Dee2rites Blog

Author: dee2rites

  • Good Friday – The End and the Beginning

    “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” … So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28, 30

    Today is Good Friday, a Holy Day for Christians because it is the day we remember the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the day a perfect sacrifice was made once and for all for our sins and the price was paid for our healing. Sometimes we seem to take this too lightly and fail to consider what it cost Jesus.

    King David wrote Psalm 22, a prophetic psalm describing Jesus death on the cross. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” was Jesus’ cry from the cross. Why would God the Father turn his back on His beloved Son? The answer is in Isaiah 53:6, “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” God had to turn His back – He cannot look at sin and the sin of all mankind was placed on Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

    God the Father and Jesus, God the Son, had been One, in perfect unity and harmony, from eternity past until that moment when Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world. My sin, your sin, the sins of our parents and our children were all put on Jesus. The Man who never committed a single sin was made to be sin so that a woman who never did anything righteous could be made the righteousness of God. Praise God!

    There was more to come. After being beaten into a bloody mess, being nailed in the most humiliating way possible to a cross and dying of suffocation, there was more to come. Jesus descended into hell where He finished the price and defeated Satan on his home field.

    That was the end. The end of sin having dominion over the man God created to have fellowship with. Ah, but with the end came a glorious beginning! After 3 days and 3 nights, Jesus came up from the heart of the earth. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40.

    That is the beginning – Christ is risen from the dead so that we may have eternal life! Praise God! The grave where they laid His body, is empty. He is risen from the dead! We have the testimony of eyewitnesses, people who saw and spoke with Jesus after the resurrection. As a woman, it blesses me to know that one of the first people Jesus appeared to was a woman.

    “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
    “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.” Mark 16:9-11, 14

    Jesus was crucified for our sins, paid our debt in full, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. His work completed, He’s given all who believe eternal life in Him, forgiveness of all sin, healing for our bodies, and peace for our minds. Now it is our job to share the good news to the world.

    THE LORD IS RISEN! YES HE IS RISEN INDEED!

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    New King James Version (NKJV)
    The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • The Facts of Crucifixion

    Here is a link to an excellent piece written by a man named Robert Gidley about Roman crucifixion and graphic detail about what Jesus experienced during His last hours. It is not pleasant, not a pretty picture.

    The facts of crucifixion.

  • Through Jesus Christ I Have…

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    “For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

    A number of years ago I was challenged to read the New Testament looking for all the prepositional phrases referring to Jesus. I don’t know how many there are, I lost count but I know it’s in the hundreds. But the purpose of the assignment was not to count them, but to grow in my understanding of everything Jesus has done for us. I began reading and every time I came to a phrase referring to Jesus, I would circle the phrase and meditate on what the Scripture was saying to me. The result was I came away with a deeper understanding of who I am in Jesus Christ.

    I encourage anyone wanting to grow spiritually to try the same process. Starting reading the New Testament actively looking for “in Jesus Christ”, “in Whom”, “by Jesus Christ”, “through Jesus Christ”, “through Whom”, “from Whom” and so on. As you find one, stop and meditate on what the verse is saying. Ask yourself how that applies to you and your life, what exactly has God done? Sometimes you need to consider the verse before and after it to fully understand the context of the verse.

    To help you get started, here is a small list of verses. But these are but a small sample of what is waiting for you in your Bible.

    John 1:17 – we have grace and truth through Jesus Christ
    Romans 8:1 – we are free from condemnation
    1 Corinthians 5:18 – we are reconciled to God through Christ Jesus
    Philippians 1:11 – we are filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ
    Colossians 2:3 – wisdom and knowledge are in Christ Jesus
    Romans 5:11 – we have eternal life through Jesus Christ

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    Amplified Bible (AMP)
    Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

  • I AM a Cheerleader!

     

    The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’”  Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)

                Last Saturday my four year old granddaughter Kaylee was sitting with me and her other grandmother at my grandson’s baseball game. There were two middle school age girls there also watching their brother play. From the way they were dressed they were probably on a competitive cheer team. Kaylee kept staring at them admiring their purple outfits, purple hair bows and especially their purple glitter eye make-up. Yes, I said purple glitter eye make-up. The other grandmother asked Kaylee if she wanted to be a cheerleader when she got older. Kaylee looked at us wide-eyed and said “I AM a cheerleader!”
              Kaylee has admired cheerleaders since she watched a cheerleading competition on TV last summer. So in the fall her mom put her in a gymnastics class that also has a little cheerleading instruction included. Then for Christmas she got some pom-poms and a dress-up cheerleading outfit. She’s learning to do flips and she has her own pom-poms. Kaylee sees herself as a cheerleader.
     How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as what the world tells you are? Or do you see yourself as God sees you? Do you see yourself as one who is loved and cherished by God?
     Many years ago when I was leading my first ladies Bible study, God’s instruction to me was to tell His daughters how much He loves them. Those instructions have not changed but only grown stronger as I felt called to start writing. “Tell My daughters I love them.”
                 If you only believe one thing, believe this: God loves you and cherishes you. There is nothing, no fault, no sin, no wicked spirit that can keep God from loving you. The choice to believe and receive it is yours.
    Jesus said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
              Let me be your cheerleader and encourage you in the fact that God loves you!  “For God so loved the world”. Put yourself in that verse – For God so loves ___ that He gave His Son Jesus to die for ___. If He loves us that much, why would He allow anything to ever stop that love? There is nothing.
    “For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (AMP)

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
    Amplified Bible Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

  • My Father’s Voice

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                “…your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.’” Isaiah 30:20b-21

                 Last Sunday afternoon our North Texas area was slammed again by a late winter storm pelting us with sleet and ice. My daughter, a newly minted ER nurse, called me on her way to work asking me to pray for her safety driving the 40 plus miles to her job at an area hospital. The roads, particularly the bridges and overpasses, were getting slippery. I could hear nervousness in her usually confident voice. As we talked, I remembered an incident that happened to me many years ago, before she was even born.

    My husband and I were living in Houston, and one afternoon as I was driving home from work, we had a sudden thunderstorm, making the quickly wet streets slippery in places. I was approaching an intersection and applied the brake to slow down, but as I did, my car began to slide right towards another car. For a moment I started to panic, but then I heard my dad’s voice in my head. Dad had taught me to drive and even after I got my license, he continued to instruct me on how to handle various situations that I might encounter while driving. That day I heard my dad say, “If you ever start to skid, take your foot off the brake and steer into the skid.” Immediately I calmed down, did what he said and regained control of the car.

    As much as hearing my dad’s voice that day calmed me, there is another voice I seek to hear that calms me even more. The voice of my Heavenly Father can not only calm me in the storm, but He calms the storms in me.  My earthly dad taught me everything he possibly could, not only about driving, but many other things. However, as much as he tried to prepare me for life, his wisdom and knowledge was limited. My Heavenly Father knows all things, He knows my life and what I need to hear from Him.

    Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” God knows my past, my present and my future. He instructs me the way to go because He knows where I need to be, what I need to avoid. He tells me when I need to let off the brake and when I need to steer into the skid.

    My Heavenly Father speaks to me through the Bible, His written word and by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”  (John 16:13)

    This is what the prophet Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 30:21, that we would hear our Teacher saying ‘This is the way, walk in it.’

    After Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live with and in us, all who will receive Him. Not just a little, but to overflowing. He teaches, guides and empowers us. It is through the Holy Spirit we can share the gospel with others. It is through the Holy Spirit I have words to write. It is through the Holy Spirit I know how to pray when my child calls needing prayer. “For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

    How I thank God for my Father’s voice!

     Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

     

    All Scripture references from the Amplified Bible.Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

    photo credit: freestone via photopin cc

  • Life or Death, Your Choice

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        “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17

     

    Studying the book of Genesis, I notice something interesting. When God placed man in Eden, two special trees were in the center of the garden. One was the tree of life and the other was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God told them they could eat freely of every tree in the garden, including the tree of life.  All the trees were pleasant for food but one was forbidden. Only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden to them, with the caution that if they did eat the fruit from it, they would surely die. God was offering them life, if they obeyed, or death if they disobeyed.
        Then isn’t it interesting that the serpent tempted them with the one leading to death. The tree of life was equally appealing to the eye, but the serpent could only offer death.  There is no life in him. Jesus said the thief (referring to Satan, called the serpent in Genesis) “…does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10)
        Only God can offer life and He has offered it to us from the beginning. Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 says “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live and may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land…”
     God calls us to choose life. He has provided a way for us to have life. Jesus said then, and is saying to us now, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6)
    The choice is ours. Life of death. I believe I’ll choose life. Thank You Jesus for giving me life, a fulfilled life on here on earth and when it’s done, eternal life with You in heaven.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    All scripture quoted is from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • Disappointment 101

    “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.” Mark 14:34

    How do you handle disappointments? People don’t always behave the way we expect or need them to behave. Even our closest friends or family members let us down. Things happen that we have no control over cause us pain and disappointment. What are we supposed to do with those feelings? Who can we turn to in those times?

    Jesus suffered disappointment in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James and John, the inner circle of the twelve men He’d called to follow Him, His closest friends, into the Garden to watch and pray with Him. One of the twelve had already deserted Him and was going to betray Him.

    “Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed. He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.’” Mark 14:32-35

    “Remain here and stay alert” Jesus asked them, but when He returned they had fallen asleep, not once, but three times. When He needed them the most, they were sleeping. (See Mark 14:32-42)

    David wrote in Psalm 31:7 “I will be happy and rejoice in Your faithfulness because You are aware of how distressed I am.”

    God notices our pain, emotional as well as physical. He is aware of our disappointments. But He does more than just notice and be aware. David goes on to say, “But I trust in you, O Lord! I declare, ‘You are my God!’ You determine my destiny!” (31:14, 15a)

    Keep trusting God. He knows what happens in your life, and He has a plan for you. Other people do not have final say in your life – God does!

