bread that temporarily feeds the body, but the living Bread that nourishes and feeds the soul. Oh living Word of Life, the grave could not keep the King and the Universe cannot contain Your Glory. I magnify, glorify and cry out in praise this very day to the Heavens in gratitude for the Life You have given,

Most merciful and compassionate God, Your blessings are for all generations, Your compassion never ceases, they are new every morning. Even when I fall short of Your Glory, Your irresistible Grace aboundeth. Even when I fail to see the Majesty and Splendor around Your throne, because I look around instead of UP, Your Love draws me in. Even when I followed a path You did not set, Your Spirit guided, provided and protected me back into alignment that the very angels of Heaven were sent to watch over me in my failures. In my sin you rescued me. From my Egypt, You delivered me. From my woe, You encouraged me. From my despair, You lifted me. From my own wilderness of Zin, You directed me. From my loneliness, You gave me love. From my hopelessness, You gave me hope....and from my dark night of the soul - YOU GAVE ME JESUS!

Lord, most Holy God, You are the only Way, not just to Heaven, You are the only Way to live daily. You are the only Way to live righteously. You are the only way to live a productive life as a member of the fellowship of the saints...so that while we live in this world, we will not be conformed to this world.

Lord, most Holy God, You are the Truth. Your executor in Jerusalem Pilate asked you "what is Truth"? There is none truer that You. Your Word can be trusted. Your Word can be proven. The perishing world which denies you proves You daily by not just archaeological finds which confirm the Scripture but gives us the Hope that You can be believed. 

Lord, most Holy God, You are the Life - the Giver of Life and the Author of Life. Oh Living Savior, Who sits on the very Throne of Heaven, I worship and adore you and thank You for as the Scripture in Hebrews 12 as I fix my "eyes on Jesus, the Author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God". Thank You Lord, as that Author of Life. Thank You Lord, as the Author and Perfecter of the Faith You have given me, for writing my name in YOUR BOOK OF LIFE. Thank You! I bless and praise Your Holy Name and bow before You in gratitude and awe, in the Strong and Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.

LORD, I AM AMAZED BY YOU - SCRIPTURE

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet, Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! (Psalm 119:1 ESV)
This torn and tattered book ran with me for my early years as a truly converted and regenerated believer and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. This old King James Bible is now on my shelf to remind me of those days - so I will never forget what the Lord has done for me. I have since worn out other Bibles...dirty pages which are sanctifying and cleansing my soul, in Spirit and in Truth.

For me, the words of this book and all the others, are not just for comfort and direction. For me, these words are LIFE! They LIVE in me. They SPEAK to me. They FUEL me in everything I say, think and do. They are more than LIFE to me! They are the Eternal Oracles of God. My love for this Word will never die. On the contrary, my love for these Words, which are the LOGOS of God, the Rhema of God and the Ruach Elohim - inspire me to give more of it away in book form, in love and in action.

Lord, Oh, Lord, I am amazed by You and Your Word, which goeth forth from the timeless Halls of Heaven to such a lowly sinner, saved by Grace, such as I.

PSALM 19: 7-10
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
PSALM 119:33-40
Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

THE GRACEFUL SERVANT....FROM THE PLUMBLINE TV SHOW

From my Plumbline TV Show on 1 Timothy 4: 6- 9 (NASB)

6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 

THE MEANING OF LIFE: PART 10 OF 12

A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER STUDY OF THE BOOK OF                                                        ECCLESIASTES......CHAPTER 10

"A LITTLE FOOLISHNESS"

Does your life have fragrance? Are people attracted to the Light that shines through you? The answers to these and other matters raised here in life are answered here in Ecclesiastes 10! This chapter contains several proverbs which make us think and then use that process to drop the plumb line against our own lives, to see if we are lined up in accurate thinking about these things - the things of God!

Ecclesiastes 10

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [a]sense is lacking and he [b]demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [c]temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [f]before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CHAPTER 10

THE MEANING OF LIFE: PART 9 OF 12

                          A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER STUDY OF THE BOOK OF                                                                      ECCLESIASTES......CHAPTER 9

                                          "THE END OF EVERY MAN"

The very second we are born, we commence our journey back to the Father, the God Who created us. The Father controls even the destinations of those who choose to live for the Son and those who do not. Solomon (whose real birth name is Jedidiah) addresses this truth about, well, life - that the end of all persons, is an appointment with death. As we see in our own sphere of influence, life is very fragile and we are just one breath away from eternity. So how does the King, who is now calling himself the preacher think we should live? Well, read on....

Ecclesiastes 9

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Men Are in the Hand of God

9 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain [a]it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything [b]awaits him.

2 It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who [c]is afraid to swear. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there isone fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. 4 For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your [d]fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun[e]; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CHAPTER 9

WHAT IS YOUR WORTH? - TO GOD, I MEAN....

A short message I did at a retirement home this past weekend shocked several people. I mentioned that the highest US dollar denomination out there today - a $10,000 bill - was still around but then I took out a crisp $1 bill and proceeded to illustrate.

The thing about US tender, or most other currencies, is no matter what physical shape the item is in, that is what it is worth.  I crumpled up the dollar bill. It was still worth - a dollar. I stomped on the crumpled bill. It was still worth - a dollar. Then I shocked some and ripped it loudly and boldly in half. Even so, it was still worth - a dollar....because I can tape those two half a dollar together with masking tape, even duct tape and/or clear scotch tape - and still use it to buy me a cup of coffee off the McDonald's value menu!

Any and ALL of these acts were a metaphor for our own lives.  Father...our Heavenly Father, Abba, does not see view our worth in our present condition. He sees us as having value - the same value He imputed to us when He breathed life into us at birth. We are worth so much to Him. 

Life can beat us up. 

Life can throw us down.

Life can tear us apart.

People can trample all over us.

Circumstances can do us in.

We can inflict all kinds of damage unto ourselves.....and on and on...., YET, the moment we get to the end of all of that....the moment we get to the end of ourselves, come to our senses and cry out to Him....THAT VERY MOMENT - He takes some supernatural Scotch tape and puts our lives back together. He takes the stomped on; beat up; burnt out; crumpled up mess of our lives and holds us in His Almighty, Loving, Compassionate, Wonderful, Healing Hands.

Our God - the ONLY True, Existent and REAL God - is such a God. The pagan religions of the east and middle east, as well as the newer contrived cults of the West, have one thing in common - their "gods" are demanding; harsh and full of hate and no love. Their "gods" require impossible "good works" and even the lives of "infidels" or 5500 different "reincarnations" so they can "reach nirvana". The Lord you God - the Holy One of Israel - sees us as we are, puts out an invitation ("Come unto Me all who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest) - and waits for us to respond. The Father of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is that God.

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  There it is! He even uses the word "Value"! We have so much worth to the Risen Savior.

The Bible says "precious in the Sight of the Lord, is the death of His Saints". We have so much worth in the grave, even though we go to be in His Presence if we are born-again.

Even those who reject Him, sadden Him. When the rich young ruler rejected following Jesus, it saddened the Master, because the Bible said Jesus "loved him". God takes no delight in sending people to hell. 

So today...and tomorrow and for the near future and for the rest of our lives, when the world goes after you; when even loved ones hurt you and when pain, ill-health or any circumstance brings you down, remember this - just like that torn up dollar bill, there is a Redeemer and One Who restores. There is this One, Who never made junk in the first place. There is this One, Who when He puts us back together and if we are truly His, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "we are a new creation".,.. and that LITERALLY means NEW! It is the same word that is used for CREATION in Genesis - 'ktesis'. He makes something new out of the nothing we  have made our lives. 

This is our value. This is our worth. Not the lies of the enemy - the devil.
This offer and His promises are all your - AND FREE with no guilt - all you and I have to do is - ask!

YOU ARE FREE!

SO NOW --- STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP!

Too much has been said about freedom, deliverance, breaking free, breaking loose from the bondage and shackles of our past without the actual application of just doing it! So many Christians live such defeated lives that it would take me another book to dissect all the reasons; rhymes and horrible times we put ourselves through when we refuse to live in the Victory.

What Victory am I speaking about? This Victory is one we won when we took up residence at the Foot of the Cross. We then embraced its substitutionary atonement and subse accepted the Pardon which was paid for there, and is still valid almost 2000 years since!

Two verses today speak to this as we glance at the wonderful chapter of Romans 8 and see that verses 1 and 2 undergirds this foundational truth: "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death"!

How about that! Here are just the facts, ma'am"

- No condemnation: we have been pardoned and declared not guilty BECAUSE we surrendered all at the Foot of the Cross.

- We are not just not guilty (even though the Charge against us was "WE SINNED AGAINST GOD") but now the Judge Who said we are still "not guilty"  then says..."and furthermore, you now belong to My Son, Who created the Heaven's and the Earth! Can you just imagine how that feels?! WE BELONG TO THE ETERNAL KING!

- AND not just that, but because we DO belong to this Eternal King of Glory, the Lord God Almighty, the Powerful Force Who created and controls the entire Universe just pulled our fat out of the fire and given us "ZOE"! That word ZOE is a powerful word. It is officially described as "GOD intimately sharing His gift of life with people, created each of us in His image". Then gave us all the capacity/power/supernatural strength to know His eternal life.

Therefore, in light of all this mind-boggling Grace to us from our Heavenly Father, we can now not only be free from the past sinfulness but can proactively live victoriously. This can only come about because we are safe and solidly in the knowledge of the Holy, Who has given us more than we deserve! So friend, if you're struggling today with some past acquaintance reminding you of things which God has already forgiven you or even your conscience being used to play tricks on you....if you're saturated with societal lunacy, which never seems to satisfy but more than ever pulls you down into a zone of fleshy dissatisfaction with your current physical environment and circumstance....well then, remember these same verses from Romans 8:1 and 2!

Father, in the Name of Jesus, please seal this encouragement from Your Holy Scriptures in our heart. Help us to learn to not just accept that You have forgiven us, through repentance and the sacrifice on the Cross, but to comprehend that we can now hold on to with this Truth and walk in peace, joy, contentment and righteousness. Father, knowing that You love me and everyone reading this, I pray for those who have not been told the Truth. I pray that if they have truly come to the saving personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior, that they will believe with every fiber of their being that "He whom the Son sets free - is FREE indeed"....and THAT FREEDOM is now theirs!  In the Strong and Powerful Name of Jesus, amen!

(image by google)                                                             

SATURDAY GUEST WRITER: LYNN MOSHER

THE HAMMER THAT DRIPPED BLOOD....

Standing over the blistering heat of the fire, as sweat trails down his dirty face, the smith fans the blazing flames with his bellows. As he finishes the hammer he is working on, he gives it a thorough check, making sure it will meet the critical eye of the centurion. As a smith for the Roman army, all his work goes into the hands of the soldiers.

LYNN MOSHER (WEBSITE HERE)

After the centurion picks up the ready tools from the smith and approves them, he sets out to deliver them to his soldiers. On his way, he gives the hammer to one of the best soldiers under his command. The soldier’s use of the hammer this day? Crucifixion duty. 


The soldier has endured the burden of this duty before. He hates this gruesome task. 


Under the strain of this assignment, he ambles his way to skull hill, better known as Golgotha, where he joins the centurion and the other three soldiers already there. Standing there chatting with them, he hears that three prisoners are coming to be crucified. One of the prisoners is his charge. 


He waits.


Standing there, he realizes that what he is about to do is the antithesis of the weather: it is one of those breathtaking, spring days that warms and rejuvenates the soul. Rivulets of white stream across the azure sky. A gentle breeze distills the fragrance of the flowering blossoms into the air.


Yet, impending gloom hangs in the air. 


A large, jeering crowd, intermingled with a great many mourners, moves toward the hill on the Via Dolorosa. Three men bent under the weight of their own crossbeam trudge their way up the hill. A short distance behind them is another man, whipped beyond recognition, stumbling with agonized effort every step of the way. So disfigured and injured that another man carries his crossbeam for him.


This bloodied mess of a man now stands before the soldier. He wonders: Who is this man? What could he possibly have done to deserve this horrible beating? Surely, he wasn’t a soldier for he wears no hobnailed boots; he’s merely an ordinary sandaled man. 


Sweat beads up on the soldier’s forehead. His heart races. His tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth.


The other soldiers, now finished crucifying their two prisoners, help tie the soldier’s prisoner to the crossbeam while the soldier readies his nail-spikes and his hammer. He bends down, steadies the nail in one hand and draws back his hammer in the other hand. 


But before he can bring it down on the nail, he glances over at the prisoner. Peering at him, through the streaks of blood covering his face from the thorny crown twisted onto his head, are eyes of piercing kindness he has never seen before. 


The centurion yells the soldier’s name, startling him. “Get on with it!” 


The soldier turns his head away to focus on the nail. He forces himself to do the job he was ordered to do. His stomach churns and he feels like retching. 


Completing the nailing of this man to the crossbeam, he looks down to see that he is splattered with blood and his hammer drips with the red life of the man.


The other soldiers fasten the man to the upright beam and the crucifixion is finished. The soldier looks up as he hears the man say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”


The soldier realizes now who this man is. Jesus. This is Jesus, the one everyone is talking about. Forgive? How can He forgive me for this horrid act?


He spins around as he hears the religious teachers and priests mocking this man on the cross. “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself! The King of Israel, is he? If he comes down from the cross right now, we will believe him! Let God rescue him now if he wants him, if he is the Son of God.”


One of the other criminals hanging next to this man Jesus says, “If You are the Christ, then save Yourself and us.”


But the other criminal rebukes him, “Don’t you even fear God as you’re dying? We surely deserve to die for what we’ve done, but this man? He hasn’t done anything wrong.” Turning to Jesus, he says, “Remember me when you enter your Kingdom.”


“Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Bowing His head, Jesus says, “It is finished! Father, I commit My Spirit to You.” And He breathes out His last breath.


“Surely, this was a righteous man,” says the centurion, shaking his head, and then solemnly orders the soldier to stand guard. 


Stand guard? I just want to get out of here. What have I done? So distraught that he cannot bear to look up at the naked body of this man on the cross, he lowers his eyes to the ground. He notices the bloody hammer still in his hand. He throws it down and backs away in horror. 


Shame overwhelms him. He falls to his knees in regret. 


Another soldier picks up the hammer and tries to give it to him. “Here’s your hammer” is met only with silence and a stare. He won’t touch it.


The next morning, the centurion finds the soldier dead.


~The hammer that dripped blood? Had my name engraved on it. 


“Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming – O glorious day!”


PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for without Your suffering and death on the cross, I would have no resurrection joy! In my joy, I agonized over this post. I know you understand why. AMEN 

Lynn