S.A.I.L.

FORGIVENESS

This morning I had one of those moments, upon waking, with a quote from scripture in my thoughts, the verse was Jesus’ words on the cross:

[Luk 23:34 NIV] 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

When I reflect on this verse, I see how compassionate Jesus is to these people: he sees beyond their actions, understands their ignorance and asks the Father to forgive them. Thinking about how this verse applies to all of us today: Let’s pray that we may see others the way Jesus sees them.

This is the third time within a week that the topic of forgiveness came up: first as I was recording a podcast (#974: Psalm 58 on Friday) next on Wednesday in a Bible Study conversation and now as I woke up (Friday morning). During the past seven years studing the bible, I’ve noticed that important matters are often repeated by God in “3s” and because this is the third time that “Forgiveness” has been repeated, I decided it was time to write about this subject and what scripture tells us. I don’t know why this subject has been put in front of me personally because there is no one I can think of that I haven’t forgiven. So hopefully this is meaningful to someone who reads this!

FORGIVING OTHERS

It’s hard to forgive others when they’ve hurt us badly, but we can trust in God, that justice will prevail through Him, it is according to His time, not ours. And remember this too:

[2Pe 3:9 NIV] 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

It’s important to read this in context, a letter from Peter, one of the 12 disciples:

[2Pe 3:1-18 NIV] 1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Jesus said this about forgiveness:

[Mat 6:14-15 NIV] 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

[Mat 18:21-22 NIV] 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

If we don’t forgive others, this is what Jesus says will happen to us (you can read the entire parable in Matthew 18:21-35):

[Mat 18:34-35 NIV] 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus also said:

[Mar 11:25 NIV] 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

[Luk 6:37 NIV] 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

[Luk 11:4 NIV] 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ “

[Luk 17:3-4 NIV] 3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister (fellow disciple) sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Forgiveness is challenging on our own, but with the Holy Spirit; it is possible.

POWER FROM GOD OVER THE ENEMY, STRONGHOLDS, SATAN AND SIN

Jesus said this to the 12 Disciples:

[Act 1:8 NIV] 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This verse above occured right BEFORE Jesus ascended to Heaven, AFTER he had resurrected from dead. But this wasn’t the first time Jesus gave not only the 12 Disciples power but also 70 others this power; BEFORE he was crucified:

[Luk 9:1-2 NIV] 1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

This is what Jesus said to the 70 others he sent out, after he sent the 12 disciples and BEFORE he was crucified:

[Luk 10:19-20 NASB95] 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

This is important to know: when God calls us, He equips us for His purpose and He will make this known when it happens. It is the power of the Holy Spirit whom we can rely on. Not by our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Notice that the POWER of the Holy Spirit HEALS (perhaps both spiritually and physically) those under the power of Satan in this next verse:

[Act 10:38 NIV] 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Notice in the verse above that people under the power of the devil needed “healing,” Could that be emotional healing? Could this be one of the ways that Satan affects relationships: working through people who do not yet have the Holy Spirit to cause harm to others? Have you ever heard the saying: “Hurt people hurt people”? So ultimately the “enemy” succeeds in perpetuating “unforgiveness” if we decide to retaliate, or if we don’t forgive. Leave it to God. God is just. God will handle it righteously.

Scripture also tells us:

[Eph 4:26-27 NIV] 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (foothold is described as “the opportunity” or “license”)

The following is the assignment Jesus gave Paul when he appeared to (Saul) Paul on the road to Damascus:

[Act 26:18 NIV] 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.‘

Later, Paul says this to the Romans about being under the power of sin:

[Rom 3:9 NIV] 9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

What is the power of sin? The Law. Paul says this:

[1Co 15:56-57 NIV] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul also says this about DIVINE POWER (in those who have received the Holy Spirit) to DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS:

[2Co 10:4 NIV] 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

[Eph 6:12 NIV] 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Paul asked God to take away the messenger from Satan who was tormenting Paul but God allowed this torment to keep Paul from becoming conceited, so that Paul would experience the POWER from God when he was weak (not of his own power)!

[2Co 12:9 NIV] 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

We can learn from this example that while we may be weak; God is NOT weak and His Spirit can overcome whatever power or stronghold is affecting us.

Reading scripture it becomes clear that before we have faith in Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit, we all are under the power of the enemy of God, a slave to sin, but that changes when we become children of God.

CHILDREN OF GOD

[1Jo 3:10 NIV] 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

[1Jo 5:1-5 NIV] 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

[Rom 8:14-15 NIV] 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

[Rom 8:17, 19 NIV] 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. … 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

[Mat 5:9 NIV] 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

[Jhn 1:12 NIV] 12 Yet to all who did receive him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–

[Jhn 11:49-52 NIV] 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

Those led by the Spirit can be identified by their actions. Paul explains in Galatians 5:

[Gal 5:16-25 NIV] 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS

We are not the best at noticing our own shortcomings with others, so we need to ask God for awareness of our own faults and His forgiveness. Psalm 19 reminds us of this in David’s words:

[Psa 19:12-14 NIV] 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

David recognizes that it is hard to recognize our own faults, but we have them and we need forgiveness from God. Notice that David is asking GOD to keep him from his willful sins. This is possible when we submit to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We (personally) may not have the power to overcome; but GOD does and through His Holy Spirit, we are given power to overcome!

Remember: God is merciful and forgiving:
[1Jo 1:9 NIV] 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Is it time to talk to God right now?

July 24, 2026July 25, 2026 by annm2705 Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, GOALS, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, spiritual warfare, WellnessTags: Bible, christian, christianity, FAITH, FORGIVE OTHERS, forgiveness, FRIENDS, God, HAPPINESS, Holy Spirit, important, INSPIRATION, Jesus, POSITIVITY, power, RELATIONSHIPS, scripture, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, THREE TIMES Leave a comment

You’re Invited!

