Tag: Bible

Tetelestai Recovery

It’s a Choice

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Considering whether or not God can actually forget our sins, leaves us with two important theological questions:

  • If God can forget things, then how can He be all knowing?
  • If God can’t forget things, then how can He say that He remembers our sins no more?

Forgiveness is extremely difficult for us, so we assume that it must be even worse for God because he is all present, all powerful, and all-knowing.

In our human relationships, we like to believe that the people we have wronged will gradually forget about it over time. But with God, we know that’s not an option because He exists outside of time. There is no movement of time in the spirit realm. He is everything, everywhere, all at once.

So, we have to ask ourselves, “How can God say that He forgives us and remembers our sins no more?” The answer is simple: He chooses not to remember.

Because He is God, he can make choices that are outside the bounds of human ability. With the attribute of omnipotence (all powerful), He can make the choice not to remember.

In Isaiah 43:25, God says, “I will not remember your sins.”

In Jeremiah 31: 34, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Hebrews 8: 12 and Hebrews 10:17, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

There is nothing to indicate God absentmindedly forgets, as if He suffers from dementia or it just slips His mind. Rather, in His infinite mercy, He chooses not to remember the wrongs that He has forgiven. Therefore, we conclude that surface level theology says, “God forgets,” while leveled-up theology says, “He chooses not to remember.”

…Continue Reading https://a.co/d/et0BASS

Tetelestai Recovery

It’s Okay to Be Human

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He didn’t condemn them for being distracted by their growling stomachs. He didn’t belittle them for showing signs of weakness. He didn’t minimize their hunger by comparing it to His own when He fasted for forty days. It wasn’t His desire to see them suffer to prove their devotion.

…Continue Reading https://a.co/d/7AFtNaA

In the multiplication miracle of feeding the five thousand, we see that Jesus was happy to give the hungry people as much food as they wanted. They ate until they were satisfied, and there was plenty left over.

By this example, we can rest assured that Jesus is pleased when He is given the opportunity to be generous. He is not stingy or miserly when it comes to providing the necessities of life. He will not withhold the resources needed to fulfill our destinies. We know that He wants us to have everything we need to successfully complete our human journey. However, there are times we may feel uncomfortable asking, for fear our requests might be based upon selfish motives.

As we level up, we learn this is a needless fear. God is a loving Father. He will not give us something that is bad for us. We think back to the days when our children were young, and they asked for candy when it was time for dinner. We didn’t judge or condemn them. We simply said, “No. That’s not good for you,” and then provided them with a healthy option instead. We know that God will do the same for us. He won’t give us anything that will do harm. We trust Him to protect us; sometimes even from ourselves.

We see that during His mission on earth, Jesus never scolded anyone for asking too much or too often. In fact, He stated time and time again, “Just ask. I want to give you what you need. ”

The feeding of the five thousand demonstrated the Father’s heart through the acts and attitudes of His Son. Jesus had compassion on the famished crowd.

He didn’t condemn them for being distracted by their growling stomachs. He didn’t belittle them for showing signs of weakness. He didn’t minimize their hunger by comparing it to His own when He fasted for forty days. It wasn’t His desire to see them suffer to prove their devotion.

They were hungry and He wanted them to be fed. Jesus met their needs abundantly. He provided more than enough. There may have been some who gave up and left early before the miracle arrived. This may account for the enormous number of leftovers His disciples collected after everyone was fed.

We realize it is critically important that we never become one who wanders away, feeling the pressure to fend for ourselves, rather than waiting to see what Jesus is doing.

We know there will be times of waiting. And during those times, we might not have a clear view of what is happening, or how the miracle will unfold, but waiting is part of the process, and we must become willing to put in the time. Knowing Jesus like we do, we can be sure that compassion is His first response.

A Date With Destiny

Firm Foundations

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Proverbs 8:29

Wisdom was there when He ordered the sea
    not to go beyond the borders He had set for it.
Wisdom was there when He laid the earth’s foundation.

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The brilliance of God is incorporated into the laws of nature.

You stand in awe of the Creator when walking along the bank of a roaring river or watching storm clouds race across the sky. You are intrigued by each element of nature, knowing it contains vital information about the Creator.

You have a persistent drive to push past surface layer facts in order to discover the deeper meanings behind them. You have a curious mind which seeks to understand oceans, land mass, and geological structural support systems below the earth. You are fascinated by the ratio of water to dry land and the way each supports life on this little blue planet.

You remain keenly aware that all understanding comes from the Creator, and you derive great pleasure discovering the intimate secrets of His character revealed in the details of nature.

You deeply and fully appreciate a belief in intelligent design. Divine revelations you receive while observing nature, reach far beyond human understanding. You are enamored by the evidence of God sprinkled throughout the universe. You yearn to understand more of this great mystery.

You easily make the connection between Creator and Creation. You have been given the gift of divine comprehension which enables you to live life in both the natural and supernatural, simultaneously.

A life of dual loyalties to both the scientific and religious communities is rarely an easy path to walk. These two entities are often perceived to be in opposition to each other. However, with the gift of divine wisdom, you perceive it much differently. You find insurmountable evidence to the contrary.

