Friday, October 31, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: The Living Temple

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: The Living Temple: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 New King James Version ( NKJV ) 6  We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the gr...

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: He Wants to Change Your Heart

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: He Wants to Change Your Heart: Proverbs 4:23 , New King James Version   (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. 23  Ke...

He Wants to Change Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23, New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Ephesians 2:22-22, (NKJV)
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 27:19, (NKJV)

19 As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.

Matthew 5: 1, 8 (NKJV)

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Galatians 2:20, (NKJV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Colossians 2:9-15, (NKJV)

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[a] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Psalm 8:6, (NKJV)

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

2 Peter 1:4, (NKJV)

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

1 Peter 1:4, (NKJV)

to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Ephesians 3:14-19, (NKJV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

1 Samuel 16:7, (NKJV)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Psalm 16:7, (NKJV)

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Romans 10:9, (NKJV)

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
My Comments: Jesus’ heart has been, is and always will be for us. When we come to Jesus and believe His Gospel of death on the Cross for our sins and His Resurrection our hearts are changed to reflect Jesus’ heart.
It can always be seen who has really accepted or put of Jesus as their Savior and whose heart has not been changed. I am not saying everyone shows signs quickly just that when the heart is changed everything about a person starts to change.
They thirst for the Word of God. They are pricked when they do something not pleasing to Jesus the Son of God. They confess their wrongs. They are kinder more considerate to others and reflect God’s love for mankind. They turn from the lusts of the flesh and the desires of the heart to follow after evil, the world and worldly pleasures. I remember how it was for me.
I was still in the cult Soldiers of the Eucharist and really did not think I was doing anything to hurt anyone else nor did I think the things I watched in movies or read in books were separating me from God. I remember my heart being pricked to “purge” my literature, movies and music so I listened to and read each one with an eye and ear for how they measured up to the word of God and was ashamed know they did not. So I got rid of almost everything. It felt good. Then a short time later I felt the urge to purge again and thought, “How can I have missed any?” I went through all the ones that were left, and you know it! I had to purge more. He waited until my eyes were open to what came between He and I. He actually had me purge four different times before I was free of the things that fed the evil in my flesh.
Throughout the years He has brought to mind things that hurt our relationship and I have had to make the choice between feeding the flesh and feeding our relationship. He is gentle and a gentleman and I make the choice to keep my heart for Him. Even when going to the movies which I really enjoy doing once in awhile.
Movies are harder because though it will say the movie does not have certain things in it one can be sitting in a theatre and there it is. What does on do? I have bowed my head, gotten up and asked for my money back and left. In books I have brought home from the Library I have had to take them back when I would really like to have burned them. Satan knows our weaknesses yet God is our strength. If we rely on our strength we will fail miserably. If our hearts are bought for the Father by the blood of the Son Jesus and taught by the Holy Spirit and have His discernment we will by the grace of God persevere and our hearts will be His. If our hearts are His our lives will reflect Him.
Abba Father, we give ourselves to You through Your Son Jesus Christ who died for our sin. He became sin who knew no sin that we may have life abundantly and eternally with You. We give You our hearts and our lives to use as You know best because Abba we do not and cannot live our lives well with out You in our Heart and Your Holy Spirit filling us and guiding us at all times. Thank You Abba Father for bringing us to Your Son and Salvation.
Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, Son and Living God, you have purchased us with the price of Your blood on the Cross. You have died in our place and we believe You rose again on the third day and now sit at the right hand of Abba Father, God Almighty the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. We give our selves to You knowing You will live in us and present us to the Father unblemished and spotless and He will see only You in us. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your loving heart and Your Sacrifice.
Holy Spirit, You came to fill us once we accept Jesus as our Savior and become Children of God. Guide us please and fill us with knowledge, wisdom, and discernment to use the gifts Abba gives to each of us, as Children of God who are Justified and Redeemed. Fill our hearts for what touches the heart of Jesus and fill us with whatever is needed to do the things He asks of us. Thank You for always being there for us and now we thank You for being in us and strengthening and guiding us.
In Jesus Holy and precious name we pray in union with His Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rebishka

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Be not afraid

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Be not afraid: Deuteronomy 31:6, New King James Version  (NKJV) T he Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. Be str...

