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Do you have any confusion? Are you wondering about anything? Do you need to know the truth? In this video based prayer exercise, you'll position and say "Lord, reveal truth to me. Spirit of Truth, speak to me."

You'll ask Him. "What lies do I believe Lord? Where does my mind need to be renewed? God, speak to me. Jesus, teach me the truth. Open my eyes to see truth within Your Word."

And I come into agreement that the Spirit of the Living God will speak to you, that the Spirit of Christ will teach you, bringing refreshing, new beginnings, connecting you deeper with the love of God!

Bible errors?  Or wrong assumptions?

​Challenge what you "know"...
Resolve these 2 scriptures from the crucifixion account:

Mark 16:1- When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Luke 23:54-56  It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Which is true?  Mary, Jesus' mother, and Salome bought the spices to anoint Jesus' body AFTER Sabbath or BEFORE?  

Is this an error?  Have you noticed this contradiction before?  Before today, I had not.  

It came up in the process of reading through the CHRONOLOGICAL account of the walk to the cross over the last 2 weeks.

In the last couple of emails, I've shared I've been going LIVE on our Youtube channel and Facebook pages (main page and Peace Be Still private group) to read a chronological account of Jesus' walk to the cross and resurrection. 

Today I finished up the 10th day.  Not many people have watched 😌.  But it hasn't discouraged me, because I've grown in ways I could not have imagined!  And the joy has been amazing!

The LORD has led me over the last month to discover things I have not seen and dig deeper for hidden treasure!

Did you know that Jesus satisfied the requirement of being both the morning and twilight sacrifice? 

Did you know there was a morning and twilight sacrifice?

Exodus 29:38-41 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

Last month I found those scriptures when I wondered about the 9th hour of prayer mentioned in Acts 3:1- 

Acts 3:1- Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

I wondered.  What is the 9th hour of prayer? 

I discovered the morning sacrifice in Exodus 29 is 9am and the twilight sacrifice is at 3pm.

In this process I remembered Jesus died at 3pm.  

Mark 15:34- And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

So Jesus satisfied the final daily requirement of being the perfect twilight sacrifice!!!

And He was also satisfied the final daily requirement of being the perfect morning sacrifice!!!

He was crucified (nailed to the cross) at 9am!

Mark 15:25-26 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

Now go back up and re-read Exodus 29:38-41.  

What do you see?  

How many different offerings do you see?  (TRY NOT TO SCROLL FURTHER UNTIL YOU CONSIDER YOUR ANSWER! 😊)

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There is a sacrificial lamb offering.  There is a grain offering of flour mixed with pressed oil.  There is a drink offering made with wine.

Do you see Jesus in all 3?  

The perfect lamb?  The unleavened bread of Heaven pressed out like pressed oil in the suffering? His blood as the precious wine of the new covenant?  

DO YOU SEE THAT HE ALSO PRAYED?!  HE HONORED THE HOUR OF PRAYER AT 3PM!!! 

He prayed at 3pm- Mark 15:34- And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

AND 9AM!  Luke 23:34- Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Now back to the seeming contradiction of when the women bought the spices to anoint Jesus' body.  It is not a contradiction of a Friday (before Sabbath of Saturday) vs after Sabbath (after Saturday).

It all becomes clear when you realize the detail of there being a "Special Sabbath" that week!  Hint:  It is a part of the Feast of Unleavened bread instituted by the LORD.  The special Sabbath is mentioned in John's account of the crucifixion (scripture below).

From the scriptures below, you'd be able to see that the women bought spices to anoint Jesus' body BETWEEN the Sabbaths that week!  So both scriptures above are true!  Mark references them getting spices after the first Passover Sabbath that week, whereas Luke references them getting spices before the regular Saturday Sabbath! 

This is a detail I had not noticed before.  Have you?

Looking more closely at the Special Sabbath John mentions, brought great revelation!  (All this from reading the chronological account of Jesus' walk to the cross!).

And I realized through the deeper dive that scripture doesn't show that Jesus was crucified on Friday, but earlier in the week!

Jesus was not crucified on a Friday!  I have never heard this prior!  Have you?

When I slowed down and looked more closely, I realized the 2 Sabbaths gave clarity to there being 2 days of preparation; and, an early timeline of Jesus' death on the cross!  And when you factor important detail in, you see that Jesus was not crucified on a Friday!

JOHN 19:31- BEREAN TRANSLATION- 31.  It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

JOHN 19:31- NIV TRANSLATION- Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

John 19:31- NLT- It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.

For Him to be crucified on a Friday and risen on Sunday makes it hard to calculate His words that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the earth.  But if He was crucified before the 1st Sabbath that happened earlier in the week, the math computes!

Matthew 12:40- For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

He really was in the grave for 3 full days and 3 full nights!  And I'll send the detail of that in the next blog next week!  But before then, are you curious enough on your own to research it and find the answer on your own?  Take time to dig into scripture and discover which day He was crucified! 

May you and yours go deeper with the King of all this weekend! May He be lifted up in your hearts and homes and worship at church services you attend! 

He alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise! 

IT IS FINISHED!

He is RISEN!  HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Luke 24:6-8-  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  Then they remembered his words.

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Believers in Christ are given a promise that God will keep us as the apple of His eye. What does this mean?

How can we use that as an image to visualize, and spend time with God?

The word apple here is a Hebrew word that comes from another Hebrew word which means "little man of the eye", the pupil of the eye, black, obscure. In Hebrew culture, it's also known as the "daughter of the eye", i.e. "the little man of the eye".

"Keep me as the apple of your eye" is an expression of ancient prayer, but it's probably better known as an idiom to express how we treasure and passionately protect a loved one.

If you ask people what it means, most people would describe it as a term of endearment, versus a description of God's love for them or as a prayer on their lips.  You've probably heard it used to describe a parent's love for a child. "Oh, she's the apple of her father's eye, he would do anything for her!"

True it is a term of endearment. But originally in its truest context, it is a divine expression. It is a child-like cry for God's help.  It is a returned response from a covenant keeping God, with fatherly love and radical protection of His own!

Moses use this language in song. King David also uses this language in song.   Two warriors of God not afraid to be childlike in God's presence, asking God to keep them as the apple of His eye!

In Deuteronomy 32, we can find the expression in a song that Moses wrote.  See verse 10.  It includes this lyric,  "in a desert land, he found him in a barren and howling waste.  He shielded him and cared for him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye."

This is referencing God's tender care for His people.   Moses could easily reflect on God finding him in his own desert wilderness.  God calling to Moses from a burning bush, Exodus 3:1-3.

We hear the apple of His eye language again in Proverbs 7:2 through Solomon.  He writes the following wisdom... "Keep my commandments and live, my law as the apple of your eye."

And of course, we have King David in Psalm 17:8 asking God... singing to God...to keep him as the apple of His eye.

Now, you probably know that the apple of your eye, the pupil of your eye, the black of your eye, is like a mirror.  And this is where if you were to get your face close enough to a mirror, and get so close (in just the right light) and center in on one of your pupils... And look intently, you'd be able to see a tiny obscure reflection of yourself within the blackness of your pupil.

And if you were to do this exercise with a loved one, when you drew near to their face, and you looked at the center of their eye, into their pupil, you wouldn't see their reflection, you would see an outline of your own reflection. Think about that. How does that speak to you?

When you get so close to someone and look at them in the center of their eye, in their pupil and see your own reflection?

In holy covenant relationship, when you gaze this close to someone's eyes, there's trust, there is deep love. There is a softening, someone you deeply treasure.  The one that you're willing to get that close to and linger there, is one you love without adequate words to express.  You are wanting to look closely and find your reflection in their eyes.

Now let's think of that exercise in God's presence. Getting our face so close to Jesus, that we can see the pupils of His eyes. What is the reflection?  First can you see yourself held within his gaze?  Can you look closer and see that the reflection within the center of His pupil is you?

Maybe that's a difficult visualization for you. Imagining being that close to the face of Jesus. Maybe it makes you feel a little uncomfortable being that close to Him, because you feel like you're not good enough or you've failed.

That's a wrong perspective.

Because if Jesus is that close to you to look into your eyes, who's reflecting back to him?

If you get that answer, right, that is the heart of the gospel, that's a saving grace of the gospel!

Jesus, seeing himself in the center of your eye, is the Gospel! Christ in you, the hope of glory!

He see himself in you, because you've been made in the image of God!  He sees himself in you because you have believed in Him! So now you are joined to the Lord, you are one Spirit with him, that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is in you!

Ephesians 2:10 in the New Living Translation says that you are God's masterpiece that He created you anew in Christ Jesus, so that you can do good things that He planned for you long ago.

He created you for GOOD THINGS.

Your identity needs to be deeply rooted in the fact that He created you for good, and that when you draw near to Him, He draws near to you.

And when He's looking at you that closely, He's seeing himself. He's seeing you as a masterpiece, that was created anew (born again) for good, to do good things that He planned long ago.

Take some time to envision Jesus that close to you, where you are both able to see one another's reflections in the center of your eyes.  Consider that as you look at Him, you can see yourself held. You are the apple of His eye, He gave his life for you! How great is the sum of his thoughts towards you? To do good to you and not evil? 

He commands us to stay close to Him to abide in His love, to abide in His word.  When we do so, our prayers are God-aligned, a reflection of Him.  We can ask whatever we wish and it will be done for us, John 15:7!

But if we walk away, if we stay distant from God, can you really see yourself as a reflection in His eyes?  No, because He is too far away.  Can you see Him clearly or know Him intimately when you don't abide in His Word?  No.  

We need to remain close in fellowship with Jesus.  We have been called to die to this life because our real life is hidden with Christ and God, Colossians 3:3.

So take time to envision you seeing yourself in the pupil of His eye. And then switch it, and imagine Him seeing His reflection in your eye.

"Lord would you reveal mysteries of the Gospel to this one, as they envision themselves as the apple of Your eye?  To see that they're held, how they're kept, how they're protected?  Reveal to them that when You look at them, you are not looking at their flaws, but You in them.  They are complete.  You see the end from the beginning.  You see the good purpose for which you've created them.  Stir them to deeper fellowship, to discovery of the good things you've prepared for them.  Root them in the fact that you see Yourself in them. And You don't destroy yourself!  You don't harm yourself! God bring revelation that You long to do good things to them, things that You've prepared long ago, good and holy works for them to do. Their life is important; and, has divine design within it.  You're transforming them, you're making them a greater reflection of Yourself because You are in them!  May this one abide in you, and your Word for the supernatural revelation and transformation you promise. Amen!"

I'm not proud of my old life. And I'm also not proud of some things in my life after Christ, even up unto the last several months. Things that cause us shame can be a continuous onslaught against the vitality Christ promises.

I don't discuss my shame with most others because I don't want to be associated with that part of my former life, or viewed by others through those past/current failures.

Being in ministry full-time, I have to give testimony. So I speak about my life experiences in general terms. I admit being in dangerous and abusive relationships, worshipping false idols, experiencing deep depression, being self-absorbed, trapped for too long in strongholds built by intimidating people that successfully coerced me to do their bidding through gaslighting tactics and deflecting their shame on me.

Life is messy.  The warfare is real.  The onslaught intense.  

Is this resonating? 

There have been many layers of shame to heal in me, and, for protection, I do hide those details from others.

But I don't hide them from Jesus.

From my experience, few others can be trusted to NOT use my shame against me.

But Christ CAN BE trusted to NEVER humiliate and expose me and heap abuses upon me.

He has a clear promise that those who look to Him, their faces are radiant✨. Their faces are NEVER covered in shame, Psalm 34:5.

What is this radiance the psalmist speaks of? It is likened to the dancing sheen of a flowing stream, i.e. the life forces of God flowing within, shining through you, beaming as an unquenchable light, reflecting like a sparkle, being cheerful.

Is this what you see when you catch your reflection unexpectedly?

Too many draw back or hide from God because they believe His gaze upon them is a microscopic view to magnify every flaw. Many feel dirty or unworthy, far from radiant.

What about you?

Do you feel the weight of guilt and shame at the mention of God? Afraid, the nearer you get to His presence, the heat of condemnation, the "ick" of sin will be a stench that rises?

Many feel this especially if in an active stronghold of sin. So to avoid perceived disappointment and expected chastisement from God, we wrongly reason that by staying away, the crippling feelings of shame will diminish. But, the opposite is true, it is only exacerbated.

Distance doesn't heal. Distance doesn't erase reality. Distance doesn't cover the skeletons in the closet of your soul that travel with you. Distance is death-knell to healing shame. It only perverts your perceptions of who He is.

"Who He is? Don't you mean who we are?"

No.

God's word reveals to us that shame is not healed by looking more closely at our flaws. Shame is healed by seeking Him, asking to be rescued, by taking our eyes off ourselves and looking at Him.

Psalm 34:4-5 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

Look to Him. Take your eyes off your shame and instead look at His. His?! YES!

Hebrews 12:2- Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the SHAME, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He endured YOUR shame, walked out a sentence of humiliating exposure before God the Father and his enemies and casual observers and family and friends and followers. His shame trumps all other shame.

Yet He despised it, thinking little or nothing of it. His eye was on seeing you set free. Jesus was focused on the joy of you being healed, of His radiance✨ resting on your face!

So if trapped by shame, realize the path to freedom is drawing near to the face of Jesus and looking closely at the details of His sacrifice for you. He will heal you and set your free!

Click here to listen to Thoughtful Thursday's episode on Psalm 34:4-7.  Those who look to Him are radiant! 

Draw near! Practice His presence! Use the simple prayer exercises available Monday through Friday on PEACE BE STILL DAILY PRAYER DOWNLOAD to see Him more clearly. The podcast is found on all podcast and music apps! 80% of our listeners use Apple podcasts to listen, then Podbean, then Spotify! Blessings in His presence! 

#testimony #Shame #healingprayer #Jesus #faith #prayercloset #prayer #bibleverse #christianpodcast #christianity #Jesuslovesyou #psalms #christianpodcast #pray

As 2023 rolls in, let's keep talking about our time with God... and how it can be fruitful and fun!  Let's start our year in a flow of His presence...

First we can give thanks and reflect that Jesus did all the hard work!   We have very few valid excuses for not scheduling some special time with Him. 

We can make comparison to the ancient Israelites.  Three times a year Israelites would travel to Jerusalem to appear before the LORD with sacrifices of atonement and worship.  Depending upon where you lived, it may involve extended travel by foot and inclement weather to make the trip to the temple. 

It upended personal schedule. 

Your best offerings were required.

Those sacrifices were mostly animal sacrifices.  There were several other requirements, but will not detail them here.  

Men were required to make the trip 3 times per year.  Women and children could, and would come.  We see that Hannah went with her husband Elkanah, 1 Samuel 1:7.  And that Mary and Jesus went with Joseph, Luke 2:41.  

Those 3 trips are no longer required.  Jesus perfected the requirements of the law for us.  It's great gift and so much easier to worship and serve and spend time with Him!

Under the New Covenant, we no longer follow the Old Testament festivals, Colossians 2:16.  As well, we know that the temple in which we now worship is our body in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19.  And we gather much more than 3 times per year, we are to gather in corporate worship on the Lord's day.  And increasingly so, as we see the Day approaching, Hebrews 10:25.

So for scheduled time with God...

Are you back in person worshipping the LORD with other believers?  Unless disabled or other great barrier, I greatly encourage you to break out of any habit of worshipping from home, and gather with other believers.  May we surrender to that instruction for a greater measure of God's presence and peace.  

Please pray for believers who won't return.  I'm discovering it's an area of stronghold in many believers.  

As one small example, before the holidays, I met with someone for prayer.  She was really struggling over a decision, had confusion of mind, and great anxiety.  I felt led to ask her if she had a church home.  And then ensued a great wrestling match of wills 😌.  She had strong feelings and thoughts against going back to church due to an offense she had experienced.  She felt very justified. 

I was gentle, but urged her with all I could, to return to a church of some kind that was bible-based.  She was missing regular communion, a time we are to examine ourselves before the LORD, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.  (Some of us are sick and weak and worse, because we are skipping communion, 1 Corinthians 11:29-30).  She was missing worship, a time we are to be singing together with the saints, Ephesians 5:19.  She was missing hearing the word of God which is how our faith grows, Romans 10:17.  These are just a few foundational things, that when missing, can easily take us off path... leaving our emotions and thoughts in chaos.   

So for time with God... As 2023 begins, are you aligned with His instructions for worship, corporate fellowship, and maturing in Christ? 

And as a bonus, have you penciled in any time with God that is just between you and Him?  The pictures above represent an adventure I dedicated to Him this past Monday.  

It involved stealing away and setting up by quiet waters.  I imagined Jesus with me.  We started out on the wrong foot because I became quite frustrated when my kindling didn't catch for the fire to start.  I had to repent from pouting and complaining 😅😁.   After, I got ahold of myself and didn't give up on the fire, and 30 minutes later, it was dancing happily.  After that, everything fell into place and it was fun.

It's fun to sit by the fire and read my Bible.  It was fun to talk to Jesus as if He was sitting next to me.  Fun to gaze upon the quiet waters, and feel the warmth of the winter sun on my face.  Fun to watch the flames dance.  Fun to keep the fire burning.  Fun to barbecue asparagus and fish, and roast a couple of marshmallows.  Fun to take some photos of His glory all around.  Fun to walk by the lake edge, and repeat a few scriptures over and over for memorization and deeper meditation. 

Psalm 73:21-26
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,22 I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.
It was fun seeing him holding my hand as we walked and watched the sunset.  I declared that He is guiding me with his counsel.  He's coming back for me.  He coming back for you.  He will take us into His glory!  

Time with Jesus is fun!  Make it fun!  Ask God to help you!  

What do you enjoy?  Take Him with you!  Maybe a day painting a picture as you listen to worship and talk to the Great Artist?  Maybe whittling a piece of wood into a cross and talking to Jesus about heart things?  Maybe sitting by a fire and reading a book of the bible and making notes about what you learn about Jesus' personality?   Maybe a long walk repeating a scripture for revelation and memorization?

Oh that we would take extended time with God, not because we have to, but because we want to. ❤️‍🔥. 

BLESSINGS AND HIS FAVOR BE UPON YOU AS YOU SCHEDULE A DATE WITH YOUR SAVIOR!