The most valuable conversation I will have with you is to let you know: “You’re Invited!” Maybe we didn’t have that conversation because of lack of time, not being in a conducive environment, or simply my hesitation? No matter what the reason is, I’m glad you’re here reading this now. Reflecting on the past 9 years of my life, I realize now, God employs willing people to reach others and “coincidences” are not truly coincidences, but rather moments God allows at times in our life, when we need it most, to draw us to Him and to “wake us up” out of our sleep. I’m thankful for Andy, Michelle and Chris who impacted my life and “woke me up.” And if you are reading this now, I believe: it’s no coincidence!

YOUR INVITATION TO BELIEVE

I became aware of this, so this applies to me as well, but I chose to write “you” because this is written for you: “Your Invitation.” God wants you to know He is real. He witnesses everything happening in your life (the good and the bad) and both rewards and justice will prevail before you enter this Kingdom Jesus has been preparing for you. God created you to live eternally in His Kingdom, but unfortunately God’s enemy introduced evil to separate you from God and keep you out of His eternal kingdom. Most importantly know this: God is defined as Love and God truly loves you and wants you to live in His Kingdom. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son: Jesus/Yeshua to make it possible for you to be in God’s Kingdom. Jesus accomplished this task and this is how you have the opportunity to live within God’s future coming Kingdom on earth. God is well aware of His enemy’s deception, manipulation and trickery affecting you to convince you this is not reality. The enemy does that to everyone, so God sends people as messengers to reach others before it is too late. (Understand, there are no coincidences when you meet someone who shares this with you.)

GOD’S KINGDOM

Let me tell you about God’s future Kingdom; this is where “You’re Invited!” It will be here, on earth, not “up there somewhere,” and not the current earth as we know it. Before His Kingdom comes down to earth, there will be a separation of those who received this invitation and prepared and those who refused or ignored the invitation and will not be admitted into God’s Kingdom. It is an invitation available to ALL (thank God!), but what we do after receiving the invitation determines if we are admitted or turned away from entering the Kingdom.

EVERYTHING will be new! We will physically (in new eternal bodies) be living with God. Death will no longer be something we experience, nor crying, nor sadness. We will “inherit” this Kingdom and be considered a child of God. The physical attributes of God’s Kingdom are beyond what our imagination can comprehend, but one of the original followers of Jesus/Yeshua, John, saw a glimpse of it when Jesus visited him (after Jesus had died and risen from the dead). John was told by Jesus to make this known to others. The city itself (the New Jerusalem) will be like a cube: The city is 1,400 miles (2,200 km) in width, length and height! Not anything like what we see today on the earth today: Jerusalem will be as tall as it is wide! The brilliance of the materials God builds this Kingdom with are described by John like various precious stones and jewels, with 12 gates, each made of an enormous pearl, each having a name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The wall surrounding the city is 200 feet (65 meters thick) made of jasper (if you click on the link and read about jasper, notice that in ancient days it had a translucency- can you imagine that?) The city is made of pure gold (God makes everything so beautiful!). Each foundation of the city has a name of one of the 12 disciples. I’m not sure if my understanding is accurate, but if the city is approximately 1400 miles tall, then each level will be approximately 117 miles tall! The 12 foundations are described as follows:

“¹⁹The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^[a] ²¹The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” Revelation 21:19-21

There will be true peace and safety in God’s Kingdom because nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in Jesus’ Book of Life.’

A river is described flowing down the center of the “great street” from God’s throne. On each side of the crystal clear river water is “the tree of life,” scripture says, there are 12 crops of fruit that come from this tree every month and the leaves of the tree are for “healing the nations.”

HOW TO ENTER GOD’S KINGDOM

Many people are confused (I believe it’s due to the enemy’s influence) about how to KNOW that you will be accepted for entry into God’s Kingdom. Jesus told us very clearly:

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

¹⁴After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15 (a friend of Peter, one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 (a Doctor who interiewed hundeds of witnesses documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

UNDERSTAND WHAT KEEPS A PERSON FROM ENTERING GOD’S KINGDOM

This section will be tough to accept for most people (this is the humbling part, where we see things listed here that apply to our own lives)! But this is SO IMPORTANT because if we don’t deal with this, it will have eternal consequences and keep us from enjoying what others will: the Kingdom of God. It is possible for every person reading this to overcome ANY of these things (with the help of the Holy Spirit). Jesus acknowledges this is like carrying a cross for us, but said:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

But Jesus also offers help in overcoming these things that affect or have affected many of us at some point in our lives: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another (advocate, intercessor, comforter) (aka the Holy Spirit) to help you and be with you forever”—John 14:16

Warning: here’s the tough part to hear, but better to know the truth now than to suffer the outcome on Judgement Day!

⁹“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^[a] ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (Paul warns the Corinthians of this: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

¹⁹“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Paul warns the Galatians of this: Galatians 5:19-21)

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Jesus said this to John to warn “the churches” of this in Revelation 21:8)

“Outside are the dogs (this was a word used for a man of impure mind, an impudent man, a male prostitute) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Jesus said this to John to warn “the churches” of this in Revelation 22:15)

RESPONDING TO YOUR INVITATION

(Again, this applies to me to also, but because this is “your invitation” I will write this stating “you” in place of “me” or “us.”) Fully accepting this requires you to humble yourself and admit: You are not perfect and even when you try, you still mess up but that doesn’t mean you can’t enter God’s Kingdom because God made a way for you. The way is through Jesus, the sacrifice he made for you on the cross when he defeated death and rose from the dead and then appeared to hundreds of people; scripture tells of a crowd of 500 that saw him after death. There were many witnesses to this. To understand how the death of Jesus makes it possible for you to be in God’s kingdom, it’s important to understand the meaning behind the animal sacrifices that the Israelites made. There is a law of death as a result of sin, but God allowed a “substitute” life taken to preserve another, and He allowed animals to be used for that, but God didn’t like these “sacrifices” and they were only a temporary solution, until Jesus arrived and became the final living sacrifice for ALL mankind so that animal sacrifices are no longer required. It’s helpful to understand Passover and how that event symbolically represented what Jesus would do for all mankind: the protection by his blood from his death on the cross and resurrection thereafter. You need the understanding of how truly important what Jesus did is for you. If Jesus hadn’t done that, you could never live in God’s presence (because of sin) and would be eternally outside God’s Kingdom. Understanding that your natural inclination is towards sin, and if you keep choosing sin, you will not be allowed to enter God’s Kingdom, but there’s help available. Sometimes a person gets so deep into a sinful life that it seems impossible to get out of it, and that is true, if you only rely on your own abilities. This is where your “surrender” comes in: by talking to God acknowledging that you need His help. When you are sincere: asking for forgiveness for what you’ve done and seeking God’s help to avoid it in the future (true repentance) Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to you to help you each day.

