God's Valentine Invitation

In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus talks about what the kingdom of heaven is like. 

He compares it to a wedding banquet, or a wedding reception. 

I like to think of it as a Valentines Party. 

Here’s my more modern rendition:

The King is having THE party to end all parties to celebrate his Son and his True Love.  He invited a group of people, but they refused the invitation.  The King then told the servants to open the invitation up to EVERYONE.  He told his servants to go out and stand on the street corners, telling everyone about this fabulous party and that they are ALL invited.

Every single person was invited this time, not just a select group.

They found all the people both good and bad and invited them to come into the Grand Hall to wait for the party to start. Just as the King came in to the hall, he noticed a man there who wasn’t wearing the proper party attire.  The King called out to the man, “Friend, how did you get in here without being dressed properly for the party?”

The man was speechless.

He was totally caught off guard.

He thought he was dressed properly, he thought he was prepared for the party just like all the other invitees.  The King then told the attendants to kick the man out of the party outside of the palace walls while everyone else went in to celebrate the love between the King’s Son and his True Love.

The party that everyone is talking about in this parable is a reality.

It’s God’s Valentine Invitation to the whole world.   The King is God the Father.  The Son is Jesus Christ.  His True Love is his church; believers in Jesus as well as the attendees.  Those who choose to reject his invitation of Love will not be clothed in the proper

attire and will miss out on the celebration.

Everyone is invited!

John 3:16 is one of the most popular verses to show God’s love for us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.  That whoever believes in him will have everlasting life.”

In Galatians 3:27 it shows us how to be ready with the proper party attire, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

How will you respond?

Diving into Deliverance

People are fascinated with the term DELIVERANCE. 

Maybe it’s because of all those supernatural themed television shows and movies that freak everyone out.

Or maybe it’s because everyone knows there could be something lurking inside wreaking havoc in their own life and they need freedom.

Either way, it’s a great subject because whether 

you are a Christian or not, it’s possible for demons 

to influence your soul and at times your physical body.

When I say soul, I mean your mind, your will, and your emotions.

When I say physical body, I mean just that.  As an example, many times demons assigned to sickness and disease can manifest in our physical bodies.

Are you still with me?  

I don’t want to freak anyone out.  In fact, if you are a Christian (that’s someone who’s decided to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior), then the demons are AFRAID OF US! 

I know that my title is Diving into Deliverance and I could write for days on this subject……but I won’t….at least for now.

#1 The thief, the Devil, desires to 

do only 3 things to us in life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  John 10:10

#2 Jesus has come to set us free.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” Luke 4:18

In those two truths is the beginning of the knowledge and the understanding of deliverance.

You must begin to sort out what in your life is being stolen from you, trying to kill you, and destroy you and what in your life brings life and freedom.

I highly recommend a book that I began my journey of educating myself on deliverance.  It’s called “When Pigs Move In” by Don Dickerman. Which is found on Amazon.

It not only is full of testimonies, but also a step by step process to become free.

If this is a subject that proves a lot of interest, then I’ll continue to share more.

My husband and I have ministered in 

deliverance for several years now and 

have seen many set free from illness 

and other afflictions.

Stability in the Storm {Part 3 of 4} Speak Good

In the early 90’s Martha Stewart had her own cooking and crafting show which she always ended it by saying, “It’s a Good Thing”.  She had all of us viewers instantly agreeing with her that what she said was a good thing.  That is a powerful phrase that Martha Stewart coined.  It was positive and it got everyone to think positively about what she had just demonstrated and said to us.  Words have the power to change our world for the good of mankind or for the worse.

Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.”

Are we speaking good or are we speaking evil?

When I pondered this, I certainly didn’t think that I ever spoke anything evil.  When I think of evil, I think of images of the Dragon in Sleeping Beauty trying to destroy everything beautiful, or impish demonic creatures running around trying to lure people into temptation, or people who pre-meditate murder.  No, I’m not like these things, I’m sure I don’t have anything to do with evil.  But, when I broke down the Greek meaning of the words for “good” and “evil” in this passage, I find something different than what I considered “evil”.  It’s not as distant from my life as I first thought.