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Our mouths can be cruel or loving

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Our mouths can be cruel or loving: Acts 17:13-14,  New King James Version  (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by  Thomas Nelson, Inc. ,  "...

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: We Surrender All Because He Gave His All.

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: We Surrender All Because He Gave His All.: John 17:1-26 , New King James Version   (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. Jesus s...

We Surrender All Because He Gave His All.

John 17:1-26, New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

John 21:19, (NKJV)

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Matthew 16:24, (NKJV)

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Matthew 11:28, (NKJV)

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Romans 6:5, (NKJV)

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

2 Corinthians 12:9, (NKJV)

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Philippians 4:19, (NKJV)

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
My Comments: In the beginning God created. Who was God? He was and is Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Three in One the I Am, Savior, Comforter, Creator. He has always been, is and always will be the One True God above all other gods. Why is this important to know?
Because to understand our need for salvation and where it comes from and why we need to understand who made it possible and why it is needed. God created everything and our forefather Adam who He took Eve from. He told them not to eat one fruit and they could have the rest. They listened to Satan the serpent and sinned and sin entered the world. Because of sin animals had to be sacrificed until Jesus, God the Son came to earth and was born in human flesh from a Virgin. He went through the same trials and temptations we did even though He was God because He was fully God and fully man. Yet He came so we might have life abundantly and forever with Him. How was that possible?
He chose to be the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for our sin. For the sin of the whole world past, present and future He allowed Himself to be tortured, mocked, spit upon and nailed to the Cross. His is the perfect love that sacrificed all that we could be bought by His blood and be Children of God if we accept the Sacrifice of Jesus for our sin and repent and follow Him. This is complete surrender. What happens when we surrender?
Well, of course the best thing is we are accepted into the Family of God so we know where our home will one day be. We become aliens here doing all in the name of Jesus we can to let others know of this wonderful gift of Jesus so others may find salvation in Him as well. And there is more for us here as well.
We find rest for our weary souls. We no longer are buffeted by the winds that tend to assault us in life. Not to say we will not experience pain, suffering, loss, hunger or other things yet even in them we will have peace because we know the one who bought us with the price of His own blood will take care of our needs and we give Him permission to use our lives for the glory of God the Father. The Holy Spirit that came into us when we accepted the free gift of Salvation teaches us through the things we go through and strengthens us in these times.
Remember Paul went through many ordeals after he became a follower of Jesus. He was tortured, shipwrecked many times, imprisoned, and had a “Thorn” in his side (we do not know the infirmity yet he was told it would remain) so how can we expect life to be better than Christ Jesus or the Apostles? We can only know that our lives will be with Jesus one day what our time here is over.
There is the joy and peace that sustains us through all the temptations and trials. We know we are Children of God and we live our life to show His glory. We want nothing that is not of Him. We do not want to do what He would not do. True surrender is being united with Jesus in the likeness of His death and resurrection until absolutely nothing that is not of Him will appeal to us. We surrender our will and our love to Him. We love as He loves because He first loved us.
Abba Father, thank You for creating us and for sending Your Son to take the punishment for our sin. Thank You for loving us and making it so we can be part of Your family and know the joy of Salvation and the peace of Redemption. Thank You for keeping Jesus’ disciples/us united to You through Him and filling us with Your Holy Spirit that we may come to know always where our steps should go and what our hands should be doing and helping us keep our thoughts always with You and on Him. Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for keeping us as the apple of your eye. In Jesus precious and Holy name in union with the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Rebishka

Friday, October 10, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Remember what Jesus did for you

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Remember what Jesus did for you: John 19:31-42,    (NKJV)  The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. 31  Therefore, because it was...

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Logos the Word

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Logos the Word: John 1:1-18 (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Eternal Word 1  In the beginn...

Friday, October 3, 2014

Thursday, October 2, 2014

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Names of God continued #3

JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons: Names of God continued #3:   John 3:16, New King James Version   (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by   Thomas Nelson, Inc. 16  For G...

Names of God continued #3

 John 3:16, New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 6:23, (NKJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 11:25, (NKJV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Jeremiah 3:12, (NKJV)

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say:
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever.

Jeremiah 23:6, (NKJV)

In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Comment:  Hebrew YHWH Tsidkenu (or Jehovah-Tsidkenu meaning “The Lord our Righteousness”).


Judges 6:24, (NKJV)

24 So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace.[a] To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
 Comment: Hebrew YHWH Shalom (or Jehovah- Shalom meaning “The Lord is peace”)

Malachi 4:2, (NKJV)

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.

1 John 2:1, (NKJV)

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 Peter 2:4, (NKJV)

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

1 Peter 2:25, (NKJV)

25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer[a] of your souls.

Footnotes:

a. Comment: Greek Episkopos
My Comments: As you are learning God has many names and they all speak to who He is to us and what He has done, is doing and will do for us. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. He knew Satan would fall and take a third of the Angels with him and that he and those fallen angels would seek to devour and lie so man would go astray starting with the very first ones, Adam and Eve, God created. Yet because He is all knowing and all seeing and can do all things He made it so we could find hope through the truth of Jesus Christ His Son who is the Redeemer, The Righteous One, the Living Stone, the Shepherd and Overseer, the Advocate, the Lord is Peace, the Resurrection and the Life and in Him, Jesus Christ the Son of God and through Him came hope.

We look all around us for something to satisfy, protect or fulfill us and all of it comes up empty and as dross because the only one that fulfills or satisfies us or who can protect our souls is Jesus Christ the Son of God the great I AM. He is The Righteous One who went to the Cross for our sin and willingly took all our sin upon Himself and died on the Cross and fulfilled all prophecy foretold about Him in the Old Testament. The chance of any one man doing that is astronomically impossible yet He did because He is God made man. He came to give life abundantly yet not as man thinks in abundance. He brought life abundantly to those who receive His gift of new life.
When one confesses their sin against the God of the Universe (called repentance) and asks Jesus to be their Savior (not just the words, but with a contrite or broken heart) then they are Born Again. How do we know someone is truly Born Again?

They get rid of everything that holds them from the Lord. For some that is money or the love of money, some it is vanity, drugs, alcohol, temper, anger, unforgiveness, wanting to be in control, pride, lust, sex outside of marriage, and many other ways people go astray from the Living God who loves them so much. We were created in His image to be with Him always. We chose to disobey Him and separate ourselves from Him and Christ made it so we can be with Him again. Praise be God the Father, the I AM, the Righteous One, Sun of Righteousness, Savior and Resurrection. He is the Lord our Righteousness and The Lord is Peace.

First with Jesus He gave us His Righteousness and with that we then have His Peace that passes all understanding that takes us through trials and challenges that will assail us. Many who follow Jesus are being persecuted all over the world and it will happen here in America as well. Even now we see signs of it starting as it started in other places in the world. In many countries Christian believers thought it would never happen to them and now they are being persecuted, imprisoned and even murdered for speaking the truth of Jesus and His Gospel. Yet we see in God’s name His provision for all of us and we read in the Word what He wants us to do.

When the rich young man said he kept all the commandments and Christ told him to give his riches away and follow Him the rich young man went away sad because he valued his riches more than the riches of Heaven and being with Christ Jesus we see a parable of our unwillingness to leave all behind and follow God until we are broken and have no where else to turn. I know the young man did not have any peace thereafter unless at some point he turned to Jesus which the Bible does not say he did. There comes a point for all of us where there is no turning back. If time goes on longer then many will have a chance or even second and third chances yet there will come a time when the last Gentile comes to the Lord and there are no more chances. The Lord gives us so much information in His names from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of Revelations studying His names will show us what He can, has and will do for us and how much He loves us.

Abba Father, thank You for giving us Your word for us to know You more. There is so much in a name and I think some countries understand it more than some yet I know You will give understanding and knowledge if people just take the time to study Your names. You enrich us and increase us by the knowledge of Your names and what they say about You to us. Show us through Your Holy Spirit how Your names speak about You, what they tell us about You and how to use that knowledge to glorify You. Lord Jesus thank You for showing us the power of Your names and Redeeming us from sin. Help us to take Your names and study them until we understand all You are teaching us in Your names. In Jesus name I pray in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rebishka

Wednesday, October 1, 2014