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Abounding in Hope

This world is full of disappointments, heartaches and sadness. Wouldn’t it be great to have hope?! How about to be abounding in hope?

Abounding means to have or possess in great quantity, existing in or providing a great or plentiful quantity or supply.

I do not know your situation or what you have been dealing with, but God knows. There have been times in my life when I have felt a sense of hopelessness, stemming from helplessness. I think we all go through it at one time or another. The important thing to note, is to NOT stay in the state or feeling of hopelessness. Easy to say, but harder to do.

How can you and I find hope? The world shifts under our feet, people let us down, we let people down, life is hard. Can someone just tell me how?!

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NKJV)

God has the answer. in fact, He IS the answer. He IS a God of hope and He fills His children with hope. Filled, not just a tiny quantity…but abounding in hope! He knows we need it to survive and thrive here. Not that all of our problems magically disappear but it puts them in a brighter perspective, knowing that God IS in control.

We are given a hope that does not disappoint, because this hope comes from Gods love directly poured into our hearts, it is a hope that helps us hold on and endure hardships and pain.

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NKJV)

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and we walk with God, we receive within us, the power of the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus was resurrected and ascended to heaven, a Helper was given to all believers. Look up John 16:5-15 and see the Power believers are given!

The Holy Spirit was given to us by God to help us. If we choose to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and help; we can experience joy and peace during our darkest times. He will walk with us through our troubles, sorrows and heartaches.

We need to hold on to hope. There will come a day when all will be made right and evil will be defeated and forever erased!

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, as the former things have passed away.” Revelations 21:4 (NKJV)

May you abound in the hope of God, and may He fill you with His peace and joy.

But Without Faith, Part 2

Welcome back! This is part 2 of a blog I published about a month ago entitled, “But without Faith” where we discussed what faith is. Today we will continue with this topic and look at answering the following questions:

Where does faith come from?

How do you and I get faith?

How does our faith grow?

First, let us recap a bit and look at some definitions for faith:

allegiance to a duty or person,

belief and trust in and loyalty to God,

a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.

The Bible tells us that, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

If we cannot see faith…how can we get it? To have the faith that is talked about in the Bible, we must open the Book and read the Words of God. As I delve into this topic, please know that this is not based on my own opinion. I highly encourage you to open God’s Word and read for yourself, that is where we find our answers. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches, not I. I can pick a topic and write about it, but I must rely on the Holy Spirit (and so must you) to impart the truth. He does this by the revealing truths in the inspired Word of God.

The Holy Spirit calls you, sparks your interest, guides you and teaches you. Do not be afraid to dig deep. The Holy Spirit is your Helper, He will help you to understand.

As a child of God, He longs for you to know Him. Take out your Bible and let’s get started.

Where does faith come from?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)

Faith comes from God in the form of a gift. We would not have faith if not for God having His plan and reaching down to offer it to us. We then have the option to choose to accept faith through salvation. Salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ.

God uses faith as the way to bring salvation to His people. God gives faith because of His grace and mercy, because He loves us, His creation, so very much. He desires for us to have a way to know Him.

How do you and I get faith?

“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Romans 10:17

As we hear the Word of God and the Salvation plan, which is what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we are given faith. Faith to believe that there is something more to life than just existing and going through the motions of living day to day…faith to have HOPE in Someone bigger than us, Someone who has a unique plan for each of His beloved children!

It is the Word of God that produces faith. A person could receive faith while reading about Jesus in the Bible or by hearing a sermon teaching the Good News or by you or I sharing the story of Jesus—any time the true gospel of Jesus is communicated, there is potential for faith! How exciting! That you and I can be part of the chain of events that God has orchestrated!

How does our faith grow?

If we are not in control of even getting faith on our own…how can you and I increase our faith. I wish to be more faithful.

We can pray and ask for more faith just as the apostles asked of Jesus in Luke 17:5,

“And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’”

Our faith grows as we build our lives on the truth of Jesus Christ, what we are taught about Him in and directly from God’s Word. We model our lives after Him. It is built on the truth of what God says, not what man says. When we are listening to pastors, preachers, spiritual songs, or fellow Christians, we must hold those words/that teaching up to God’s Word. We must stay away from teaching that is not in line with Biblical truths. We need to be careful about who is teaching us.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

We need to always remember that faith was given to each believer as a gift. We cannot take credit for it or tout it in the face of others or think of ourselves in a prideful way.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 (NKJV)

By knowing our saving faith comes from God alone, it should encourage us as Christians to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought; but remember that God decides the measure of faith each one receives.

So, as we can see from reading God’s Word…that receiving faith comes from God and our faith increases by spending time in His Word.

I want to end on a note of thanksgiving. We should be thankful always for the faith God has given us, thankful that He chooses to use us in ministering to others. It is a privilege and honor to serve the Lord and His people.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14

May God bless you with wisdom and increased faith as you dig deep into His Word.

To Wait Patiently

“I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)

These verses make me wonder how patient am I? Have I waited patiently for the LORD? The verb wait is used in the past tense in this verse…waited patiently. Already done. Have I waited? How important is it to “have waited patiently?”

Let us explore what it means to be patient and to wait patiently.

Patience—the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Wow! That is a challenge for many people on a regular basis, and for probably everyone… at least once in a while.

Patience is mentioned over 70 times in the Bible. The Bible encyclopedia describes it as, “A forbearance or endurance. It is a quality of self-restraint or of not giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation, it is attributed to both God and man and is closely related to mercy.”

Patience is the 4^th Fruit of the Spirit and is also referred to as longsuffering.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” Galatians 5:22 (NLT)

As a believer in Jesus Christ as my Savior and as a follower of Him, through the Power of the Holy Spirit living within me, I can bear the trials of life. You can too.

How? It is the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit when He is alive and well within us. By allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to produce this quality within us…by knowing that God is in control . This helps us see hope in every situation. By knowing God that sees the whole picture and He knows & does what is best for each of His children.

I like this caption that I read recently, “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

Are you waiting for things to happen in your life? Have you been praying, and it seems that Heaven is silent? Are you waited patiently? What has been the attitude of your heart? Are you keeping a good attitude while you wait?

I must admit, at times…I have not.

When we are patient, it puts us in control of ourselves. Being patient gives us time to choose how to respond to a given event or circumstance, rather than let rampant emotions take over. Often times impatience makes us react in damaging ways as we look for shortcuts and quick fixes. The enemy of God’s children, Satan uses impatience to derail us from achieving God’s purpose in our lives.

It is beneficial to be disciplined to wait, to learn this behavior and make it part of who we are. We can be mindful of the things that make us impatient. When I feel myself getting impatient, I take a deep breath. I ponder how losing control will not help the situation and I picture how being patient will pay off.

There are many benefits of having patience. Some are that we enjoy better mental health. There is less stress on our body’s as we learn to wait. It makes us a better parent, friend and neighbor. It helps us achieve our goals and not harm others as we reach them.

Patience does not mean we are weak or passive. It is a strength and one that our Creator God tells us to practice. We remain active and continue doing what God has called us to do, while we wait.

I do not always wait patiently. I sometimes want to prod God along and make Him answer my desires in my way and in my time. This thought process has caused me nothing but sorrow. It makes me angry with God as my anxious and worrisome thoughts think He is not doing the job I think He should be doing.

As I learn from Jesus and the Scriptures, as I wait, and watch—I learn how to act and when to react. I become more compassionate. Through time in His Word and learning to patiently wait and worship Him through each trial, I have immense blessings. He inclines His head to me and hears my cry. He will hear yours too. Simple advice but so profound!

How Can We Save Our Country Part 2

God says in Joshua 1:5, “…I will not leave you nor forsake you.” He was talking to His people, to those who believe in Him, call him their LORD and follow His ways. Those of the “world” are on their own unless they accept what Jesus did to pay for their sin, repent and turn to God.

If Jesus Christ is not your LORD and Savior, then you are not operating under the Guidance and Truth of the Holy Spirit. You are under the influence of another spirit. The spirit of darkness that is permeating, confusing and polluting the minds of people and destroying our land by pitting us against each other. Like I said in part 1, we are NOT each other’s enemies.

Sat this next sentence out loud. We are not enemies of each other. The enemy is invisible… although as believers, we can smell the stench of him and his evil entourage. The enemy is Satan. He is a formidable foe to us, HOWEVER by the POWER of JESUS CHRIST, the enemy is DEFEATED. We have the power of Jesus within us. Resurrection POWER!

“And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places]” Ephesians 1:19-20 (AMPC)

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 NKJV

This battle is of a momentous proportion and cannot be fought in our human strength. We NEED JESUS, we NEED the HOLY SPIRIT!

God said, He will not leave us, but I do you think He has turned His eyes away from the sinful, disobedient mass we have become.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers , against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

We have the armor to not only protect us but to give us the strength, endurance and wisdom to fight and to know what to do.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.” Ephesians 6:10

We have the armor to do our part in this battle, but we have to put it on and know what each piece does. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 to know the full gear available to believers!

Suit up my friends, be strong in the LORD, He has not left us to battle alone or unprotected. Victory is in the POWER of HIS MIGHT.

We cannot be gathered with more than 10 people, but we can protest with up to 100. Come on people. We need to WAKE UP!

I will be the first person to say that I have been a lukewarm Christina. I liked the comfy seat at church. Loved Jesus and proclaimed His name when it was convenient to me. When I got push back, I went silent. I am ashamed of myself and my inaction.

I know that one day the final battle will take place and I will be gone before that happens, thank You JESUS!

I am concerned right now for the path this country seems to be heading down. It is a path of destruction. I am concerned for my children and grandchildren, my nephews & nieces. I am concerned for you and your children and grandchildren, those who are just getting started with life, new babies and generations to come.

What will America look like to them if I remain silent?

If you remain silent? Good question.

How Can We Save Our Country Part 1

We are in such crazy times right now. I cannot believe the totally unimaginable, never in a million years would I believe if you told me this would happen here…is happening right now or new “laws” are being enacted that are ridiculous and a detriment to society and life as we know it in this God-blessed USA.

We need to band together as believers in Jesus, in believers of His Hope. We are not each other’s enemies! What can we do to save our country?

2 Chronicles 7:14 & 15 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”

God says, “if My people…” His people. Those who call Him LORD. Those who are “Called by My name” those who profess belonging to Jesus. “Will humble themselves” Admit we are wrong and disobedient. “Pray and seek My face” Look away from self and toward God and His ways. “and turn from their wicked ways” Turn from our sin and repent from our reckless disregard for our Creator and lack of love for each other. “Then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” He will hear our repentant cries, and with God as our guide, He will heal our land, bring it back to its former glory…I like this definition, “to become sound or healthy again.”

Also, look at verse 15. I never really paid much notice to it before. Today it stopped me.

“Now My eyes (The LORD’S eyes) will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.” Pray right where I am, right where you are and for where you and I are. In this country we love and perhaps, have taken for granted. We are the last stronghold for democracy in the world. If America goes own, we all go down. There is NO place to escape to.

Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.”

The way we have been treating God in this country is shameful. We have pushed Him out of our schools, our government, and our homes. We have even allowed the “state” to keep us from assembling as a body in church. Is in no surprise to see that He has turned His head away and left us to our own evil devises.

Join me in my next blog post to see what else we can do as His people.

Find me on YouTube.com Tami Bemis Cole

Conform or Transform…

What does it mean to conform? A few definitions I found are “to act in accordance with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc. of society or a group.” “To adopt the form of those around you.” It is a verb, therefore it is an action that describes what we can do. We can conform to something.

What are some ways we conform? Maybe to house rules as we are growing up. Maybe to a new space as we go off to college or to an apartment. Maybe it is to another person we marry, and live with that has ways different from ours. Maybe we conform to a new schedule as we take on a new job or opportunity. There are many ways that we conform to people, places and rules on a daily basis. Most of the ways we comply may not harm us, but God warns us about conforming to the world in Romans 12:2

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and pleasing will of God.”

The opposite of conform is to depart, vary, disagree, dissent and rebel, to name a few. What is the “world” that this passage is referring to? We have to live here on earth, in this world, right? There are rules that everyone must obey. What should I disagree with or rebel from?

The “world” in New Testament teachings comes from the word *kosmos, “an orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):–adorning, world.”

