Divine Intervention

Divine Intervention

Psalm 91: also known as the deliverance prayer, the protection prayer, the believer’s prayer and the soldier’s prayer (as many soldiers recited it in battle). There are times in our life when we face a battle with an enemy, either seen, or unseen and sometimes it’s both. This is the time to stand on God’s Psalm, on His promise of deliverance and protection. This is where Psalm 91 comes into its own.

There are some things God only gives to the spiritual. And this is one of those things. It’s a prayer for believer’s, something a believer can hold on to, during a particularly difficult time. I urge you to read Psalm 91 for yourself and put it in context with the following words.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most-High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most-High, is he who lives under God’s shelter, His protection.

Will rest in the shadow, meaning those close to God. For if you’re in someone’s shadow, you’re close to them.

One bible verse puts it; He that dwells in the secret place of the Most-High, so it’s not a place available to everyone. It’s a secret place, kept only for those who are close to God.

We are to be an overcomer: “We” that is “God’s church, His people.” However, to overcome, we must to remain close to God. The spiritual person is protected by divine grace, from Satan’s attacks and God brings divine intervention to His believers.

I will say of the Lord; “He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” He is my safety, my stronghold, my security, my protector. He who chooses God, shall find in Him, all he needs. He is a refuge, in times of trouble. He is to be trusted in both the temporal and spiritual.

Surely, He will save you from the fowler’s snare (traps, lies and deception) and from the deadly pestilence. He will rescue you from every trap (physical, mental, spiritual) and protect you from deadly disease (dis-ease), rescue you from the destructive plague and a calamitous pestilence.

He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings (pinions) you will find refuge: His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (buckler, defence, safeguard).

His faithful promises are your armour and protection, as He overshadows you with those promises. You are in His bosom, where His wings cover you, protect you, hide you. He is your shield, and protective wall. His Truth shall surround you, that of great security which is promised in the midst of danger. The fowler’s lies cannot penetrate the security of God’s truth.

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow which flies by day. Don’t lay awake at night, when the terror of the situation seems to be at its worst. If you can’t sleep, you can recite Psalm 91 and it will bring comfort. 

Nor will you fear the arrows (fearful panic) Satan tries you with, through the day. Remain calm in God’s Truth and in His promises. His Truth shall encompass thee with a shield. The man who trusts in God, with be especially protected in the peril of battle.

Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or the plague that destroys at midday. The devil invades in the light and in the dark, but you are to remain calm in God’s presence. Satan is the beast of the field through the day and the beast of the shadows at night. Do not dread the disease, epidemic, illness, plague (fear nothing; temporal or spiritual).

Although a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, it will not come near to you. Evils will not touch you, no matter how many are falling around you. You have chosen God as your protector. Trust Him now.

You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment (or the reward) of the wicked. The wicked have nowhere to turn. God doesn’t know them. He doesn’t honour them and He hasn’t given them His word. He hasn’t given them His promise of protection. This promise is only for those close to Him. The wicked are the one’s falling around you. (They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Psalm 20:8)

Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, even the Most-High your dwelling place: no harm shall befall you, no disaster come near your tent. Your tent covers all those who live under it. Your tent extends to your family. God will honour you and your family, for He honours the children and the children’s children, for a thousand generation – but only if He is Lord in your life.

No harm, disease (dis-ease), plague, or illness will come near to your home. The Aramaic Bible says: Evil shall not come near to you and disease shall not come near your dwellings. That’s dwellings – with an s – more than just your house, but the houses of those you love. It means the place of your parents, as well as your children.

For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, so you will not strike your foot against a stone.

The angels will protect you, wherever you go and guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up and carry you if needs be. You can pray to your angels for help any time you want. There are legions of them, waiting for people to put them to work.

Though trouble and affliction shall befall the believer, it shall come not for his hurt, but for good. God’s promise is, He will, in due time, deliver the believer out of trouble. While waiting for that due time, God will be with him during his troubles.

Satan tried to craftily make use of the promise of the angel’s protection, by tempting Jesus (Matt 4:6 If you are the son of God, throw yourself down…) Satan lost that battle. God will command His angels concerning you too.  Satan lost the battle of tempting Jesus, as Jesus stood on God’s word and as we stand on God’s word saying “It is written…” we too shall win the battle.

Satan’s using the same tactics today, as he did then: lies and deceit. Telling people “Surely God won’t…” (kill you, as in the garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve). Trust God’s promises in your darkest moments, not Satan’s lies. Remember Jesus used God’s written word and know there are many more promises, written in God’s book of life. Lean on them now, during your time of distress.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra, you will trample (subdue) the young lion and serpent underfoot. A lion has a duel meaning, in the bible. It can represent life, or death (a king, as in the Lion of Judah, or a beast of the field). In this instant, it’s a young lion. A lion in his prime. A beast. A fierce and ferocious hunter.

Beast is another name for Satan. A cobra, or a serpent, is a beast which scurries around in darkness, lurking in the shadows, hiding down dark holes, waiting to strike the unwary. But you, as a believer of God, shall trample the beasts of this world, underfoot. Just as David killed the lion and the bear, so you too, shall kill the beasts of the field.

Because he loves Me, says the Lord, I will rescue him. I will set him securely on high, because he knows My name. I will protect him for he acknowledges Me. He will call upon Me and I will answer him.

There’s God’s promise, right there: I will protect him. (Because you love God and call upon Him.) It’s in His book. It’s His word, His promise. He’s just waiting for us to trust Him to deliver.

God will protect His people, answer their prayers, deliver them, rescue them, honour them and give them a long life. God will satisfy him and show him His salvation. A long and satisfying life, prayers answered, protection given and deliverence to all those who dwell secure under God’s protection.

There are times in a believer’s life, where we walk between wild animals and angels. Our quest at this point is, who are we going to pay attention? Where are we putting our trust? In God’s promises, or Satan’s lies? I know which direction I’m going to take.

At times, every one of us believer’s face a battle (…for in this world we will have trouble…  John 16:33) and you require a battle strategy to get through those times. I have confidence, Psalm 91 is the battle strategy we need.   

Answered Prayer

To receive the promises of God, you need to practice the principles of God. To achieve answered prayer, isn’t necessarily about doing works, but there’s an element which comes to the fore if you want to see positive results in your prayer life.

What if I told you, the fruit isn’t about dollars, or stuff, but about prayer? He who bears much fruit, usually has a fruitful prayer life. Yes, the dollars (stuff) will come in time, but let’s put that aside for the moment.

In order to have answered prayers, there are certain steps, which will help get you there faster. Now, having said that, God is not a magician who’ll wave His magic wand and everything falls into place. There are prayers which can’t be answered, for a variety of reasons, however, if you know the word of God, you will pray according to that word and are more likely to have success in this manner.

So, what are the principles you need to practice, to succeed in your prayer life? Read on my friend.

You must have faith, for a double minded person will not receive anything from God. The bible tells you in James 1:6-8. Let him ask in faith without doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Distraction and doubt are your enemy. Don’t allow them a foothold, not even an inch. If you’re distracted, refocus and get back on track, as soon as you notice it. If you at any time, have doubt, repent, ask forgiveness for your unbelief and pull your mind back to what you’re wanting to see happen in your life.

You must know God’s will and you’ll only know that, if you’re reading your bible. When you know what’s in your bible, then you can approach God with confidence. It’s only in knowing your bible, that you know, what you’re asking is in line with His will. You can then say: God, Your word says…

When you approach God with confidence, when you set to boldness, having the audacity to come to the throne and ask, then you’ll receive what you ask for. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Compassion. Jesus healed from compassion. He had compassion for the people and at times he wept. Our heart needs to be truly invested in what we're asking for. 

And you want a relationship with God. If you sincerely desire to have a relationship with God, He will be with you. James 4:8 says: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Yes, you can send a quick arrow prayer, but if you form a relationship with God, before you need Him, it’s more likely He will be there when you call on Him.

How do you form a relationship with God? Read His word! Read books, listen to you tube and podcasts that discuss God, who He is, what He does, how He works. Pray without ceasing. Talk to God, as if He is a friend, because that’s what He wants from you: Friendship! He wants you to spend time with Him. How long do you think your relationships would last, if you never spoke or visited your friends? God’s just like that. He wants you to sup (dine) with Him and call Him friend.

