Healing belongs to the children of God (Matthew 15:26)

Once there was a Canaanite woman who came to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter. 

Jesus “answered saying, `It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast to the little dogs.'”

Dog was a derogatory term used for gentiles. This Canaanite woman was a gentile.

Psalm 107:20 (GNT) says, “He healed them with His command [word] and saved them from the grave.”

Jesus is the word made flesh (John 1:14). He came to heal us and to save us from eternal Hell.

Jesus is the Bread of the Communion. He is your healer.

As you partake of Holy Communion today place your mind on Christ and ingest Him as your healing bread.

The Blood, described in the first Passover, was placed on the door post and lintels. Jesus is that door. (John 10:9) This caused the death angel to pass over that house where it was to destroy the first-born of every house that was not covered with the blood of the lamb.

The first born represents your future as well as your future generations. God has provided the way to save you and your generations. His name is Jesus the Christ.

John 10:10 tells us that this destroyer is the thief that comes only to kill, steal and destroy.

In Leviticus 17:11 the word says that "life is in the blood". Again in John 10:10 Jesus tells us that He came that we might have abundant life. This abundant life is found only in His blood.

As you drink of the Blood in His Covenant, demand the destroyer to pass over you and decree that you have received the abundant life of Christ. Jesus paid for it in full. As a believer it is your inheritance.

I encourage you to finish your time with the Lord today by decreeing health, healing and life belongs to you through the body and the blood of Jesus. You might like to quote some healing scriptures over yourself. Here are just a few: Psalm 34:17-20; 103;1-3; 91; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 12:1, John 11:25-26 and James 5:14-15.

Know that Jesus came, died and rose again to give you healing. It is yours. Take it by faith. You may need to chew on this a bit, so chew away. Amen!

Blessings on your day!

Karen

Taking communion unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:26-30)

In 1 Corinthians 11:26-30, Paul talks about taking communion "unworthily" and "not discerning the Lord's body."  He was admonishing the church in Corinth because they were coming together without having a reverence for communion or respect for one another.  

They were getting drunk, fighting among themselves, and eating all the food before others arrived. This led to sickness and early death.

Taking communion "unworthily" does not mean that you are a worthless person. It means you are partaking of it in a casual, flippant, selfish manner instead of seeking the true meaning of Jesus' sacrifice.

When Paul says, "examine yourselves", he was not saying examine yourselves to see if you have sin. We have all sinned.(Romans 3:23) If sin would keep us from coming to Jesus to receive the covenant meal (His body and His blood), everyone would be disqualified!

Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, God sees us spotless through the blood of Christ. Jesus qualified us.

So as we take communion, let’s take a moment to understand, deep within our being, the whole of Salvation: Eternal life, deliverance, victory, welfare, health, prosperity, delivered from distress, our present help in times of trouble, kept safe from our enemies, and catastrophes, kept from plagues, famine or sickness. (#3444 in the Hebrew Lexicon) We can see this in Psalm 91 where God is showing us His Salvation, and again in 3 John 2.

It means that Jehovah is the God of our Salvation and Satan is defeated in our lives through Jesus' work on the cross. 

This is how we "discern the Lord's body", and take communion "worthily.” It is all about Jesus and all He accomplished for each of us on the cross.

As we eat and drink of communion today, let us rejoice in all of Salvation that has been accomplished for us on the cross.

Blessings on your day!

Karen

Dwelling in the Love of Christ (John 15:9)

In John 15:9 Jesus directs us to a new level of love, His level, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.”

Dwelling or living in the love of Christ is not automatic and usually not easy. 

In John 15:10-11 Jesus said, “If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Jesus continues in verse 12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

The Greek word used here for love is Agape. It means to give someone what they need, not necessarily what they want. It is the God kind of love. 

The Jews wanted another King David type of savior to free them from the oppressive Roman rule. God sent Jesus, His Son to save us all for eternity.

How did Jesus show His love? He offers us forgiveness without condemnation. He healed all that came to Him, calmed the storm, fed the hungry, raised the dead, had compassion, loved the unlovable, gave His life for us, carried our sins into Hell, and stands ready to enter our lives at anytime we choose to open the door and invite Him in. However; we have to do the inviting.

Some of this I know I can do. I may not accomplish for others all of the ways Jesus chose to love me, but I can do something whether it is taking food to the homeless shelter or to a shut-in, show love to someone that is acting unloving, forgive everyone of everything- large or small, and ask Jesus into my heart each day. Sharing His love must become a conscious part of our everyday life.

I find asking for and receiving a daily infilling of His love is vital before I am capable of showing His love to anyone else. Without coming to Him first I am trying to accomplish sharing His love on my terms which leads to sharing from a deficit and it runs out quickly. I’ve tried this many times and always fail, then I wonder what went wrong.

Jesus has asked us to partner with Him to accomplish His will on earth just as it is in heaven. He is the head and we are His body. The body does not function without the head. 

At best we are like a chicken that has just had its head cut off. It is a crazy sight to see. I watched my daddy do this one time when I was a child. I thought the chicken was looking for it's head. It ran all over the chicken yard. 

I can do nothing without Christ's love infilling me. Today was one of those days I needed to soak in His love. So as I ate and drank of the matchless love He offers me,  I savored my time in His presence. There is always more than enough and it will never end. Amen!

Blessings on your day!

Karen

Are you like the dog settling for the crumbs under the table? (Mark 7:24-30)

As I lay the communion elements on the table this morning I asked the Lord how He would like for me to celebrate this time with Him.

After blessing the communion elements I broke the cracker and the crumbs spilled onto the table.

Looking at the crumbs reminded me of the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7: 24-30) who came to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter.

Jesus responds that it was not right to give the children’s bread to the dogs (non-covenant people).

She replies with, "Even the dogs eat the crumbs from under the table."

As a believer in Jesus, I am a covenant child and no longer have to settle for the crumbs of pleading, begging and hoping Jesus will hear my prayers. I have been given the bread of life from His table and need to partake of what He has laid before me.

As I ate from His table, I celebrated His broken body that gives healing for my body.

The Old Testament tells us that the life of the body is in the blood. (Leviticus 17:11) The new life that I now live is because of Jesus' life’s blood poured out for me.  So, I drank of His life in me, the life found only in His blood. Amen!

Blessings on your day!

Karen

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Last night was a rough night, coughing and up every hour. I was dreading just getting out of bed thinking of how I felt.

Suddenly, in my spirit I saw and heard a beautifully robed choir joyfully singing, clapping and moving to the song, “O Happy Day.” I kept hearing “O happy day, He washed my sins away.”

As my spirit joined in I knew I was totally and forever forgiven and set free.

Getting out of bed became a time of rejoicing, singing and praising God. The Great I AM has forgiven me!

This was my first time experiencing the joy of the Lord that resulted in shouting and singing praises. Having been raised in a denomination where preaching was about “sin, shame and condemnation”  I had the idea that I could never measure up or be good enough. 

Even though I received Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was seven, the lies of condemnation continually preached had deeply penetrated my soul .

I could quote forgiveness, preach and declare it, but the continual lies had added doubt and fear. We were supposed to show humility by saying things like, “I’m not worthy. I can never be good enough.” 

The truth is, I have been made good enough in Christ. I am made worthy in Christ. I can now say with all confidence, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1) because I am in Christ Jesus. Praise God!

Remember the words of the song, “He Touched Me." This morning He (did) touched me and Oh the joy that flooded my soul. 

Once we understand that it is Christ who makes us whole and worthy to become children of the living God, real joy and peace fills our hearts and floods our souls (our mind, will and emotions).

Today I ate of the words of Psalm 103:1-5. “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me. Bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all my iniquities (sins); who heals all my diseases; Who redeems my life from destruction; who crowns me with loving kindness and tender mercies (compassionate love); Who satisfies my mouth with good things; so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

Today I ate of His Word that sets me free from guilt and shame, and I drank of the blood of His total forgiveness as the reality of being completely and forever forgiven  filled my very being. 

Blessings on your day!

Karen

Romans 5:3-4 “…We rejoice in our sufferings..."

Being extremely frustrated that my spiritual life was growing TOO slow, last night I cried out to the Lord, 

“What is taking so long? Why can’t I seem to get the revelation of Your Word? What am I missing?”

Early this morning my mind was taken to the butterfly. The most critical time in the butterfly’s life is when it is trying to get out of the cocoon.

Years ago I read a story of how someone was troubled by watching the butterfly struggle to get free of the cocoon and took some scissors, made a snip and the butterfly was free. The butterfly emerged crippled and could not fly. For it is in the struggle the butterfly develops the strength it will need to fly.

This is true with us as well. It is in the struggles our faith is strengthened for the journey ahead. If God allowed us to forgo the struggles we would not become strong enough to complete the journey.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Romans 5:3-4 “...We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him."

James 1:2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

God does not bring the trials and temptations to us. However; as we encounter them He will walk with us through them if we invite Him into our situation. Then, we will emerge victorious.

Today we celebrate Jesus and His finished work on the cross as we partake of communion.

We eat of the wisdom of God both in His word and His steadfastness. 
We drink of His love and mercy given through the blood of Christ.

Blessings on your day!

Karen

“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:48)

“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:48-51)

The Greek word for communion is koinonia (koy-nohn-ee'-ah). And it means intimate partnership and fellowship. 

This is a description of the covenant we have entered into, the right to exchange all that He has, and all He is for all we are (sinful) and receive all we are to become in Christ (His righteousness)! In true covenant understanding, we understand Jesus has already provided all of this on the cross. The decision has already been made. All we need to do to access it is to receive it by faith (believe it.).

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life!” (John 14:6) Then He said in John 10:10b, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly!”

Greek for life in both verses is Zoe (zo-ay'), meaning growing in the life that is the highest and best of which Christ is, the life of Jesus in us.

Jesus is telling us that He came to give each of us the best of who He is. His will is that we experience His life to the full.

As we take communion, keep this in mind. I pray this Holy Communion will become alive for us, because we are growing in a deeper understanding of this blood-covenant meal that seals the covenant.

Communion is so powerful Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 10:16 as “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (mixing) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (mixing) of the body of Christ?” 

Communion is the joining of our body and blood to His. We are born again (a new birth) with His DNA instead of the DNA of Adam.

The cup of blessing! In both the Hebrew and the Greek, blessing means: empowerment for success, great prosperity and an attitude of joy because of it.

Let us celebrate Jesus and His finished work on the cross as we partake of communion today.

Blessings on your day,

Karen