Tag: Holy Spirit

The Upcoming Birth of Jesus Brings Confusion

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

The story of the birth of Jesus is a common one told around this time of year. Let’s take a fresh look at well-known verses and explore the perspective of the people involved, specifically Mary. Those who have attended church or know enough of the Bible may have heard that Mary is the mother of Jesus. She was a virgin when Jesus was conceived, around the age of 15, living in the village of Nazareth.

In the Old Testament, there are prophesies of Jesus’ future birth. One example is in Isaiah 9 verse 6, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.” Why is the child born, but the son is given? Mary gave birth to a child, Jesus. The same Jesus that is the Son of God. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, He gave us His only Son. It was through Mary carrying the baby and delivering the human child that God gave us His Son, His perfect sacrifice for our sins. Isaiah 53:10 says, “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin. . . the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.” It is confusing that God’s plan to crush His own Son is good. But, it is for our good that God sent His Son to be born of a virgin to then lay down His life as a sacrifice for our sin.

In the New Testament, Luke 1:26 says, “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! “31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”

Mary was given a promise by the angel, Gabriel, that came to visit her. The promise came true, Mary found herself pregnant as a teenager and as a virgin. From the time the angel addressed her as a favored woman, she was confused. How can she be highly favored by God, she was a humble servant to the Lord? Mary was engaged to a man that she loved, Joseph, but they had not engaged in sexual relations. How can she be pregnant?

When Joseph learned about the pregnancy, he was confused and hurt and going to divorce her. At that time when someone was engaged, it was as if they were married. Mary was now pregnant, confused, and alone with a story that sounded like a fantasy, a lie. Nobody would believe her and the Law demanded that Mary must be stoned for her promiscuity. How does someone who is called ‘favored’ by God wind up confused, considered a sinner by family and friends and now has her life in danger? In times of confusion, we must lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). We must cling to the fact that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than we can even think or consider (Isaiah 55:9). Mary had the faith and trust in God to say, “I am the Lord’s servant.” May we also be filled with faith bold enough to say to God, “Thy will be done.”

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You for giving us Your Son. Thank You for Jesus Who died on the cross for all of our sins and all we have to do is believe that truth. Father, please help us to stay focused on Jesus today and everyday. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray, amen.

The Password is “Thank You”

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

Psalm 100 is a familiar Psalm to many. It is heard more this time of year, as we approach Thanksgiving in the United States.

This is the Psalm of Thanksgiving. But what does it mean and what are God’s promises to our offerings of praise?

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

This Psalm directs us to approach our Lord full of joy, gratitude and with gladness. As we approach His gates we cry out, “Thank you Lord!” The gates open wide so we can enter with thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise. We are to enter His presence with singing and shouting, giving thanks with each step we take. We have much to be grateful for, the Lord is good! His unfailing love continues forever! His promise to us is that His faithfulness will continue to each generation. What an incredible Lord we have! As we pause to reflect on all the blessings He has poured into our lives, may our hearts be filled with gratitude and our words full of thankfulness.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You that You love us. Thank You for the many blessings that You give us each day. You woke us up today and give us air to breathe and a heart that beats. Please help us to go about our day, cheerfully, with hearts full of love and thanksgiving. We know that all we have is Yours. Thank You for blessing us and please use us to bless others. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Some or Best?

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In Genesis, there is a story of two brothers who both offer God a sacrifice. One brother’s sacrifice is accepted and the other’s is not. In chapter 4 of Genesis starting in verse 1, we read, “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. 6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!”

There is one word in these verses that makes the difference. In verse 3, we read that Cain presented “some of his crops” as a gift to the Lord. Whereas in verse 4, we read that Abel brought the “best portions of the firstborn lambs” from his flock. There is a big difference between ‘some’ and the ‘best of the firstborn’.

The firstborn males, to include animals, were the Lord’s. Not only did Abel bring the best of his flock, but he also ensured that his gift was the best from the firstborns. Abel’s gift showed his love and respect for the Lord. His gift shows he feels what a joy it is to give to the Lord. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. God knows our hearts and minds and whether we are giving out of joy and love or obligation and guilt.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You that You love us. Please help us to give to Your kingdom cheerfully with hearts full of love and thanksgiving. We know that all we have is Yours. Thank You for blessing us and please use us to bless others. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Every Breath You Take

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

It is easy to take God for granted. We are very busy with work, errands, parenting, caregiving, petsitting, yard work, family events, scrolling social media, helping friends and on and on. “For the life of every living thing is in His hand, and the breath of every human being.” One simple way to focus on Him and just how involved He is in our lives is to take 30 seconds of deep breaths.

Every breath you take is from God. You can speak or sing or sigh only because God allows you to have air to breathe into your lungs. He allows your lungs to inflate to hold air and to deflate as the air flows out of your body. Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

It is the same with your heart beating. Every single time your heart beats to send blood throughout your body, it is because God makes it beat. He allows your heart to beat and your lungs to hold air. Every breath you take belongs to God. Job 27:3, “As long as I live, while I have breath from God,4 my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies.” May that be true for all us still breathing.

Since God allows us to breathe in His air so we can speak, shouldn’t we be very cautious about what we say with God’s air? May we sing to the Lord as long as we live and praise God to our last breath! (Psalms 104:33). May we pray as long as we have breath! (Psalms 116:2). We were created to bring Him glory – in words and deeds. If we do not praise Him, He will make the rocks cry out and give them the breath intended for us. (Luke 19:40).

