That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” – Mark 4:35 Have you ever noticed that Jesus never spoke idle words? There was always purpose in His words, and these words from Mark 4:35 were no exception. When Jesus directed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee, there was a God-ordained reason they were crossing over, yet a little while into the journey, when darkness, wind, and waves closed in, the disciples could no longer see any reason for the journey. They thought, instead, that they were destined for death before they could ever reach the other side. However, BECAUSE OF JESUS, they DID make it to the other side and indeed amazing things were in store for them to behold as Jesus restored the life of a demon possessed man, raised a woman from the dead, and healed the sick. The enemy would have loved for that journey to be aborted before the captives could be freed, but the Father had a plan before the journey ever began. Likewise, Paul was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and bitten by a snake, but on the other […]
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The fiercest trial you are facing today has all the makings for the greatest testimony of your life! REJOICE! The power of Christ is IN YOU to break free. We are sons and daughters, NOT SLAVES! Not slaves to sin, sickness, lack, fear, or any other thing Jesus died to free us from. While those things come against us in this life, a greater power lives within us. Instead of looking at how big and impossible the situation appears to be, focus on the fact that you are not in bondage to the darkness produced by that storm.
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Storms of life…they pop up from time to time. The good news is they don’t last forever. Getting through a violent storm in this life can be tough. It tests your faith. It causes you to question what you really believe. It reveals things about you to yourself. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it seems hopeless. Sometimes it is physically and emotionally exhausting. Some people “jump ship,” becoming so weary they simply give up
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For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11 No one likes to hear the word no. It just has a negative sound to it. Even worse is silence – you know, when a person just never responds to that resume’ you sent or that interview you took the time out of your day to get dressed for. These things can cause us to be discouraged and lose hope, but only if we allow them to. No one likes obstacles, hindrances, and setbacks in life.
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A few months ago the Lord asked me to write another book. This was to be a book that to empower His sons and daughters to live more fully in the inheritance He provided through Jesus. It would be a book that focused wholly on the finished work of Jesus and our complete identity and victory in Him.
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I have read this scripture literally hundreds of times, and I have probably heard sermons preached from Mark 4 equally as many times. However, I read it again lately and saw something fresh and new. This scripture points out that there are actually varying degrees of bearing fruit. How much fruit we bear is directly related to our ability to hear spiritually and our willingness to receive it by faith when we do hear it.
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Have you ever felt the sting of rejection or the cut of thoughtless or unkind words? Maybe you have been taken for granted, or even lied about by others. These and other offenses, when taken into the heart become wounds. A wound left unattended becomes bitterness. Bitterness and unforgiveness produce cynicism, criticism, anger, depression, a hard heart and a life cluttered with bad fruit in almost every area. I do not know a single person who has not dealt with offense at some point in life. Offenses cause pain, and pain triggers our “natural” defense mechanisms to kick in. We tend to “put up walls” to make the pain stop and prevent it from happening again. While this might seem to be the only way to guard our hearts, it isn’t God’s way. So, what does it mean to “guard your heart” God’s way?
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Jill’s Blog
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