It also means—and we need to pay attention to this—“the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, a source of moral corruption, a danger to the spiritual health & life of Christians.”

The leader of all the chaos and moral corruption is none other than Satan and his demons. He tries to lead us astray. He tries to fill us with rules that are against God, Satan then manipulates people to turn them into immoral laws that contraction God’s Word.

Romans 12:2 goes onto say that not only must we not conform, but we must transform. Transform is also a verb. Something that requires our action. It means to make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of (especially for the better). It is to change, renew, reshape, or reorganize. I like these two definitions, to turn upside down, to stir up.

As Christians, we need to be careful not to be dragged into the false lull of doing “What everyone else is doing”. If God says it is wrong, it is wrong, no matter how many are participating in it.

We also have to stand up to laws that are against God and against life. We need to take a stand. We cannot afford to be silent. But how can we be transformed?

By the renewing of our mind, our thoughts, our ideas. We can read God’s Word and seek Him…Seek an on going relationship with Him as we learn His character. We can pray & ask for His wisdom to be discerning in who to vote for and things to research in our laws and government. We can ask Him for the strength to make our voices heard and He will give us the strength to carry out His purposes.

Father God, Help me not to let this world squeeze me into its’ mold, but may I allow You to transform me from the inside out as I meditate on and apply Your Word to my life. May I be able to discern Your will and make the correct choices that You want me to make to follow & fulfill Your purpose through me & to make a positive difference to around me. Amen.

*https://www.bibletools.org//index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/G2889/kosmos.htm

Abide in Me

Jesus tells us to abide in Him. Not just a suggestion, but a command.

To bear fruit, we must remain in the Vine

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

Abide. What does that mean.

The dictionary definitions are—1: to remain in, to stay stable or fixed 2: to continue in something, to persist, to pursue 3: to tarry, to linger

We need to be connected to the vine. As a branch, it cannot get nutrients without being attached. I remember growing cucumbers. We put up a fence for the vine to grow and as it branched out the tiny cucumbers began to grow. Some grew this way and some went that way. I went out a few days later hoping to get some for my salad.

On one side of the fence I found several yummy cucumbers, but on the other side, I saw shriveled up cucumbers, smaller than a few days earlier. There was no fruit, or vegetables in this case. What happened??

Looking closer, I discovered that one of the branches, as it went over the fence, it got caught and broke off from the vine. Without the nutrients and support from the vine, the cucumbers shriveled up and died.

When we are not attached to Jesus, the vine…we too will not bear fruit. We need to stay attached, to tarry in His Presence.

Abide can also mean to tarry. It reminds me of the song, “In the Garden” “I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known”

Oh to tarry in the Presence of Jesus, what a sweet picture.

Fear is a Liar

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I love the song by Zack Williams called, “Fear is a Liar.” It is about all the lies that the enemy tells us to try and break our spirit, to make us get off track in our walk with the LORD and to eventually cause us to give up. If you have never heard it, look it up on YouTube. It is a really good song. Some of the lyrics are as follows in quotes Lyrics from Fear Is a Liar by Zack Williams

“When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough”

Fear tells us we can’t do it. It stops us in our steps. Fear tells us we have messed up too many times. LIES! LIAR! LIES! Fear is a liar!

God says He did not give us a spirit of fear. Fear is the absence of peace. Fear wears us down. Fear makes us believe things that are not true about ourselves. Fear tries to belittle & hide the TRUTH of GOD. Where does fear & doubt come from? It comes from the enemy of God’s children, from the evil one, the devil, Satan.

In John 8:44, Jesus said this about Satan, “…He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he (Satan) speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Why do we so easily fall for the same old tricks, the same old lies? The lies the powers of darkness puts in our minds discourages us, and if we continue to listen, it can ruin our soul. How can we stop the voices that tell us awful things?

As a child of GOD, you can choose to listen to your Heavenly Father. Listen to GOD. Look into the love letter He gave us..His Word, the Bible.

How about if we answer each line with what GOD says!

“When he told you you’re not good enough” What a LIE! We are created in GOD’S Image. (Genesis 1:21 & 1:31)
“When he told you you’re not right” Don’t you believe it! Our wrongs are forgiven! We are made righteous in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight” It is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) Our strength comes from the LORD (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 22:19, Psalm 28:7-8, Isaiah 12:2 & many more!) and the battle is His (1 Samuel 14:47)
“When he told you you’re not worthy” Jesus died for you & me while we were against GOD (Romans 5:8)
When he told you you’re not loved GOD loves us so much He sent Jesus to die in our place (John 3:16)
“When he told you you’re not beautiful” GOD says we are beautiful (Song of Solomon 4:7)
“That you’ll never be enough” We are GOD’S Masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)

Call fear what it is…A LIAR.

He Is Risen

I want to wish you a blessed Easter. I hope you had a great day praising our Risen Savior and spending the day with those you love.

I know I am a few days past Easter but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what just happened from Good Friday until Easter morning.

The sadness, the gut-wrenching guilt and hopelessness that His disciples & family felt was very evident on Friday. Even into Sunday as two of them were walking to a village called Emmaus. Resurrected Jesus is walking with them. They are unable to recognize who He is at this point. (Luke 24:13-16)

Let’s pick up the conversation as Luke recorded it:

“ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas,asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place”. Luke 24:17-21 (NIV)

Their faces were downcast and they we hoping that it was He (Jesus) who was going to redeem Israel. It is also the third day. Perhaps they remember Jesus’s words in John 2:19, about raising up the temple in 3 days.

Where was He? Where is our Redeemer? We had hoped You were the One, Jesus. He said He would rise from the dead. Oh Jesus, where are you??

JESUS IS THERE among them on His way to be seen by His disciples, especially Peter who must be in a very deep place of pain & anguish knowing he betrayed Jesus and Peter believes at that point that he has no way to say he is sorry. For Jesus is dead.
“But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” Mark 16:7 (NKJV)

JESUS IS HERE! Among us today, right now. HE IS RISEN! Just like He said!

” He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” Matthew 28:6

He did what He said He would do. He is trustworthy. If we can believe that He rose from the dead, surely we can believe He is with us now, loving us, helping us, leading us…Remember in John 14:6 He told us,

He is the WAY. He opened the way to Heaven so we could have fellowship with the Father. No more sin between us. He shows us the way to live on earth as well.

He is the TRUTH. He told the truth that He would rise from the dead. He said He is coming back for those who believe in Him. It is the Truth.

He is the LIFE. Through His death & resurrection, we have ETERNAL LIFE. A Home in Heaven one day! Thank You Jesus!

Good Friday

I had often wondered why the day my Lord Jesus died is called “Good” Friday. It seems odd to call a day good when such terrible things were done to Him and He died.

From the betrayal the night before, to most of His closest friends abandoning him, to the scourging, ridiculing and outright lies told about Him, It seems there was not much good leading up to Friday. It goes from bad to worse, Jesus is so weak from the beatings and loss of blood, yet He must carry His own cross to the crucifixion site. Being fully man, He is tired and in excruciating pain, yet He says not a word.

He feels all that we would feel if we had gone through this day instead of Him. His human body is near death. He does not call legions of angels to help Him. He could have. I know He could have. He is fully God… in human flesh.

It should have been me on that cross. I’m the guilty one, not Him. He is perfect. He could have said, “Forget it, she’s not worth it, Take Me home Father.” But He did not say anything like that. He has to finish. He is the only Way to be reconciled to the Father. My sin is great but His love is greater.

He has one more thing to say but His lips are so parched. He is thirsty. He has been on the cross nearly 6 hours and probably without water since supper the night before.

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said,…I thirst! Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth” John 19:28

He is also fulfilling Psalm 69:21.

“They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 69:21

Maybe, do you think…He needs to wet His lips, to speak so the people can hear. As He struggles to take a breath, He knows it is time.

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

“It is finished!” What Jesus came to do, He finished. Our sin debt was PAID IN FULL! Woo Hoo!

I understand now why it is called “Good Friday” GOOD NEWS for you and me! He had to die to defeat sin & death. To finish the hold it had on us. In three days, on Easter, He rises from the dead so we can live!
When we choose to make Jesus our Lord & Savior…we are FREE!

GOOD JOB my AMAZING SAVIOR. Thank YOU!