We were created to tell others about Jesus. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19). Our purpose in life is to show a lost and hurting world that there is a Savior, a God Who loves them. A God Who took the breath away from His own Son so we may be saved. “Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.” Luke 23:46.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You that You love us. Please help us to use each breath that you give us to bring You glory. Thank You for the Spirit of God Who has made us, and the breath of the Almighty that gives us life. Thank You for Jesus, breath and our heartbeats. Thank You for blessing us and please use us to bless others. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Drop Your Fishing Net

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

There are several places in the Bible that Jesus speaks about fishing nets. I want to focus on two specific times. The first occurred before Jesus called His disciples and the second instance was after He was resurrected.

The first set of verses are found in Luke 5:4, which says,  “When he (Jesus) had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.”

Notice how Jesus told them to drop their nets, more than one net. He could have said just drop one net. At this point, Simon (who is later called Peter) and the other fishermen, had no idea they were interacting with the Son of God. But Peter begins to understand there is something special about this Man. In verse 8 of the same chapter in Luke we read, “When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.”

The second set of verses I want to focus on where Jesus talks about casting nets starts in John 21:3. “So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.”

At this point, Jesus has been crucified. He has risen and is visiting believers before He returns to heaven. In Luke 5:4, Jesus told Simon Peter to let down his “nets”. Yet after Jesus is resurrected, He tells Peter to let down just one “net”. After Jesus was resurrected, the disciples had spent a lot of time with Him, they knew Who Jesus was and what He was capable of. There was no need for multiple nets to build up their confidence and trust in Jesus as when they first met Him. They had seen Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead and be raised from the grave Himself. Once Jesus was resurrected, they already knew Who He was, so only one net was needed.

Where is God calling you to trust Him? Where is He calling you to step out in faith and to drop your net? Trust Him. Even if you have been working tirelessly to no avail like Peter, if He calls you to cast your net, what have you got to lose? Drop your net and watch the Lord’s provision flow.

Father in heaven, thank You for Your Son. We love You and worship You for Your mercies, blessings, forgiveness and patience with us. Thank You for loving us even when we can be so unlovable. Help us to show You to others. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

How Can We Have Effective Prayers?

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

There are many Scriptures that show us we are all imperfect people. Romans 3:23 says that we all have fallen short of the glory of God. This verse does not say some people or even most, but all people have fallen short of the glory of God.

As it is written in Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” But James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” How can we possibly become righteous when Ecclesiastes states that no one on earth is righteous?

Credit: JC

God answered this question by sending His Son, Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross for us, He offered a way to put on His righteousness and holiness. It is when we believe in Jesus that we then become righteous because we are now in Jesus. We become ‘set apart’ which is another meaning for holy. We put on the righteousness of Jesus, which is part of the armor of God; the breastplate of righteousness is a piece of God’s armor that we have to pick up and put on. The action we need to take is belief in Jesus. Righteousness belongs to Jesus, He earned it for us – all we have to do is believe.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for Jesus and for what He did for us on the cross. Lord, we lift up all church leaders and members. Please give us the strength to pick up the armor of God and put on the righteousness of Jesus. Help us to share and follow the Word of God. Help us to stay on the paths that You have laid before us. It is in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Is It Possible We Are Looking for God in the Wrong Places?

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies Blog1 Comment

I am in a season of waiting. I have been praying and occasionally fasting for something since 2008. It is a dream that God put on my heart quite some time ago. I still have faith that He will bring this dream to fruition. I have tested the dream to ensure it is Biblical, of His character and something that would advance the Kingdom of God.

We must objectively assess whether the thing we are pursuing is of us or of God and these are a few ways to complete that assessment. I did not ask for this dream, it just showed up one day deeply engrained into my spirit. When I think about it, I am filled with joy and see how God would be glorified. But it is not a reality.

I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed about it. There have been times where I have asked God to remove the dream if it was not to be fulfilled. It sometimes causes me pain to have a glimpse of what could be and then snap back into reality and recall how long it has been – the waiting, the hoping, the praying.

I tend to ask God to communicate to me in a very obvious way, a way I would not miss. If He is talking, I certainly do not want to miss it. And I can be oblivious at times. But I also wonder if I am looking for God in the wrong places. I tend to think that when He speaks, it will be like a thunder bolt or so obvious that I could never miss it. And sometimes He does communicate with us like that.

Yet, we see how God communicated with Elijah:

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'”
1 Kings 19:11–13 NIV

I am looking for the big, obvious revelation. Whether it is a street sign telling me the next step in my journey or a stranger walking up to me and handing me a quote from God that says “Go do X. Love, God”. And yes, He does talk to us that way sometimes, but I tend to think He speaks to us gently, in whispers.

If every time He spoke, the Earth cracked open around us or a tornado blew through, I think we would all have an issue. Instead, what if He is talking to us in those whispers we hear, also described as a still, small voice? We need to be close to Him and lean in even closer when He speaks. We need to write down what we hear lest we forget. We need to ensure what we heard is Biblical, aligns with God’s character, and advances His Kingdom and His Glory. If so, then we need to do what we hear as soon as we can. This approach opens up an ongoing flow of communication, we grow closer to Him, and we learn more about how He communicates so it becomes easier to hear Him.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank You that You speak to us through Your creation, Your Holy Spirit, Your Word and other believers. Help us to hear You better. Help us to look for You where You are and hear You in the whispers. Thank you for loving us and never giving up on us when we miss Your whispers. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen