Tag: faith

Second Sunday of Advent, day 8, Peace to You!

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The candle for the second Sunday of Advent represents peace and is often called the “Bethlehem Candle” as it symbolizes Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in anticipation of Jesus’ birth; it is usually purple in color. The scripture for today comes from Isaiah 40. This is a wonderful chapter and verses 1-5 speak of the coming Messiah. Not only do the words compel us to look to the coming Messiah, but you might hear the familiar sounds of Handel’s Messiah ringing in your ears.

“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.” Joy is in the offing with the coming Messiah, sins will be pardoned!

Jesus came to reconcile us to God. This is something we cannot do on our own. We can never be good enough nor can we avoid all sin and be perfect as He was perfect. We need a Savior!

 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
4 Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
    The Lord has spoken!”

Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus, the one who would forgive sins, and John the Baptist, the one who would be his forerunner, were given hundreds of years before they occured. Luke 5:24 “So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” John 1:6-8 “God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.” They came to pass just as God said!

Today as the Peace or Bethlehem candle is lit on the Advent wreath., think about the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and Mary’s words from the Magnificat in Luke 2:46-48. “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
    and from now on all generations will call me blessed. Mary and Joseph knew they were a part of something big that would impact all of mankind. They were at peace as they depended upon God to lead, guide and protect them. Where do you need to trust God this season? His peace awaits when you surrender to Him.

Linda

Advent Day 7: Waiting, a Time for Trust

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The scripture chosen for today is from Mark 13:24-36 which records several prophetic statements Jesus gave about his return and the end times to come. The description given in Mark 13:24-27 matches the vision given to John in Revelation Chapter 6 of the turmoil on earth and in the heavens during the last days.  “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.“

How can we have hope looking at the destruction of the world and judgement for sin? I found encouragement and hope in verse 31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” God is eternal and will sustain us through those hard times and His Word will continue. Remember Christ is referred to in John 1 as the Word. Christ is eternal and will not leave us. Christ will physically return at the end of time and we will see his glory and power displayed.

How do we know these things will come to pass? Jesus came and fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his first coming. He was born in Bethlehem, his mother was a virgin, he faced a death on the cross and rose from the dead, he preached about his love and kingdom that are enduring and so much more. If we believe these things that we know have come to pass, we can also believe Jesus will return as he says he will. God is faithful and keeps all of his promises! Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Take heart and renew your trust in God this holiday season. Jesus is the reason and He is faithful and trustworthy.

Linda

Advent Day 6, The Way to Be Reconciled to God

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Psalm 85:1-13 is a journey of faith described by the psalmist. In verses 1-2, he recognizes the good fortune God has bestowed upon them and how He has forgiven their sins.

Lord, you poured out blessings on your land!
    You restored the fortunes of Israel.
2 You forgave the guilt of your people—
    yes, you covered all their sins.  How about you this holiday season? Can you reflect on your life and see God’s hand of mercy upon you, his restoration and forgiveness?

Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.
    Put aside your anger against us once more.
5 Will you be angry with us always?
    Will you prolong your wrath to all generations?
6 Won’t you revive us again,
    so your people can rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation. The psalmist continues in his discussion with God. He asks for mercy and salvation, protection from God’s wrath over sin, and for joy to return to his life. Does this mirror your own pleadings with God? The salvation he asks for is found only in Jesus. Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” If you desire to be right with God, forgiven and restored, Jesus is the only answer. Turn to Him today.

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
    for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
    But let them not return to their foolish ways.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,u
    so our land will be filled with his glory. The psalmist promises to listen to God, seek His peace and forsake his foolish ways. This is a posture of repentance. He is vowing to turn towards God and seek him. Repentance is the first step towards God after acknowledging your own sin. God desires that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

10 Unfailing love and truth have met together.
    Righteousness and peace have kissed!
11 Truth springs up from the earth,
    and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings.
    Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.
13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
    preparing the way for his steps. The psalmist realizes what wealth is available in repentance as one turns to God. You will experience the unfailing love of God, His truth, be covered in His righteousness, and receive His peace! You will be bless and be able to yield righteousness in your life.

This psalm is a beautiful picture of what is available to us in Christ. Jesus came to free us from the sins which bind us. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 5:8 “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” God wanted us so much that he sent Jesus to reconcile us to himself. I love the beauty of Colossians 1:22 “Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

As you reflect today, take measure of where you are with God. Make sure you have followed the way the psalmist has laid out to become reconciled to God and then see His greatness in your life.

Linda

Advent Day 5, We Have it All in Jesus

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As we ponder Christ in the past, present and future, we can be mightily encouraged by today’s scripture from 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. I have read it in various translations and like the Message as it is the clearest to me. The Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthian Christians to encourage them in their walk with Christ so that they could endure the trials of their faith in their present culture. Corinth was a very large pagan city with many temples and shrines to various pagan gods. Their faith in Christ was definitely counter-culture and there would have been many temptations to return to their pagan ways.

3 May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours. Paul begins by letting them know that all they have in faith comes from Jesus. The same is true for us today as without Jesus we would have nothing. I am so thankful Jesus came to set me free from the burden of sin so I can live in Him.

4-6 Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There’s no end to what has happened in you—it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. We are so rich in Christ. We have access to the Father, the indwelling Holy Spirit and God’s Word to guide and direct our lives. Whom do you pray for in the faith? Do you remember your Christian friends, like Paul is doing? Yes, we pray for our unsaved friends to come to know Jesus and be freed from sin’s power in their lives, but what about those who know Jesus? Praying for the strengthening of the faith of our fellow believers is part of our job as fellow Christians. Whom will you pray for this season?

7-9 Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

These are such encouraging words from Paul. He reminded them, and us too, that we are gifted by God in so many ways. We have salvation in Christ, the fruits of the Holy Spirit that will be evident in our lives as we mature in Christ and the Word of God to guide us. Romans 1:16-17 speaks of salvation, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 5:22-23 explains the fruits of the Holy Spirit that can be manifested in our lives as we mature in our faith “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in His ways. John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. “ God’s Word provides guidance as we seek to walk with Jesus each day, Hebrews 4:12 “ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

We do indeed have it all in Jesus! Because He came to die on the cross for my sins and be resurrected to life, I can know Him and be used by Him to reach others. I am so thankful that Jesus came to redeem me and a future with Him gives me hope as I live in today’s world.

May your hope abound as you consider what you have today in Jesus!

Linda

Advent Day 3, Need Restoration? See Jesus.

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Today’s scripture is from Psalm 80:1-7 and 17-19. The Israelites are pleading with God, their great Shepherd, to come and rescue them.

Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
    display your radiant glory
2     to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your mighty power.
    Come to rescue us!

Just as the Israelites called upon God, the Shepherd of Israel, to show himself and display his radiant glory, we too can call upon our good shepherd to rescue us. John 10:10 and 14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.’ ““I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,”

3 Turn us again to yourself, O God.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.
4 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
    how long will you be angry with our prayers?
5 You have fed us with sorrow
    and made us drink tears by the bucketful.
6 You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations.
    Our enemies treat us as a joke. 7 Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

The Israelites were feeling desperate and despairing. They were enduring scorn from their neighbors and enemies. They were feeling sorry for themselves and called upon the only one, Almighty God, the God of Heaven’s Armies who is greater than all, to look with favor upon them and restore them. The phrase “make your face shine upon us” is used 3 times in this short psalm. It is a plea for God’s favor and needed restoration.

Strengthen the man you love,
    the son of your choice.
18 Then we will never abandon you again.
    Revive us so we can call on your name once more. 19 Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

The Israelites were seeking strengthening, revival, God’s favor and salvation. In return they are promising to not abandon their God again. After centuries of struggle with idolatry, upon retuning from their exile in Babylon they never again worshipped idols.

What are you seeking from God this holiday season? What type of rescue do you need? First and foremost, do you know Jesus as your savior? If you do then you are already rescued for eternity and forgiven. If not call upon Jesus and confess your sins to receive forgiveness and acceptance into His forever family. Life is complex and there are many struggles that we face that seem overwhelming. The Israelites knew this and pleaded with God to show them j His favor. Where do you need mercy and grace? Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” God is accessible because of our faith in Jesus and He is willing and able to help. Pray that Jesus will restore you this season and fill you with the hope of His restoration.

Linda

The Prince of Peace makes Peace Possible

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Today’s passage presents a future picture of how God’s people will worship and live. They will be taught by God to walk in His truths and wars will be no more. The people will trade their guns and spears for farming tools. All will be at peace as each man will sit under his own tree and each woman will be able to tend their garden. God himself will bring this about. Micah 4:1-5

1-4 But when all is said and done,
    God’s Temple on the mountain,
Firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains,
    towering above surrounding hills.
People will stream to it
    and many nations set out for it,
Saying, “Come, let’s climb God’s mountain.
    Let’s go to the Temple of Jacob’s God.
He will teach us how to live.
    We’ll know how to live God’s way.”
True teaching will issue from Zion,
    God’s revelation from Jerusalem.
He’ll establish justice in the rabble of nations
    and settle disputes in faraway places.
They’ll trade in their swords for shovels,
    their spears for rakes and hoes.
Nations will quit fighting each other,
    quit learning how to kill one another.
Each man will sit under his own shade tree,
    each woman in safety will tend her own garden.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so,
    and he means what he says. Message translation

The prophet Micah then reminds us that this is not the case right now. People seem to be living like they wish and worshipping their own gods. He encourages us to stay the course and live lives honoring to God.

5 Meanwhile, all the other people live however they wish,
    picking and choosing their gods.
But we live honoring God,
    and we’re loyal to our God forever and ever.

This passage is a reminder to us that God intends for us to live in peace. However, without Jesus, peace can never be achieved. Why is that? God and man are irreconcilable because of sin. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden, God put them out of the garden. They could not walk with God side by side and fellowship with Him andy longer because of their sin. Sin had to be dealt with so that man and God could be reconciled. God’s plan to redeem us was to send Jesus to take the penalty for our sins. With our sins covered by Jesus’ blood, God could then look upon us. Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Through faith in Jesus, we can be redeemed by His work on the cross making us forgiven of our sins and able to spend eternity with Him. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I am so very grateful for Jesus who brings peace into our lives through forgiveness and hope for a future with Him. He is indeed the Prince of Peace for all eternity.

Linda

Advent 2024, Jesus is our Hope

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Our first scripture comes from Isaiah 64 as the prophet reminds us of how sinful and undeserving we are of God’s mercy and goodness. Here are verses 1-7 in the Message translation.1-7 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend,
make the mountains shudder at your presence— You are a mighty and fearsome God.
As when a forest catches fire,
    as when fire makes a pot to boil—
To shock your enemies into facing you,
    make the nations shake in their boots!
You did terrible things we never expected,
    descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence.
Since before time began
    no one has ever imagined,
No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you No God is like him!
    who works for those who wait for him. He cares for those who do what is right.
You meet those who happily do what is right,
    who keep a good memory of the way you work.
But how angry you’ve been with us! Sin causes God to be angry.
    We’ve sinned and kept at it so long!
    Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?
We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. How can sinful man be saved???
    Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. Our best efforts are worthless.
We dry up like autumn leaves—
    sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind.
No one prays to you
    or makes the effort to reach out to you The world seems to have ignored you,God.
Because you’ve turned away from us,
    left us to stew in our sins. Have you left us in our own sins?

Isaiah 64: 8-9 bring us hope. “But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people.” Isaiah reminds us that God formed us and is our Father. He pleads with God to not remember our sins forever but be assured that we are His people.

God indeed did remember us and sent us Hope, into this dire situation. We were lost in sin with no way to redeem ourselves and get right with God, our Father and maker. He sent us Jesus to bring hope into our world, love into our lives and redemption from sin. Now that is something to rejoice about and focus upon in our ever changing world. 1 Peter 1:2-4 explains the hope we now have in Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” Our hope is now living in Jesus and was made possible because of the cross. He died for us so that we may be alive in hope through faith in Him. Paul confirms for us this miracle of faith in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Praise God today for the living hope of Jesus and His plan to redeem us. Jesus is our only hope.

Linda

In Anticipation…of Advent 2024

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What is it you hope for during this Advent season? It is easy to break it down into hope materially, spiritually, or in family. Sometimes we get stuck in the material and lose sight of the purpose of this season. This year as we walk the days to Christmas I am going to be using a daily Advent calendar to bring us from December 1 to 25. I pray that each of us will think seriously about each day and ponder the scriptures in a new way that will lead you to discover who Jesus is and what his arrival on earth really means. I anticipate learning as I delve into God’s Word and speak with you from my heart.

Buckle up for a ride that is sure to bring us into the realm of peace, hope, joy, love and caring for others. See you tomorrow for our first day of Advent, which also happens to be the first Sunday of Advent. Dust off your Advent calendar and get ready to begin.

Linda

P.S. After Advent i will return to my study in Acts.

Wrong Motives Revealed; Correction Required!

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Acts 8 continues with the story of what took place in Samaria with Phillip. Due to the persecution of Christians by Saul, Phillip had gone into Samaria to preach the good news. He found people receptive to the message, who welcomed his healing and many professed faith even unto baptism. One such Samarian was Simon, a local magician who had a following. When he saw and heard Phillip, he believed and was baptized. Acts 8:13 “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.”

“Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 8:14-16 The Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost but had not been known to come upon others outside of Jerusalem. We will see the progression in Acts as witnesses venture out into the world. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Peter and John arrived in Samaria and began praying and laying hands on the new believers so that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Simon witnessed this, he offered Peter money for this power. Peter’s response is decisive and swift, Act 8:20-25 from the Message, “Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.” 24 “Oh!” said Simon, “pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!” 25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God’s salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.” Peter saw Simon’s heart motives were not for worship or desirous of being indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit but for profit. He rebuked him and called for Simon to repent. Simon seemed to get the message but no repentance was evident in this passage only fear for what might happen to him.

How does this passage speak to us today? God will not be mocked or fooled by sweet words as He sees into our hearts. How does God do this? As here in Acts, his messenger the Apostle Peter called Simon up short on his actions and exposed his heart. We can become convicted by our Pastor’s message, a sermon on Christian radio or by the words of a Christian friend. We can also be convicted by reading God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This is why it is so important to be in the Word yourself daily. God can and does speak to us, correcting our hearts and motives through the Bible.

Are you allowing yourself to be exposed regularly to God’s Truth? Are you willing and open to changing when He reveals to you wrong motives or desires? Growing and maturing in our faith is a life long process that needs attention daily. The Psalmist puts this into perspective for us: Proverbs 16:1-3 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Seek His guidance and perspective so that your life and deeds will be honoring to Him.

Linda

The Message is Too Important to Stop

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After Stephen was stoned for professing faith in Jesus, Saul (later Paul) increased the persecution of the Christians. Saul wanted them eliminated and out of circulation where they could not tell others about their god. Scripture tells us of his intensity in Acts 8:3 “ But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Why would God allow this mistreatment of believers? In this case, we can see an immediate spreading of the good news of Jesus to Samaria, a place where Jews did not go because of their hatred of the Samaritans. Persecution forced them to leave Jerusalem and they went to Samaria to get away from Saul. As a result many in Samaria came to know Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:4 describes it this way: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” They were not stopped by the persecution but redirected by God.

As a result many came to know Jesus. Acts 8:5-8 “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.”

There are valuable lessons in these first 8 verses of Acts 8. They cause us to examine how we act in the face of opposition. Do we give up? Accept defeat? Or do we look for another way to serve? Scripture tells us they mourned deeply for Stephen and were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, vs 1,2. I am sure they were frightened and hurting but nothing is said about giving up. They pressed on- why? They knew that the message they had, the good news of Christ, was life changing and opened the door/way to forgiveness of sins. The message was too good, too important to stop.

By being open to God’s leading and moving out of Jerusalem, many came to know Jesus. It provided the apostles with a greater way to fulfill Jesus’ commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus wants us to share the joy with others. Look for His guidance and move beyond the obstacles Satan tries to throw in your pathway. The news is good and worthy of spreading! Jesus Saves.

Linda