    Verse 19 says, “How great is your favor, which you store up for your loyal followers! In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter in you.”

    When your friend lets you down, when your spouse disappoints you, when you get passed over at work, pull into Jesus. He knows your hurts and He understands them as no one else can.

    “Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” Hebrews 4:14-16

    Jesus suffered disappointment without letting it cause Him to sin. He forgave and continued to love those who had let Him down. He held to the plan that after His resurrection, those eleven men would be the leaders and take the gospel to the world. Forgive without being asked, keep loving those who hurt you and hold fast to Jesus.

    David closes Psalm 31 saying, “Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord!”
    Be strong. Be confident. Wait on the Lord.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    References: New English Translation (NET)
    Mark 14:32-42
    Psalm 31
    Hebrews 4:14-16

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  • Good Footwear

                             “Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.” Ephesians 5:14, 15 (21st Century King James Version)

             My husband and I decided that since the holidays are over and work has slowed down, now is a good time to get back in the habit of going to the gym and working out regularly.

            Since I’ve been wearing my good walking shoes to work so much the past few months, I decided it was time replace them. Amazing the difference a new pair of well-fitting walking shoes can make. That knee pain I’d been experiencing lately walking any distance, now gone. I walked a little over two and a half miles this morning and I felt like I could have kept going if I’d had more time.

             I was reminded that just like wearing the right shoe for walking and exercise, we also need the right foundation for our spiritual lives. The Apostle Paul says “having…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
        What is the “gospel of peace”? It is the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, that He came in the flesh, He died on the cross for our sin and rose again from the grave, so that we can have peace with God. And the preparation of the Gospel of peace? Not only do we need to know what He’s done for us, but we should also be ready to share that gospel.

                   1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.” (Amplified Bible)

             “…be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks…” Just like the right shoe is necessary, so having a good foundation and understanding about what you believe and why, is necessary. That requires spending time reading and meditating on God’s Word, listening to good Bible teachers, praying and seeking God.

             The Amplified Bible says in Ephesians 6:14-16 “Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,
     And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
    Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].”
     
             Not only do we need to be ready to share the Gospel of peace with other people, but having that knowledge and preparation, we are ready to face the enemy “with firm-footed stability”. Our best defense against the wicked one is knowing who we are and what we have in Jesus.

        So, I ask how are your shoes?

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • Choose the Best Part

     

                “…but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:42 (NET Bible)

     

                I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions. I know I need to decide to exercise more, but all year and not just on January first. Same with eating better, watching TV less or spending less time on Facebook, not that there is anything wrong with having occasional sweets or snacks, watching TV (assuming it’s quality shows and not garbage) or even Facebook. But these are things that are only good in moderation.

                I have been asking the LORD what changes I need to make this year over last year. One answer He spoke through a precious friend was “to stir up the gift of God which is in you”, meaning get back to writing more.  The other thing I kept hearing in my heart was “chose the best part.”

                In the book of Luke there is recorded a story about two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha invited Jesus, and most likely the twelve disciples with Him, to her house for a meal.

     

    “Now it happened as they went that He [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42 (NJKV)

     

                While Martha was working in the kitchen preparing the meal, her sister Mary was sitting at Jesus feet listening to Him teach. Martha didn’t appreciate being left alone to do all the preparations. I occasionally have 15 or 16 people at my house for dinner, and even though they are invited guests and I am happy to have them, it is still a LOT of work to serve that many people.  I can understand Martha’s frustration that Mary wasn’t helping her and her request to Jesus for Mary to come help.

                Notice Jesus’ response to Martha. He simply told her that while she was overstressing, her sister had chosen “that good part”. Mary had chosen the Word of God over stressing about feeding their guests.

                It wasn’t that Martha was doing anything wrong. No, the meal had to be prepared because she had invited them there. But she could have first “chosen the best part” (NET Bible) that could not be taken from her. Then Jesus, Who had blessed the bread and fish to feed 5000 (see Luke 9:13-17), would have seen to it that Martha’s dinner was taken care of. 

                “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33

                This year, 2014, I want to choose the BEST part of what God has for me and what He leads me to. I’m excited about the New Year. 2013 was a good year for my family and me; some really great things happened. One of the best was my younger grandson Braden asked Jesus into his heart. The only thing that could equal that would be for his little sister Kaylee to follow suit. Perhaps this year she will. Then all three of my grandchildren will be born again and have eternal life.

                I pray God will bless you and your loved ones beyond anything you can think or imagine this year, and Happy New Year!

     

    Peace and blessings in our LORD Jesus Christ,

    Dee

     

  • Resurrection Power

    Resurrection Power.

    Since I first wrote this blog, I have heard one of my pastors teach from Ephesians 1:18-20 more than once that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers through the power of the Holy Spirit.

    “By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), 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 1:18-20 (Amplified Bible)

    Feeling powerless? Feeling low? Feeling defeated? Call on the Power that dwells within you by the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, It is there.

    Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Dee