English/Greek

Good/Agathos:  1. Of good nature 2.  Useful, salutary 3.  Good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy 4. Excellent, distinguished 5. Upright, honorable

Evil/Poneros:  1. Bad, of a bad nature

The key to this passage is found in the last part of the verse “For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.”   To find out what’s in our heart, good things or bad, all we have to do is listen to what we are saying.  In the King James’ version of Luke 6:45 it is expressed this way, “…out of the good treasure of his heart…out of the evil treasure of his heart…”

Our mouth is the gauge to our treasure room

What is your heart speaking today?  What has it said in the past?  It’s time to re-evaluate the treasure room.  Clean out the areas holding onto the evil and release that to Jesus and fill up our hearts with “Good Things”. 

How to release those dark areas:

-Begin with a relationship with Jesus by asking him for forgiveness, believing that you are forgiven and ask him to change you.

-Whether you’re a brand new follower of Jesus or not, say these words, “Jesus, I give you permission to clean out the dark areas of my heart and I release those areas to you.”

How to fill our hearts with “Good Things”:

-Read the Bible (It’s full of good words for our lives)

-Pray these words, “Lord Jesus, fill me up with more of you and the good things you have for me”.

Now when the storms of life come, I’ll already have my heart full of good prepared to encourage not only myself, but others.  “It’s a Good Thing”.

 

Perspective

A view of the sky from our vacation in Maui; closest thing to Heaven.

In another blog, I had written about my friend Jesse.  Here's a link to that blog:  FAITH WALK  He’s afflicted by a disease that is trying to claim his life.  I’ve been part of a large group of family and friends that have been believing for his healing.  I do believe he will be healed and fully restored either on this side of eternity or the next.  The hardest part about this process is knowing that the door of death is involved in reaching the rest of our lives beyond this earthly existence.  I’m exercising my faith and trying with all that I have to see beyond and gain heaven’s view instead of my own time restricted earthly view.  This isn’t the first time I’ve had to stretch my faith concerning a friend who’s facing a deadly illness and I suspect it won’t be my last. 

What I’m trying to overcome is my natural earthly instinct to see life’s trials and afflictions as finality and with that comes the thought of “no hope”.  I’m in process of getting my mind to grasp hold of God’s truth and to get in alignment with heaven’s perspective; that life will continue on for all of us, either in the eternal presence of our Creator in Heaven, or in eternal torment in Hell.  One path gives us hope of full restoration, including our bodies, living a life void of pain and suffering. The other path without Christ offers no hope, no freedom from pain. 

All of us are eternal beings and whether we choose to believe that or not, life will continue on forever for all of us.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 …He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. This verse clearly states how all of us feel; that we can’t even fathom the scope of eternity.  That this earthly existence is a mere speck of time compared to eternity.  

Every trial and hardship we face on earth is like a drop of water in a vast ocean that never ends. 

Many are facing divorce, losing their house, have lost a job, struggling with addiction, and are contending with illnesses and injury.  Jesus sees us within our earthly time restraints and in his compassion is with us through it all.  Job 28:24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.  Nehemiah 9:27 …But when they were oppressed they cried out to you.  From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them… For us, a hardship can seem forever, but in heaven’s perspective it’s just a fleeting moment.  I remember when my first child was born, and that first year was so hard.  My husband and I wondered if we would ever be able to sleep again, eat a meal on time, or have time for ourselves.  It seemed like a very long year.  Now that same child is 15 yrs. old and taking Driver’s Education.  Where did the time go?  What I perceived at the time was an unending season of hardship turned out to be such a small amount of time in my life.  Perspective. 

Whether you’re hardship is illness, finances, loss of marriage, loss of a child there is HOPE.  We have an eternal hope through Jesus Christ.  This time spent here is nothing compared to the joyous future we are heading towards if you are in relationship with Jesus Christ.  Are you in need of hope today?  If you want to experience the hope of eternity then choose to be a follower of Jesus.

Pray this prayer with me, it’s not so much the words as it is your heart attitude.

Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for me, forgive me for my sins, wash me clean.  I choose a new path now, to follow you all the days of my life, and to honor your name.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

If you’ve just prayed that prayer, congratulations!  Your next step will be to find a local church to encourage you in your relationship with Jesus.  Now that you are a part of God’s kingdom, you too can begin to gain a heavenly perspective to help you navigate life’s hardships.

Go to the iTunes store and download and listen to the song, There is a HOPE by Life Center for further encouragement.  “There is a hope and his name is Jesus.” –Life Center Ministries

You can reach me on Facebook here:  Tasha Johnson, Author "Path of the Blessing"  and through Amazon.com you can find my book, Path of the Blessing to help guide you to staying on course with your relationship with God.