All this information is important, but sometimes the details clutter up the steps: What do I need to do? Hopefully this is simple enough:

Believe what is written in the Bible about God the Father, His only Son (Jesus/Yeshua), the Holy Spirit (that God loves you so much that He sent His son, Jesus, who made it possible for you to be in God’s Kingdom by his death on the cross and resurrection afterwards and in receiving the Holy Spirit you are “born again,” evidence of the Holy Spirit is a changed life when you can see these qualities in the way you live and interact with others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) –This is found in Galatians, Chapter 5.
Repent – ask God for forgiveness of past sins, willfully deciding to give them up in the future (Baptism is a public action indicating a personal commitment to God- a turning towards God and away from a sinful life, putting sin to death)
Receive the Holy Spirit, become “born again,”a “new creation,” “a changed life”- in addition to these qualities of someone truly born again: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; the Holy Spirit will also give special gifts to people (IMPORTANT: not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others), the possible gifts are: wisdom, knowledge, faith, ability to heal others, to do miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues (a spiritual language), and interpretation of tongues. The Holy Spirit determines what gifts are given and gives them as he chooses. Not everyone receives the same gifts. (This is found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 ) But despite having one or more “gifts” of the Spirit, if we don’t show LOVE with that gift, it looses its effectiveness and doesn’t benefit others and that is the reason a person is given the gift!

God is Love and Love is the greatest of all, it’s important to know the truth about what love is (again, God’s enemy has caused confusion and deception for us and made us equate or confuse “lust” with “love”) They are different. To identify “Love” look for these qualities or characteristics in a person: patience, kindness, not envious of others, nor boastful, nor proud, nor rude, not demanding their own way, not irritable, not keeping records of being wronged, rejoicing when truth wins over injustice, never giving up, never loosing faith, always remaining hopeful, and enduring through every circumstance. (That is the true definition of Love.) (This is found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13)

RSVP

Now that you’ve been invited, please respond to God. Then share this invitation with others if you’ve RSVP’d to be in God’s Kingdom!

August 4, 2024August 4, 2024 by annm2705 Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, spiritual warfare, WellnessTags: believe, coincidences, God, God's Kingdom, IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS, INVITATION, Love, RSVP 2 Comments

Suicide – the Biblical Response

Today I listened to a popular Christian author’s video on whether or not a person “will go to heaven if they commit suicide” and I was highly disappointed and disturbed by the supposedly “Christian” response, so much that it inspired me to write this.

We are valuable to God. Truly understand that we were created by a loving God who “delights” in us, designed us and has a special purpose in mind for each of us, in this life, and no one else can fulfill it, because each of us is unique, unlike any other. God loves us and wants to experience life with us.

Trouble is real, but we are never alone. God is present 24/7 and available. Jesus tells us in scripture that in this world we will experience trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world. We are not alone when we experience terrible things, even Jesus did when he was here on earth, he experienced betrayal, beatings, abandonment, ridicule, mockery, and more. Many of Jesus’ disciples experienced imprisonment, beatings, etc. But all of this trouble is TEMPORARY. Keep the temporary part in mind; it is truth. And know that God is available to call upon and help us through it.

Negative thoughts are spiritual warfare. Know what is behind these lies: evil spiritual forces wanting to separate us from God. If we know who the enemy is, we can fight the battle when Jesus is with us, on our side. There is nothing impossible. The enemy’s plan is to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus gives life.

God is forgiving. There is no need to hang on to shame or guilt (we all mess up; God is aware), but God is merciful and forgiving; He simply wants us to ask for forgiveness (with the intention of changing) and we will be reconciled with Him.

Loss. God promises to restore our broken world in the future. A loss today does not mean forever. He designed us to be immortal beings, but we have to wait for Jesus to return before we receive these supernatural bodies. God will restore everything; trust Him. He is the only one who is good and can be trusted.

God’s laws. God gave us commands to live by and Jesus said if we love Him, obey his commands. This is how we show God love. God told us we shall not kill. When Jesus gave his talk about “murder” he told the people that having a dispute with a brother was the same in God’s eyes as murder. If an argument is equated to murder in God’s eyes; then wouldn’t ending a life (any life) also be murder? If we did that it certainly wouldn’t show God, our Creator, that we love Him by destroying something He cared to create. Remember He loved us first, that is why He made us: out of Love!

Depression. God can turn bad to good, turn it over to Him, ask for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, courage, self-control, guidance, strength, endurance and patience. This request is for supernatural things; don’t doubt the power of the Holy Spirit, it is real. Have faith. Ask for this.

If or when thoughts of suicide come to mind, know that this is NOT God’s will for us. God chooses life always. God is light. God is love. Jesus came to save the sinners (all of us). People from the Old Testament were saved by faith. Faith is shown by our actions. If we have faith, if we believe in Jesus, we will TRUST Jesus and put everything in his hands. Suicide is irreversible, there is no changing our mind after it’s done, there is no opportunity to ask for forgiveness once it’s done. Jesus once said what good is it to have everything in the world but then lose our soul? Our soul is the most valuable thing we have. No one can take it from us. We choose who we give it to: God or Satan. God has an indescribable incredible reward waiting for those who choose Him, life.

As a Christian we look to Jesus as the example. Jesus himself was tempted by Satan:

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

When the question “Will a person go to heaven if they commit suicide?” is asked, remember this: Don’t test God!

Matthew 4:5-7

This is the verse that Jesus was quoting from the Old Testament:

¹⁶Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. ¹⁷Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. ¹⁸Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, ¹⁹thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

Deuteronomy 6:16-19

If you want confidence about “going to Heaven,” choose life- always! God has better plans, Trust Him.

Do not worry. We can’t change the past, but we can affect the present in a positive way with God’s love and guidance.

August 23, 2022August 23, 2022 by annm2705 Categories: bible study, FAITH, God, suicide, WellnessTags: FAITH, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, suicide 1 Comment

“The Spirit Came into Me” (Ezekiel 2:2)

I’m hosting a Bible Study covering the Book of Ezekiel on my “Faith” podcast (spotify link), or (apple link). Incredible angelic visions and the throne of God are described by Ezekiel, but not only that, the Spirit of God significantly interacts with Ezekiel; “the Spirit came into me” this was around 571 BC!

A Christian will know that after Jesus’ crucifixion (around 30 AD) and his ascension 40 days later, the Holy Spirit came from God the Father, in the name of Jesus to his disciples; Jesus told them in advance of this happening as John, one of his disciples (students/followers):

[Jhn 14:26 NIV] 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
[Jhn 15:26 NIV] 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father–the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father–he will testify about me.
[Jhn 16:7 NIV] 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Then the Holy Spirit did come, at Pentecost (50 days after Jesus’ -“the Lamb of God” sacrifice– crucifixion, which occurred on Passover). (Link with more detail of how Passover and Jesus’ crucifixion are significant). This is what was written about the event in the book of Acts Chapter 2 (link) as documented by Luke, a doctor who interviewed the people who saw this.

So I was curious and searched the Bible to find verses where the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) interacted with people from the beginning of the Bible in the Book of Genesis to the last book of the Bible Revelation. This interested me because I wanted to understand the difference between what happened at Pentecost compared to what had been happening since what scholars suggest was around 1915-1805 BC when Joseph at age 17 had his first dream documented in Genesis 37 and thereafter the Pharoah of Egypt recognized that he had “the spirit in him”.

The Holy Spirit was present on the earth earlier than this at the beginning of creation, Genesis 1:2, but I was looking for interaction with people. Why does this matter? It matters to me because Jesus said, we must have this interaction if we will be in the future Kingdom of God; that is to come, God’s kingdom coming to earth.

[Jhn 3:5 NIV] 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (link) There are (2) baptisms: water and spiritual!

From studying the Bible, I learned:

That the Holy Spirit may come before someone is baptized: [Act 10:47 NIV] 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (see link),
The Holy Spirit may come at baptism [Luk 3:22 NIV] 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (see link)
The Holy Spirit may come after baptism [Act 19:2 NIV] 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (link)

The water Baptism symbolizes a commitment of “repentance,” a commitment to “get right” with God, a commitment to live the way God wants us to from that point forward (obedience). It symbolizes “burying” our past when we are submerged and “rising up” out of the water to become “a new creation.”

[Act 19:4 NIV] 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

It is symbolic of being “born again” (is when we receive the Holy Spirit) which Jesus said we must do to enter the Kingdom:

[Jhn 3:3, 7 NIV] 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” … 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
[1Pe 1:23 NIV] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

When we truly believe in Jesus, have faith in Jesus ([Rom 10:17 NIV] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Reading the Bible is important to have faith!) then we will receive:

[Eph 1:13-14 NIV] 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.

This is important information for all of us to know! What I found about the Holy Spirit interacting with people I put into a PDF document that you can download here:

The Spirit Verses Download

Reading the word of God directly often has more personal impact, and it’s 21 pages long so posting the document seemed like a better way of doing this rather than copying and pasting it to this post. I hope it’s helpful to you!

Please share this with others, if you find it helpful, subscribe to this website for more faith content, or subscribe to Spotify or Apple to join me as I read the bible (daily is the goal). I hope 2026 is a year of blessings for you!

January 6, 2026April 16, 2026 by annm2705 Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, GOALS, God, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: baptism, believe, Bible, bible study, christianity, Ezekiel, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS, God, HAPPINESS, Holy Spirit, INSPIRATION, Jesus, POSITIVITY, prophecy, RELATIONSHIPS, SALVATION, SELF-IMPROVEMENT Leave a comment

2026- What’s Your Word Heading into this Year?

Continuing the “Tradition” that began in 2022 with a Bible Study group of friends, I’m adding my word for 2026 to this list from prior years:

2026 Word: Christ

If you’ve been following my website or my podcast, you’ll know that I’ve been studying and learning from the Bible for the past 7 years. It truly changed my life: it awakened me to the truth and reality we all will face at some point in our lives so I decided to prepare now, not leave it to “chance” or wait until “time was up.” This is too important: it’s where I’ll end up forever, eternally. I’m so glad I became focused now because life is different, more peaceful, anxiety about the future gone, confidence and courage have increased, I’m enjoying and simply content living in the moment, rather than focusing on “what’s the next thing.” Just like anything requiring discipline: “if you don’t use it, you will lose it.” If I don’t intentionally focus on keeping the relationship with God, it will end up going away, and distractions will creep in affecting my priorities. Maintaining any relationship requires intentional focus. The podcast has become “my accountability” to “stay in the word” with the goal of a daily podcast: Link to Podcast My word for 2026 is “Christ.” I want to keep focused on Christ, “remaining in Christ” this year, even more so because of dream I had in 2021 where the year “2026” was shown: (Podcast Episode #88) I’ll reflect and see what happens once we arrive in the year 2027!

Here are some verses from the Bible telling us why it is important to “remain “in Christ:”:

But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. Hebrews 3:6

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27

And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:28

These were my words for prior years:

2025 Word: rûaḥ, רוּחַ (Hebrew)

I love what this word represents to me: “wind,” the freedom in Christ, when a person is guided by the Holy Spirit, we truly don’t know what comes next; it is the Holy Spirit who guides us:

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

I don’t know what lies ahead, but knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide me is a true blessing and also promises somewhat of an adventure: navigating the unknown.

I found this word studying the Old Testament, it’s found (378 times– click this for the definition and all the verses) throughout the Old Testament (From Genesis to Malachi) and is the Breath of Life, the Holy Spirit, the “wind” from God. The New Testament word corresponding to this is pneuma (Strongs G4151). The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead can reside within us, when we surrender our will to God’s will.

This year ahead, I truly want to be led by the Holy Spirit, submitting to God’s will. And starting off this year, as it frequently seems to happen with me: “coincidences occur” – I have been praying for God (the Holy Spirit) to guide me for awhile now, since 2017 and it’s been a slow but steady “spiritually refining” process thinking about this in hindsight and knowing that there’s still more work to be done within me, but progress is happening, thankfully. My life has been changing. I chose this word for 2025 and ironically on New Year’s Eve, someone asked me: “What are your goals for 2025?” My response was “Ruah” and then I had to explain that. I think God makes these things happen! The person who asked me this question was someone I didn’t know, but he told me, he had recently given his life to Christ! Wow was my reaction to finding that out! Then another study group I joined in the Fall of 2024 chose “The Fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5) as the first study for 2025. See what I mean? God makes things happen, it’s not a coincidence and this is just the beginning, the first month of 2025!

2024 Word: Love

What gets thrown at us in life and happens in this world can make “doing everything out of love” challenging, but this is important for those who claim to be Christians. I’ll be honest, I feel like 2024 may be a rough year ahead. It would be wonderful if I’m wrong, and I hope I am! But if these bible prophecy events keep moving forward like they have been, that’s going to be the reality; we’re not going to stop what God has foretold. I also know that what we focus on becomes our reality so my focus this year is love. I wish I could fast forward and get to the end of this year right now, honestly if I could fast forward to 2026 that would be even better!

In hindsight: 2024 was a year of more change (which is rough): letting go of more in my life, turning it over to God and finding joy in new beginnings, evaluating what is “good” and how I need to spend my time and truly focusing on being loving towards others. “Do everything in love.“ 1 Corinthians 16:14.

In regards to Bible prophecy: current events still seem to be lining up with biblical prophecy, but maybe they have for sometime and I simply was unaware prior to 2020? Again, whatever is God’s will, will happen, so the most important part is to be led by the Holy Spirit, which maybe why I chose “Ruah” for 2025?

2023 Words: Trust and Obey

Many things in life “don’t make sense” to us, so this is when I need to “Trust and Obey” God. Ironically this was the first faith post I made: Trust and Obey – I struggled/still struggle with this sometimes, but it’s getting easier! I guess God is making sure I comprehend this, because those words came back to me from 2017- 6 years later! Now, I trust God always, despite the circumstances, I know how it all will ultimately end, so I have peace in knowing what life holds in the future. We just need to get through the “tests and trials” until then. Often when I choose to obey (especially when I don’t want to), some “reward” seems to happen afterwards. I thank God for that when it happens because it is encouraging.

2022 Word: Joy

After the experiences of the prior years, I wanted Joy! I chose the word: ”Joy.” Looking back, God brought joy into my life through a supportive, Christ focused group of friends from this new Bible Study group that I unexpectedly joined in October of 2021. I think God may have had something to do with that too. I continued exploring God’s word through scripture and how it relates to living life (posts 39- 66). I often was inspired to write in the morning just as I wake up from a thought that didn’t seem to leave or from a prior conversation I had with someone. As much as I wanted “joy” to be my entire focus, I couldn’t ignore what I found through Bible Prophecy and it, weighed heavily on me. Too many world events were/are lining up with Bible Prophecy and many people (just like me) didn’t even have this “on the radar.” I didn’t come from a religion that focused on this, so this was all new to me, I only discovered it after reading the Bible. This is why it is so important to know what’s in the Bible: so we’re not blindsided by reality when it happens. There is nothing to fear (if we are “spiritually” prepared in advance- meaning “born again”).

2021 Word: Death

Even though I didn’t have a word for this year, in hindsight, this reflected reality: my 14 month old nephew suddenly died, the mother of my son’s best friend died suddenly, and my dog suddenly died within a span of 4 months. Not only that, but the closest person to me unexpectedly rejected me in a humiliating public way at the time when I needed support the most. (When it rains, it pours!) But only days later, I was asked to go with a friend to this Bible Study group (See what I mean? No coincidences, God provides.) It was a tough year. All the death made me question, what happens after death, for real? I realized I didn’t have a clear biblically based understanding- only what I had been told throughout life. I plan to write about this later because I think others might have this question too. Ironically- in hindsight, after all this “death” surrounded me, late summer when I was on my phone an email came through with something to the effect of “last notice to sign up for baptism”- I felt like it was time I committed and did this, so I signed up and was Baptized on September 12, 2021. Baptism is symbolic of the death of our sinful past and rebirth, a new life, “born again”- it was both symbolic and literal for me. I wrote (posts 22 – 38) during this year. I didn’t post about the dreams I started having the night of my Baptism, I was confused by them at the beginning, but the “name of Jesus” was featured heavily and sometimes verses from scripture and the dreams involved various people in my life: friends, family and former business colleagues. I know there is significance to these specific dreams because I would see something specific from my dream, that day, weeks or months later as I was going about the day- completely unexpected when it would occur, but I would immediately recall: I dreamt that! It still continues but I often don’t have the understanding of the symbolism until I see it happen. It’s hard to explain this to anyone, unless you experience this, you won’t understand, but it heavily contributed to the faith and belief I have in Jesus. Even though my word for 2021 would have been Death, it was changed to Life. Death is no longer permanent because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, death is a transition, a going to sleep because those who believe and turn away from sin will be changed and become immortal when Jesus returns. Jesus said that unless we are “born again” we will not see the kingdom of God. (John Chapter 3)

2020 Words: ”Wake Up”

2020 was a year of isolation for most of us in the world, and as a result, I had more time to explore the Bible. I had so many questions about life, I was seeking TRUTH, in January 2020, I wrote about Love, but abruptly by March 2020, I felt we were experiencing a “Wake Up Call” from God, collectively as the world, but also personally in my life, I reflected on many aspects of life this year (Posts #10-21) but what impacted me most was Bible Prophecy: facing judgement and end times/the last days prophecies.

2019 Words: ”Being Called” (Making God my Priority)

2019 was the year I decided to make God my priority (my last summary post for 2019) after reading the Bible for the first time. I didn’t have “a word” for that year but looking back, it would have been: “Being Called” – this was my 3rd “faith” related post on this website: see “Being Called” link in August 2019.

I pray for all who read or share this with someone they care about: May God’s love for you be known and may you be led by the Holy Spirit this year! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

December 29, 2025 by annm2705 Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, GOALS, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, Parents, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: 2026 word, accountability, Being Called, Bible, born again, christ, christian, christianity, Confession, CONFIDENCE, content, courage, death, DISCIPLINE, dreams, enjoyment, Eternity, FAITH, focus, focused, FRIENDS, God, God's Kingdom, Holy Spirit, INSPIRATION, Jesus, joy, Love, New Year's Eve, New Years Goals, peace, podcast, POSITIVITY, prayer, preparation, priorities, Redemption, RELATIONSHIPS, Ruah, scripture, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, sow and reap, spiritual, Trust and Obey, truth, Truth Seeker, Wake Up, word for the year Leave a comment

The Bible Condones Slavery???

This statement, not a question, came up recently in a Bible Study and my first response was: it talks about slavery (yes) but it doesn’t condone slavery! And after an exchange of comments about this, it was decided that we would meet again and bring verses from scripture to support the statements. So then when I looked this up, I was surprised to find something I didn’t expect or recall:

“ ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. Leviticus 25:44 NIV

But before anyone gets excited about this “proof”, let’s take a deeper dive into scripture. These are the kinds of “one lines” that are often used out of context and misapplied to support something that is NOT true and does not represent God! I’ve been studying the bible for the past six years on a regular basis and just hearing that first statement, I knew this did not represent the true God I’ve come to know through reading scripture because: God is Love. (1 John 4:8) God REMOVES the bondage of slavery (link for scripture), God GIVES freedom (link for scripture). So how do we explain this statement found in Leviticus truthfully?

Let’s start with searching the word to see all the verses containing this word in Hebrew (because Hebrew was the the original version of the Old Testament.) So right away, I noticed something: the word for for slave: “ebed” (link to scripture) also means “servant” – so now the word choice depends on the translator! This gets more interesting: In the New King James Version, “slave” is used 33 times, but in the New International Version, “slave” is used 94 times, then in the 1995 North American Standard Bible (NASB) version it occurs 101 times and in the 2020 NASB version it occurs 180 times! How can that be? Why is that? Are you seeing a “trend” with time?! “Slave” and “Servant” have different meanings, here is the Google distinction:

The main difference is that slaves are considered property and are forced to work without freedom or rights, while servants are employees who are compensated and retain personal rights, including the ability to quit. Slaves are owned, have no choice in their labor, and their condition is typically for life, whereas servants have a contract and are free to leave their employment.

Using this distinction “servants are employees” and “slaves are considered property”- Let’s keep exploring this! The Bible says more about “property” so this needs to be discussed:

You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. Leviticus 25: 45-46 NIV

These are laws given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai. God has a purpose in what He says and sometimes we don’t understand with our limited capacity and knowledge. But we know this about God: He acts without favoritism (link for scripture). There is something more to understand here. If God doesn’t have favorites, and He doesn’t, then why does He allow Israel to have foreign/other nations as servants and identified as property?

“Because the Israelites are my (God’s) servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves.” Leviticus 25:42

God reacts the same way about His land:

“ ‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine (God’s) and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.” Leviticus 25:24-25

Think about this law too; a foreigner can buy an Israelite:

“ ‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves.They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker for that number of years.If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly. They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.“ ‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

God chose Israel (scripture link) and God is faithful (scripture link) to His covenants; God does not break a covenant. (scripture link) God established the laws (scripture link, another link) and God is just (scripture link).

In the Bible, “slave” isn’t the same as what America understands and experienced with “slavery.” In the Bible, a “slave” WILLINGLY sold themselves to their “Master”, they were not forced to do this. The Bible explicitly describes this:

“If someone is caught kidnapping (considered stealing) a fellow Israelite and treating or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you.” Deuteronomy 24:7

Kidnapping is stealing and stealing is evil. The way the Bible describes this process is that a person who is poor can willingly “sell themselves” as a servant, if they are Hebrew, they would be released from their obligation after the 6th year. (Interesting prophetic significance by the way). When a foreigner buys an Israelite, one of their relatives may redeem them (Jesus is the “kinsman” redeemer), or if they prosper, they can pay the price and redeem themselves! Think about this a person who sold his or herself may PROSPER and redeem themselves?! Does that sound like the slavery that America had in its history? (Not from what I’ve heard).

“Slaves were kidnapped in America in two main ways: the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which forcibly brought millions of kidnapped Africans to the Americas, and domestic kidnapping, which targeted free Black people and escaped slaves within the United States. Both methods involved abduction, coercion, and trickery to force people into a life of enslavement and were central to the institution of slavery in the Americas.”

I believe we are foolish or ignorant when we apply American cultural understanding and application to something that existed thousands of years before America did and was geographically located in the Middle East. It truly doesn’t make sense and isn’t applicable, nor the same, the way I understand and see it referenced in the Bible. As I studied this further, something surprising happened again: I recognized the prophetic symbolic beauty in the final redemption that Jesus did for all of us!