“If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7.

So, spend time with God and in His word. Talk to Him. Be His friend and then you may ask whatsoever you desire. Let Him be the light in your life and the calm in your place of troubled waters. He will be there. You will find Him when you search for Him with your whole heart.

Also, remember to give praise and thanks to the Lord, for that is the rocket fuel to success. Call those that be not, as if they were. Talk as if you have received what you've prayed for, as that shows a level of belief. That shows you believe God has acted on your behalf. 

It's not always easy, to walk in God’s ways, but it helps to know the keys to unlocking those ways. It's a battle strategy which helps get you where you want to go.

There's so much more I could write about on this topic, but I'll end here and hopefully this article will at least get you started. 

 

*Biblical quotes from NJKV 1994

 

Alexandra Grose - A photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and Self-esteem

 

I had a revelation this morning and what I felt was interesting. I hope you might also find it interesting: Many years ago, I had very low self-esteem. It hadn’t occurred to me at what point it changed, but change it did. I no longer feel I have low value. I thought you might like to hear a little snippet of my bible reading today…

Low self-esteem is faithlessness. This was the position from which I started my Christian walk, so if this is you, don’t despair, as in time we all grow in faith. Just as a flower grows from a bud, so too, we grow in Christ.

A Christian who does not live under self-judgement is at peace with themselves. A mature Christian does not self-condemn, as he/she knows Jesus bore all our frailties and faults, for in life, we will make wrong decisions and choices and God covers those decisions and choices, by His grace. That's what grace is for, what grace and mercy are all about. A grace-oriented person is free of guilt and condemnation.

I can make a mistake, do it wrong and feel no guilt, nor condemnation. As I step out of fear and try new things under faith, I know I’m not perfect. I know I might get it wrong, but it doesn’t bother me. I tried. I trusted in God and had a go and that’s the main thing. God applauds our efforts. God loves it when we place our trust in Him.

It’s been a process. It wasn’t like I flicked a switch and it all came together. At times, it was downright scary. At times I did it wrong – in other words: I failed. I did it again (and again and again, if I needed to) and I didn’t quit. And now, I’m comfortable in who I am, what I do and where I’m going.

Praise the Lord, for His mercies endure forever.

Faith and Obedience

Today, I’m just going to dive right in…

Those who remember His commandments to do them, shall be blessed. God compensates faithful works, when that work is done on His behalf. This doesn’t mean being a slave to all and sundry. We must have balance and we must know where to use our time, so as to be utmost effective.

We can't earn righteousness and we can't earn favour, so although God blesses our works, it isn't our works which causes God to love us. He loves us anyway. However, there are certain things we aught to be doing, to enjoy a greater and deeper fellowship with God.

We should read our bible daily. It isn’t sufficient just to go to church on Sunday. We need to draw close to God each and every morning. We read His Word and act on what that Word tells us to do. It’s not just about reading your bible, but obedience. Being obedient to what the bible tells us to do, takes effort. Apethy in God’s work, doesn’t cut it. (And yes, often that means getting up at 4 in the morning, to fit it in.)

James 1: 23-25; for if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 2: 23-26; And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

If you want to see blessings in your life, you have to show good works. What are those good works? You will find them in the bible, but here’s a few to get you started: compassion, prayer, tithing, helping, loving, caring, sharing, the 10 commandments - in other words, be Jesus to everyone, show everyone what Jesus looks like, teach Jesus. There are many more and you’ll start to look for them and see them, now that I’ve pointed out a few.

There are some who say it’s not about works, but faith. Yes, we need faith, but one compliments the other. You can speak faith all you like, but without action nothing happens. Proponents in positive thinking, will explain that you make statements of what you want to see in your life and it will attract that very thing to you. This works to some degree. However, you can tell yourself as much as you like; “there’s no weeds in my garden, there’s no weeds in my garden,” but unless you weed your garden, the weeds will grow.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. We often forget about the righteousness part of this message. We seek God, pray and hope for the best. But what is righteousness? The Oxford dictionary says righteousness is: the quality of being morally right or justifiable.

So to be righteous, we also need to be moral. The Oxford dictionary states moral as: 1) concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour. 2) holding on manifesting high principles for proper conduct.

(It would also pay to remember, righteousness can offend some people, as some do not want to be accountable.)

Seek His kingdom, seek His righteousness, do the works God’s set before you and all shall be added to you. High principles, faith, works, are all doing words (yes, even principle, when used as taking a stand). We can’t have a healthy prayer life, if we’re not ‘doing’.

If you’re not seeing results in your prayer life, if your prayers aren’t showing any fruit, it’s because you haven’t taken your place in the seat of authority. You must know God’s promises are true for you and you command what you desire. And you can only command from authority.

You see, intellectually, you know God’s Word is true, but your faith hasn't caught up. Your head knows, but it hasn't yet sunk into the depths of your heart.

Remember Jesus gave you all authority. We have the same power as Jesus, because Jesus gave it to us; Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Without authority, nothing happens. Or at best, prayers are hit and miss. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.

A healthy prayer life too, isn’t about hope, it’s about faith. We can’t pray and hope for the best. We must pray and believe in the desired outcome. Is God’s Word truth, or is it not? This is a question you must answer for yourself, because you can know in your head God’s promises are true, but until it gets into your heart, you may not believe it.

If you’re thinking it works for them but not for me, you haven’t gone from the head to the heart yet. If God cannot lie (and His Word tells you so in Titus 1:2 In the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began), then all His promises to you are true.

It’s not enough to hear the Word. It’s not enough to go to church on Sunday, have a lovely time and then forget the message, as soon as the busyness of life kicks in on Monday. You need to take what you hear and apply it to your life, then you will see changes take place in the areas of your greatest discomfort.

If you have a particularly difficult area, read all you can about that area. It might be finances, health, relationships, whatever the problem you face, search it out in the Scriptures and learn what to do to overcome the issue, then act on what you learn.

If you keep going and don’t quit, you will succeed. Yes, you might have a failure along the way, but stick with it and success will come in time. 

Does that mean it’ll be easy? No. The devil roams about seeking whom he shall devour. Once you start, the devil will try to stop you. Satan is a psychopath. He has zero empathy. He does not want to see you succeed. He doesn’t care about you at all. He will use deception, he will taunt, he will even use the Word (twisted, so it sounds good) to try to undermine God’s authority in the matter.

Keep going. God’s Word is truth and you will succeed, if you follow the plan God has laid out.

 

*Biblical quotes and references taken from NJKV.

 

Alexandra Grose - A photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

Jesus Never Taught Healing.

Jesus never taught healing. He taught faith and authority, but not healing. Why didn’t He teach healing? Because there is no formula. If there was, all those well learned doctors would have that formula by now. Every time Jesus healed someone, He healed them in a different way, because there is no formula, just faith.

First was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. When you declare the Word, you declare the substance. That substance is Jesus, for Jesus is the Word that was and is, with God.

10-11 years ago, my husband had cancer in his lower abdomen. By the time it was noticeable, it was the size of a football. He was operated on and the mass was removed. My family and I had prayed and thankfully he needed no further treatment. John was just told to come back for a check-up every 6 months, to make sure it didn’t regrow.

2 years later, after his 4^th check-up, John called to tell me, the doctors had found nodules on his lungs. Having worked with asbestos in his former years and having once been a heavy smoker, this was not a surprising outcome to him.

In beating cancer previously, I refused to go down this path again and declared…No, this has already been dealt with and healed. I’m not accepting it and I decree that these nodules shrink and dissipate. Whenever John brought up the issue, I reminded him, we’re praying that the nodules dissolve.

6 months later, his next check-up and the nodules hadn’t grown any greater. 6 months after that and the nodules had shrunk, disappearing from whence they came. John mentioned to the doctor: my wife’s a Christian and she said this would happen. He didn’t realise, he was being a witness at this time. John’s check-ups are now 2 years apart and he’s still cancer free.

Shortly after, John had a knee replacement. When the x-rays were initially taken, the radiologist stated he didn’t know how John was still walking. When the surgeon saw the x-ray, he exclaimed “Oh John, your knee is shot.”

A week after the operation, John needed to go back, to have clean bandages applied. The second week, John’s bandages didn’t need to go back on and by week 4 he was walking like a young man again, something he hadn’t done in 25 years. His doctor sent the surgeon a letter stating this was the fastest healing on a knee replacement she’d ever had walk through her door.

Jesus was only ever amazed twice in the bible and both times it was because of “great faith,” as in the roman soldier (Matt 8:5-13), who said Jesus only need to command it, as he too is under authority and the woman who claimed even dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table, in Matt 15:27. Jesus healed on both occasions, because of their great faith.

John is an unbeliever, an atheist (don’t ask).  However, if Jesus will heal an unbeliever, what do you think He will do for you, His bride! For all who ask, receive and although John is an unbeliever, I and my family had asked and John has been healed.

When we take of the bread and the wine, we take in faith all the promises of God, written in His word. Jesus gave us all power and authority and He asked that we remember Him often, by the taking of the body and the blood and so we do that today, in remembrance of Him, in thankful appreciation of all that He did and in faith of all that He will do, that we may live and live life abundantly.

 

Satan and his Cohorts - Itty-bitty Imps.

 

Satan, also known as Lucifer, (Lucifer: the shining one, the light bearer, the day star) comes to kill, steal and destroy. His sole power is deception. If he can talk you into believing your problem really exists, then your problem will be made manifest in your life.

If I could convince you, Satan is nothing more than a paper mâché piñata, which with one good swipe of a bat would crumble and fall apart, you’d no longer be deceived.

His cohorts (little devils) too, are nought but itty-bitty imps with big mouths, according to American evangelist Andrew Wommack, who also states; “imps are smaller than an ant.” If we but knew how insignificant they are, we would be shocked. If we could see one in the flesh, we would most likely utter: Is this it! Is this all I’ve been afraid of?

Remember FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real. That’s all Satan can do, twist and lie about the evidence, causing you to think it’s real.

God’s word says in Psalm 91: He will deliver you. He will be with you in trouble. He will rescue you. He will honour you, with a long and satisfying life. If you believe that, you will come out the other side of your adversity, stronger, wiser, and with a deeper conviction of faith.  

Man (and woman) were given all authority to rule on Earth. When we choose to use that authority, to believe in and act on the word of God, we can overcome Satan’s devilish schemes.

God doesn’t control how we live. He gave us choice and free will. Yes, there’s an element of uncertainty in life, however we control what we do, when life throws us curveballs.

God gave us freedom of choice. He also gave us all authority. It’s up to us to stand, to use our authority, if we wish to see good success in our lives. It’s up to us, not to follow the wiles of the devil, but to be renewed in mind and body. To renew the mind and body, is to stand on the promises of God, apply what those promises tell us to do and to overcome all that stands in our way. Whatever negative looms big in your life, God’s word promises to defeat it.

Sometimes God allows us a season with the devil, to humble us, to wake us up and get our attention. God wants to use you and to bring you to a place of full faith. We can develop strong faith through adversity, if we put our trust in God. An easy life, brings with it, weak faith. If you’re not tested, you don’t grow. You don’t know what you’re made of, until you're tested. If you don’t quit during the battle, you will see victory at the end of the conflict.

The devil only has deceit. He can do nothing, without your coming into agreement with his lies. Once you put God in perspective, once you remind yourself how great your God is, you will see how insignificant is this little gnat of hatred that’s working against you.

God threw Satan out of Heaven and told him, on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust (Gen 3:14). And that’s all he is today, a snake in the grass. He’s nothing but a liar. All you need to do, is not believe the lies.

If you find yourself in fear, know that it’s Satan, slithering around your feet. God’s word says you will tread on the lion and the serpent, you will trample them under foot. Turn to God and stand on the promises of God’s word. Read Psalm 91 for yourself and defeat the devil in your life.

Remember God will deliver you. He will be with you in trouble. He will rescue you and honour you with a long and satisfying life. You will move past this point and you will be victorious, because God promises it and God’s word is truth.

 

Alexandra Grose - A photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrice Denied

Peter denied Jesus three times. He wept bitterly when the cock crowed and Jesus looked at him pointedly, just before being taken away for crucifixion. At some point, Peter was with John on the road to Emmaus, when he first gazed upon Jesus after Jesus was crucified. Peter, impetuous Peter, who denied Jesus during His greatest hour, saw Jesus again after the resurrection, whilst fishing on the Sea of Galilee.

Peter was so excited to set his eyes on Jesus, he jumped out of the boat and swam to the beach, where Jesus was preparing breakfast in the early morning light, for the seven disciples. After the crucifixion, seven of the disciples had gone back to what they knew…fishing. Though they’d been out all night they’d caught nothing, until Jesus called to them and told them to let their nets down on the other side of the boat and then they caught a boat load of fish. Do you know, with Jesus on board, nothing is impossible?

Peter jumped from the boat, when He heard Jesus call out. You see, Peter knew the voice of Jesus. Peter had spent three years with Jesus and knew, even from the distance of the ocean to the sands, that it was Jesus calling to them.

By the time Peter had swum to shore, Jesus was working over a coal fire, cooking life giving fish and bread. Where did Jesus get the fish and the bread? The bible doesn’t tell us. What the bible does say is Jesus was cooking over coals. Why a coal fire and not a fire of sticks, or even dried camel dung (for no matter how insignificant something is, it all has a purpose in God’s creation.)?

Burning coal is mentioned several times in scripture: It symbolises judgement and spiritual purification. It allows righteousness and justice, in the hope of bringing repentance. Coal is represented in the bible as cleansing, as in the burning of the lips by coal, to take away iniquity and purge of sin (Isaiah 6:6-7).

Peter had denied Jesus thrice and thrice Jesus asked Peter; “Do you love me?” Jesus not only asked that, but He reverted back to using Peter’s original name of Simon. Jesus had changed Simon’s name to “Peter” saying, “and on this rock I will build My church…” (Matt 16:18), when Peter decided to join the disciples early on in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus knew Peter would deny him, right from the start, but Jesus accepted Peter into the fold just the same, as He does with all of us.

In reverting back to the name Simon, Jesus was subtly bringing up the denials Peter used when the Roman soldiers came to capture Jesus in the dark of night. Three denials in the subsequent hours, followed later by the three questions of do you love me.  

In using the name Simon, while working over the hot coals, Jesus was cleansing the sin of each denial from Peter. He was asking Peter, do you love me, so Peter would acknowledge Jesus and turn back to Him.

After Peter confirmed he loved Jesus, Jesus never again called Peter Simon. Peter’s repentance was used by God to show us, it doesn’t matter how far we fall, Jesus can meet us there and bring us back and He will never again bring up the sin, which caused us to pull away.

When the Israelites left Egypt, not one of them were sick. There would have been elderly, frail, maimed, blind and poor amongst the Israelites, but when they left, there were none. All were in good health. All left in financial abundance.

At the time of Passover, God told the Israelites to kill a spotless lamb, cook and eat it, then with hyssop, apply the blood of the lamb to the door posts and to be ready with unleavened bread. Blood over the door, was to distinguish between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The eating of the lamb represented the strength and power of the Lord, the strength and power needed to bring the frail and unwell into fullness of health. The unleavened bread, which Jesus also cooked over the coals, are to separate a person; to cut them off from Israel (from carnality). The blood also represented the authority given, as well as the salvation offered.

Today we take of the body and drink of the blood, for salvation and authority, in remembrance of Him. We ingest the power and the authority, bringing upon ourselves the healing, the strength, the wholeness, the prosperity, and the salvation; all the promises of God. Just as Peter had to go through the hot coals of the fire, under the questioning of Jesus and turn back and repent, we too at this time can turn back and repent, accept the body and the blood and be forgiven.

If you’re living in a place of brokenness, turn to Jesus. Don’t go into condemnation, for this denies His work on the cross as being good enough. Condemnation tells Jesus, dying on the cross wasn’t enough; all that pain and suffering wasn’t enough, the darkness of separation from the Father wasn’t enough. We have all been through places of trial and brokenness and we will move forward from this, as long as we don’t go to condemnation, but turn to Jesus for forgiveness and repentance, by taking the bread and wine often, in remembrance of Him, as stated in 1 Cor 11:23-25.