You see a spectacular harmony between both the spiritual and the scientific realms.  You can easily detect synchronized cooperation between these two dimensions and are equally comfortable in both worlds.

This is an exciting lifestyle that few can understand. You comprehend it well because it has been your reality for as long as you can remember.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Changing the Mind of God

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But Moses reasoned with God and eventually talked Him out of it. Surprisingly, Moses brought up some very valid points and God was open to his feedback.

Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

So, the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. Exodus 32:9-14

Moses took a bold approach. He had the courage of a junior executive pitching a new concept to the CEO. He had the heart of a quarterback who asked the coach to reconsider the play he had just called.

Based on the response God gave Moses to his input, what other events in history might have been altered, based on this perspective?

  • What if Noah had discussed the flood plan at depth with God and asked for more humans to be spared?
  • What if Abraham had continued his negotiations for the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, asking God to hold off if he could find just one righteous man?

On the other hand, what if the ones who approached God boldly had been more timid?

  • What if Jacob said when wrestling the Angel of God, “If you don’t bless me, that’s okay, I’m fine either way,” rather than making the risky move by saying, “I’m not letting go until you bless me.”?
  • What if Moses had just responded with, “Okay Lord, I guess you are just going to wipe out those people and start over with me. I don’t have any say in the matter.”?

Read more… https://a.co/d/6cXobBz

Tetelestai Recovery

Water Walkers

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One of the men in the boat, named Peter, asked Jesus to let him come out and walk on the water alongside Him. Jesus said, “Sure! Come on out.” Peter lunged toward the side of the boat as it was rocking and lurching. Then, climbed cautiously over the edge, he slowly lowered his weight onto the swirling liquid. If Jesus was a fraud, the next few seconds would have been the moment of truth. In former miracles, the people who were healed and delivered could have been in cahoots with Him on some elaborate hoax. However, walking on top of water, and inviting another human being to join Him would have been impossible to pull off, if it had been a scam.

Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. Some may hold to the impression that Peter took a couple of wobbly steps before going under. We do not agree with that conclusion. We believe he strolled quite a distance. Since Jesus’ closest companions failed to recognize Him, we assume He was more than several yards from the boat. With one lunge over the side of the boat, Peter took the walk of a lifetime: a walk to remember.

There were 11 other men in the boat who didn’t even ask if they could come out onto the water. Only Peter was impulsive enough to come up with such a wild idea! Whether he was completely successful in his faith walk or not, he was the only one with the audacity to ask if he could get out of the boat. He was the one who believed in Jesus’ ability to empower him to do it. He knew that in the midst of the storm, the safest place to be was with Jesus.

…Continue reading: https://a.co/d/efO53It

A Date With Destiny

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series

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What is unique about the day you were born and the scriptures that correspond with it?

The day you were born was a date with destiny, for it was on that day, you began a journey that would alter the course of history. You may have already sensed a divine plan and purpose for your life.

Examine the sacred text that aligns with your birthday. Ponder the descriptions following each selection. You will be amazed at the accuracy in identifying your unique character qualities and personality traits. You will be excited about your future and inspired by the divine destiny that is yours.


You are here for a reason and it’s time to find out why.

Find your birthday in the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/A-Date-With-Destiny/dp/B087QHB4PG

Tetelestai Recovery

Activating a Miracle

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We searched the scriptures for more proof of the power of praise. We were astonished to discover that the act of giving thanks was typically the prelude to a miracle. Jesus himself made this point when feeding the 5000. The gospel accounts tell us that He held the 2 fish and 5 loaves, looked up, and gave thanks. Immediately following His expression of gratitude, the food multiplied and there was more than enough to go around.

We see another example in the story of Lazarus. The man had been dead four days when Jesus appeared and raised him from the dead. Amazingly enough, the words of Christ, right before calling Lazarus from the tomb, were words of gratitude to God.

Our search led us to some Old Testament writings of King David who was a pro when it came to praise. Time after time, David poured out his heart in the Psalms. Sometimes they were words of praise from start to finish. Other times, the writing began with an outpouring of distress, but turned to praise in the final stanzas. Whether threatened by enemy armies, wounded by family betrayal, or overwhelmed by too many decisions, each painful experience was handled with the same primary coping mechanism. We found it over and over in the final lines of each sad song, “Yet, I will praise God.”

We were delighted to find another example from the familiar Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale. After reading verse after verse of Jonah complaining to God in a pathetic prayer of self-obsession, we found a sudden change of heart. In verse 9 of Jonah chapter 2, the pitiful prophet abruptly states, “But I, with shouts of praise will sacrifice to you.”

Suddenly, in the next verse we read, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.”

This principle of praise as a precursor to a miracle was not just for Old Testament Kings and Prophets, nor was it only for Jesus during His ministry. We discovered post-ascension proof that praise continues to be the key component to divine intervention. We read the story in Acts 16 of Paul and Silas chained to the wall in a jail cell. Their midnight praise session was so powerful, it created a shift in the earth’s plates and the prison foundations shook until the chains fell off and the cell doors opened.  

After gathering evidence from scriptural data and personal experience, we were amazed to find that the key to unlocking any miracle is this simple, yet powerful act of praise.

Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 10, The Power of Praise

https://a.co/d/4yeNJJd

Tetelestai Recovery

The Root of Shame

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We grew up so familiar with our shame, it seemed to be a part of our personality. We didn’t know how to relinquish it, so we put it on a pedestal and made it an object of worship. We justified our outrageous behaviors, bragged about our immorality, and shook off our fears with a ‘who cares?’ attitude. We couldn’t extinguish our shame, so we embraced it. We got together with other shame-filled people and competed for admission into the Hall of Shame.

When the power of Christ was revealed to us, we became new creatures. However, not all our shameful behaviors disappeared overnight. Shame was still very much a part of our lives. We no longer reveled in it. On the contrary, we wished it to be buried with our former selves whom we had grown to despise.

Ironically, the hatred we felt toward our shame was not an indication of our failure to believe. We believed in Christ, and we clung faithfully to his words, “It is finished!” However, that root of shame continued to produce bitter fruit and we needed relief.

We consciously pondered our thoughts of ourselves in relation to the thoughts God has toward us. We practiced praise continually. We claimed Tetelestai over our addictions, disease, poverty, and any other form of the curse from which the power of the cross had set us free. We watched our words and verbalized our agreement with God concerning His perception of us. We called ourselves Blessed, More than Conquerors, Children of God, and Chosen. We trusted that Jesus bequeathed to us his very own Shalom, which assured us the promise of wholeness, with nothing missing, nothing broken. We no longer trusted our feelings as the Truth, but rather, we relied on the Word of God and the guidance of His Spirit to be our compass. We recognized that facts are changeable and when we are out of options, it only means we are in the perfect position for a miracle. We believed that the supernatural could override the natural realm and we occupied territory never before conquered.

Sadly, our shame was still an integral part of our existence. Our guilt taught us that we made mistakes. Our shame told us we were a mistake. We had no remedy for our shame.

We tried to hide our feelings of shame with superficial coverings. We used money, prestige, aggression, relationships, and an air of superiority to quiet the inner voice which whispered, “If others only knew the real you…”

As we journeyed down this treacherous path, as new creatures in Christ, we searched for insights from our Sacred Text. In Mark 11, we found the story of Jesus encountering a fig tree which was covered in green leafy foliage but had no fruit. He simply said, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And the disciples heard him say it. The next day, when passing by the same tree, it was reported to have been withered from the roots up.

At first, we felt that Jesus overreacted to the failure to find fruit. We suspected he had become too tired and hungry, which we all know is a prelude to becoming too angry. However, after closer inspection, we are reminded that this was a fig tree. These fig leaves were a reminder of that time back in the Garden of Eden when His newly created couple tried to cover their shame. The fig tree with leaves but no fruit was a symbol of humanity without purpose.

A Date With Destiny

The Value of Wisdom

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Proverbs 8:11

Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you want is equal to it.

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You have invested your time and energy into the pursuit of something more valuable than mere monetary gain. You understand that the most valuable asset a person can hold is the divine gift of wisdom. Your contributions of commitment and loyalty are invested freely into the Kingdom of God and His returns never disappoint.

Supernatural wisdom comes to you like a divine download, and you are often amazed by the sudden level of understanding that seems to hit you out of nowhere.

You actively seek wisdom from God, and as a reward for your humble request, the Holy Spirit infuses you with the creativity to discover solutions which are beyond your natural range of comprehension.

You prove yourself to be a trustworthy protector of what is sacred. You give honor to God and respect to His creation.

As you invest in God’s Kingdom, the dividends of wisdom are compounded daily, sustaining and guiding you to your destiny. 

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series – August 11

https://a.co/d/6fLDnW6

A Date With Destiny

Timing is Everything

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Genesis 8:8

Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down.

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There are times when you are ready to move into a new phase of your journey, but you have not been given the signal that it is time to move forward. Like Noah waiting for the water to subside, you may have to be patient and wait before taking the next step.

As the anticipation about an exciting new project builds, the wait can sometimes seem unbearable. However, without a signal from God that the time is right, an otherwise successful mission might become a disastrous mess.

If Noah had skipped the waiting period and began unloading the ark as soon as the rain stopped, the passengers and animals might have all perished in the flood waters.

While the ark may not have been the most desirable place to be, it was the safest. It may have been quite smelly and dirty, but it was the place for Noah to wait until God revealed that it was the right time to leave.

The dove in Noah’s story played a significant role in initiating the start of a new era. Noah was selected to rebuild civilization on a planet which had been washed clean by the flood.

Many centuries later, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove which appeared at Jesus’ baptism. Once again, a dove gave the signal. It was time for the Son of God to leave the carpenter shop in order to establish the new era of grace.

As an avid bird-lover, you appreciate the symbolism of doves. You find their presence soothing. It reminds you that God’s is always near and His Spirit will let you know when it is time to move forward into something new.

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series – August 8

https://a.co/d/cxGmTkr