The more I study God’s word, the more I see His love. I see literal events recorded in biblical history that had symbolic prophetic implications. I’ll give you an example, (read Exodus 12:43-51) for the literal event, now I’ll tell you the prophetic symbology I see: The Passover (this event was part of the freedom from slavery in Egypt for the Israelites)- those who prepared were “passed over” by the Angel of Death and their first born did not die! This was one of the “plagues” that came upon Egypt before they agreed to release the Israelites so they could worship their God, the one and only true God. Some of the significant details of the Passover meal: a lamb was sacrificed (symbolically in the Bible, Jesus is the Lamb- He died on the cross for atonement of ALL sin, for ALL people), the blood of the sacrificed lamb during what is now recognized as “Passover” was placed on the door frame- this is why the angel “passed over” them- they had a sign, a protection obtained through the blood of the lamb, similar for us today, we are protected by the blood of the “Lamb” (Jesus) and will overcome death, have eternal life through Him. Jesus was literally crucified during the Passover Holiday. All this symbolism from the early BC scripture foretells of Jesus and his rescue from slavery in a future literal and spiritual fulfillment. Notice in verse 46 “do not break any bones”- Jesus’ bones on the cross where not broken (John 19:36 link). So these events were literal, but they were also symbolic and prophetic of what was to come!

Notice also the “slave” “you have bought” is allowed to eat the Passover meal (after he is circumcised). Literal and symbolic because God is looking for a “circumcised heart”- a person who desires Him, who loves Him back, a person devoted to Him, a person who recognizes His goodness, His love and wants to belong to His family, God’s family. The “slave” is now “family”! Foreigners get to do this too, as long as they are circumcised. Circumcision is literal and symbolic of the covenant between God and people who want to be “family” (scripture link). As time went on, God revealed that its not the flesh circumcision that He truly wants, but the metaphor of a person’s “circumcised heart” in undivided love towards God.

“A “circumcised heart” means to have a heart that is inwardly clean and devoted to God, removing stubbornness and sin to become truly faithful. It’s a spiritual concept that contrasts with the physical circumcision ceremony, symbolizing an internal transformation rather than an external ritual. This inner change involves humility, faith, and a willingness to obey God completely.”

Let’s talk more about “racism” for a moment. This is another significant fact I observed in the Bible: there is no racism! There are God’s people and foreigners (who worship other gods) but race is never mentioned! (This again is spiritual warfare in my thoughts: the enemy seeks to divide and destroy us by misapplying, misquoting scripture.) The enemy knows: A kingdom divided cannot stand (scripture link). The thief (the enemy) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ( John 10:10 ) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Let’s talk more about “slave” and “servant” because this part will speak to ALL of us despite our cultural heritage. Using the NIV version the word and searching the word “ebed” again, there are 803 times this Hebrew word is used in the Old Testament. Next let’s look at “slave” in the New Testament (Greek), used 31 times in the New Testament NIV version (here’s the link) these are worth reading, as all scripture is worth reading because All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Now, let’s look deeper at the word “slave” in Greek: doulos – this has the same description as “ebed” in the Old Testament and is referenced 126 times in the MGNT Greek (here’s the link) read these too because this is how we gain spiritual insight into words of scripture! All of us, if we call ourselves a “Christian” are doulos to the Master (Christ, the Messiah, Jesus). Jesus is King, we are servants/doulos.

True Christians hope to hear this from Jesus when He returns: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

We all need to remember this: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 8:34. Pay attention to the next verses: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family (God’s family), but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Read what Peter says about being set free by Jesus (scripture link) starting in Acts 2:14 through the end of the chapter.

Paul explains this also in Romans Chapter 6 (scripture link). Reflect on this often, this is our salvation, our freedom and is so important for all of us!

We were bought at a price! (1 Corinthians 7:23) While we were “slaves”/sinners, Christ died for us. When we become a child of God: “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4).

Remember this too, how Jesus came to serve, he came as a “servant” (Philippians 2) and a servant (we) are not greater than the Master (God). Our call is to “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” (1 Peter 2)

In reality, we all have the choice: do we want to remain “a slave to sin” or will we humble ourselves and choose to be that “slave/servant with the promise of being called a son or daughter of God and heir” in God’s future Kingdom? God is love. Read and remember all this scripture linked to this article. Remember who God has called us to be. God wants us in His family, but He doesn’t force us, just like the “servant/slave”, “ebed” in the Old Testament, will we “sell ourselves” to God and serve Him so that we become a part of His family in eternity?

“For you know that God paid a ransom (bought us) to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors (Adam and Eve). And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver (Jesus’ life on the cross was the payment).” (1 Peter 1 link) Remember who God is as revealed through scripture and remember who God created you to be: His child and LOVED by Him!

If you found this helpful, please share this with others, we don’t want misrepresented scripture keeping people from knowing God, loving Him and their inheritance as a child of God!

November 18, 2025November 18, 2025 by annm2705 Categories: American, bible prophecy, bible study, God, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, priorities, spiritual warfare, USATags: Bible, biblestudy, BONDAGE, childofGod, christianity, deceiver, doulos, ebed, enemy, exploring, FAITH, free, freedom, God, heir, Jesus, Love, master, property, servant, slave, slavery, truth Leave a comment

What is Grace?

This website has been a “journal” for me, documenting my discovering the Truth, as I learn from scripture or as I am inspired, I often write. Today I’m sharing something I learned yesterday after listening to an excellent video podcast, shared at the end of this post. I say “excellent” because it has literally been years of me questioning “grace” and no one has been able to give me an explanation that gave me peace until now, John Bevere finally did! After listening to that video, I decided to look deeper into scripture to confirm this understanding.

