Before Jesus performed any miracle, sign, or wonder, the Father announced His approval, saying from heaven, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). His identity—”beloved son”—was not in works but relationship. Jesus echoes the same sentiment to us in Scripture, “to those who receive Him, He gives the power …
For many, the end of the year is a time of mixed emotions. Regrets and sorrow for things lost play a tug of war with hopes for better times ahead. The temptation to reflect on things that have gone wrong is strong, enhanced by the reality that precious time has gone by. And if we yield to the temptation to focus on what’s gone wrong, we join the ranks of Lot’s wife, who turned to a pillar of salt for looking back (Genesis 19:26).
Many believers, especially those who come from their own war-torn countries, do not understand why we should be concerned about Israel at War. This article/post gives Biblical reasons why we should and how we should pray. PLEASE know this is linked to the Temple and end-times events that Daniel and Jesus spoke about. Take time to read, share, and be empowered to intercede and prepare yourself for the times ahead. READ AT https://buff.ly/46LpsPL #endtimes #prayforisrael #lenitareeves #pastorlenit #apostolictruth, View the video at https://youtu.be/_hd7NDrnvI0
I have a heart for ministry leaders. In addition to being one, I see their struggles and their often thankless efforts in service to others. At the same time, when leaders get better, their followers also get better, and I want to improve and see other ministry leaders do the same. In my prayers, counsel, and observation of leaders in recent years, I have become concerned about how we measure success and how the body of Christ is influencing this situation.
Sometimes life requires hard conversations but the result is better spiritual, emotional, and physical health. This article, published by Our Daily Bread, and written by our own Pastor Lenita Reeves, is entitled, “Abuse, Trauma, Triggers, and the Church: The Hard Conversations. You can be empowered to have the hard conversations. Read more at https://buff.ly/3rfpW15
“Our pasts are no excuse to not excel in our future, and painful circumstances don’t negate favor. The key is walking with God through the pain before you reach ‘the palace.’” — Lenita Reeves
Joseph, the governor of a nation, survived an attempted murder by his brothers. He was human trafficked into slavery in a foreign country, sexually assaulted by a married woman, and wrongfully convicted and thrown into prison. But that’s now how his journey began.
In Daniel 9, Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophetic words and discovered that there was a set time for the captivity of his people to come to an end. But he needed the angel of the Lord to help him understand what he was reading and what actually needed to happen for the Jews to experience true liberation—in practice. Jeremiah had pronounced it, but it had not come to pass.
Similarly, the United States had lawfully pronounced the freedom of slaves in the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Still, it did not happen in practice—it was not fully enforced until two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated Pentecost. Most believers commemorated the coming of the Holy Spirit and the launch of the New Testament church—and they were right to associate Pentecost with those things. But it was also the beginning of the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest, which is the Jewish celebration of the beginning of the wheat harvest. That’s why the Jews were in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost anyway.
Our conversations are sometimes robotic when we discuss prayer. Like humanoid android machines programmed with appropriate responses, we say things like “You’re in my prayers,” “Pray for me as I pray for you,” and the classic, “Keep me in your prayers.” But do these phrases reflect a genuine desire and belief in prayer—and a belief that the person will indeed pray for us? Think about it. Do we really expect people to pray for us when we make the frequently robotized request, “Keep me in your prayers?” Let’s concede that we sometimes say these things without thinking.
Since 2014, it has been my privilege to counsel God’s people and see Him heal trauma, grief, abuse, and more. I have come to understand that God is near to the brokenhearted. He is near–even when life is like a box of trauma. I’m grateful to have this article in Reclaim Today magazine. This article was originally published by Reclaim Today at https://reclaimtoday.org/life-is-like-a-box-of-trauma/. Republished with permission.