The word “Grace” is so often used in churches relating to salvation, and that’s a great thing! However, this word became “offensive” to me quite honestly because of the context I often heard expressed from so many people saying: “I’m a sinner, thank God for grace!” As if saying: “I have no power, sin rules me, so thank God for grace.” I’d hear: “Thank God I don’t need to worry about how I live life – I’ve been saved, all I need to do is trust in His grace!” Most people would embrace hearing that, right? So why did this give me such an appalling reaction? It concerned me: why do I feel this way? Why do I have this reaction?

I talked to others about “grace”/salvation and received the following reactions from Pastors and others who were “Christian” longer than me, about this: I was ignored when I brought up “repentance” and being “born again,” I was told “don’t be legalistic,” I was reminded of “God’s love” and was questioned if I knew God’s love. I know God’s love because I experience it often, but this “grace” usage among some “Christians” still disturbed me and no one was giving me an answer that gave me peace, I still had this unsettling feeling and wondered what is wrong with me? I knew “grace” was good, but why was I still so disturbed by people’s use of the word?

I realize now that I didn’t fully understand “grace” (until yesterday after that video) and I believe some people who use that word today may not understand “grace” either, so of course I want to share this with others, because it is important! They say we are saved by “grace,” not by “our works.” I believe this statement, so I focused on what does “works” mean? I would pose the question: certainly it does not negate the 10 Commandments? but as soon as I would say that, I was told: “You’re being legalistic.” Then I would respond, but Jesus said:

¹⁷“Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do this. Instead, I have come to fulfill what is written. ¹⁸What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest mark of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed. Matthew 5

Instead of emphasizing the “works” part, maybe it’s the “not of yourselves” part that would help me comprehend “grace”?

⁷that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2

Most Christians believe we are saved by “grace” and that grace is a result of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection thereafter, but then I question: Why did Jesus say WE must be “born again”? That’s US doing something (it’s not “Jesus plus Nothing”).

³Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3

To me, this seems to require one more step than Jesus’ death on the cross, ie. why didn’t Jesus say something like this to Nicodemus? … you don’t need to do anything but believe in me. But that’s not what Jesus said, Jesus said he must be “Born Again.” Reflect on that for a minute and read John 3 in context. I hear many “Christians” say: “if you believe you will be saved”, but I remember this (and know demons won’t be in God’s kingdom):

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2

This has been a long debated topic: “faith” vs “works” – and I believe we are not saved by “works” but works DO become part of the life of someone who is saved. We are saved (and healed/restored) by “faith.”

¹⁶And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Acts 3

So what comes THROUGH Jesus? In the name of Jesus? Healing and Restoration, of course as shown in scripture, but what is the source?

Jesus Promises Another Helper

¹⁵“If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14

²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14

So there is a “process”: Love Jesus, set our mind to keep God’s commands and Jesus will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us – this is how salvation is not of OUR “works” and is a “GIFT” from God, this is the POWER to overcome sin, as the Holy Spirit works within us, we become “a new creation,” “born again.” Jesus made it possible for us (by his death on the cross), but then we need to take the next step and become a new creation through Jesus!

¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6

See, we CAN overcome sin by the POWER of the Holy Spirit, but not alone by ourselves! We NEED the Holy Spirit!

While “Grace” (“Charis” in Greek) is not entirely interchangeable with “the Holy Spirit” (Hagios Pneuma) there is a connection because it is the POWER ( a derivative of the Holy Spirit), not the actual Holy Spirit that seems to be “Grace”. Here is the Biblical outline definition of the Greek word “Charis” found in the New Testament:

Outline of Biblical Usage

grace
1. that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
good will, loving-kindness, favour
1. of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
what is due to grace
1. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
2. the token or proof of grace, benefit
  1. a gift of grace
  2. benefit, bounty
thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

Notice these qualities in bold-typeface above are also identified as “the fruit” of the Spirit below:

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5

Notice also that the Holy Spirit gives us self-control (this is what we need to overcome many sins). Therefore, it seems obvious to me now that “Grace” is when we receive the Holy Spirit, when we become “Born Again” and just like scripture says, “Grace” does not give us a license to continue sinning, but to OVERCOME it.

²⁶If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Hebrews 10

³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them. Ephesians 5

That’s probably why scripture tells us: “be filled with the Holy Spirit” so we can overcome all those things that will keep us from inheriting the Kingdom of God! It all starts to make sense! Substituting the words “Power of the Holy Spirit” for “Grace” helps clarify “Grace” that comes as a result of the Holy Spirit of God through Jesus Christ. Below is a link to (3) pages of “grace” references found in the New Testament, try substituting “Grace” with the words “Power of the Holy Spirit” and see what you think.

Example: ⁹But he said to me, “My ~~grace~~ (Power of the Holy Spirit) is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Link: https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=grace&t=NKJV&csr=9#s=s_primary_0_1

Here is the video I listened to that finally gave me the understanding that “Grace” is the “Power of the Holy Spirit” from God the Father, through Jesus:

The photo for this post “Come as You Are” seemed appropriate because that’s how we are when we respond to God’s calling, but we will not remain “the same”, once we receive “Grace”- thanks be to God! A true Gift!

If you haven’t received the Holy Spirit, pray to God, in Jesus’ name, asking for forgiveness of past sins and the help of the Holy Spirit to become a new creation and live in peace with God according to His will.

Knowing “Grace” is the power of the Holy Spirit, I can confidently state: We are saved by Grace and no longer have that uncomfortable feeling stating this! Thankfully I finally understand what “Grace” is!

May 25, 2025 by annm2705 Categories: bible study, FAITH, GOALS, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: believe, Bible, christianity, FAITH, God, grace, grace not works, Holy Spirit, Jesus, judgement, power, SALVATION, SAVED, saved by Grace, self-control, sinner Leave a comment

2025- What’s Your Word Heading into this Year?

Continuing this “Tradition” that started a few years ago (in 2022) with a group of friends via a Bible Study, I’ll add my word for 2025 and add to my prior year’s words: