JESUS UNDERSTANDS

He was despised and rejected ---

a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.

We turned our  backs on him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care.

- Isaiah 53:3 (NLT)

Maybe this sounds like the story of your life or at least the story of your current situation. Think no one understands? Think no one cares?

Jesus Christ: the Son of God can relate. This verse strikes me in resemblance to the "loner" type. The lonesome person no one wants to be seen with. Imagine: the only man who ever walked the earth and never sinned: despised, rejected. In other words, Jesus was hated; the social outcast, you might say. All He ever did was save, forgive, heal, and deliver people, yet He was rejected by mankind.

What if you lived during the time the Son of God walked the earth? Maybe you would have avoided him like the plague. Maybe would have felt bad for Him and befriended Him, but only in secret: never to tell your family and friends. Maybe you would have admired Him from a distance, never bold enough to follow Him. Or maybe ---- just maybe you would have dared to believe, to take up your cross and follow Him. Maybe you would have dared to leave behind everything you knew (or thought you knew!) to take this journey with the Son of the Living God; to soak in the beautiful benefits of His presence (peace, joy unspeakable, comfort, healing, freedom); to sit at His feet and drink from the Living Water (the well that never runs dry!); to wash His feet with your tears & wipe them with your hair in repentance for your sins.

I posed this question at first, in a "what if" scenario, to allow your mind to ponder, in wonder what you would have done if you had the blessed opportunity to meet Jesus in person during His earthly life. However, this is very applicable for you now, today. Do you refuse to serve Jesus and give Him your whole heart in fear of what others might think? Or perhaps because you aren't willing to let Jesus free you from your bondage to sin? Or do you serve Jesus quietly  -- fearing what your family and friends might think? Or do you from time to time ponder the possibility of following Jesus, never bold enough to commit? Or do you live boldly for the Lord Jesus, beaming as a shining, brilliant light for Him? Following your loving Savior, falling more deeply in love with Him each day? Do you courageously live your life according to God's Word (1 John 5:3, Psalm 119:9)?

DO YOU DARE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS, who remains the same: yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6)? He still freely forgives all who repent & turn to Him (Titus 2:11-12, Ezekiel 33:11, Acts 2:38, Isaiah 55:6-7, Isaiah 1:18, 1 Timothy 2:8, Romans 10:9 & 13, 2 Peter 3:9, Isaiah 30:18), heals every sickness and every disease, because He is moved with compassion for the sick (Matt. 4:23), makes the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf talk, the mute hear, delivers all who are oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38).

I challenge you today to let nothing stand in your way of serving Jesus with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart". I challenge you to move as far away from the torment of fiery hell as possible by moving as close to Jesus as you can possibly get. 1 John 5:3 says, "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome". I can assure you that if you fall in love with God continually and make it your focus to please Him, His commands absolutely are not burdensome. He helps us keep them (1 Corinthians 10:13). Besides, what is easier? To live this life any way you want and burn in hell forever? Or to live this life according to God's Word and live in eternal bliss with Jesus in Heaven forever?

Would you dare to believe? Would you dare to live your life for Jesus out loud, unashamed (Romans 1:16)? Would you dare to believe in His willingness, eagerness, and desire to perform miracles and healing just as He did then? Would you believe on Him to heal your broken heart, your broken life? Would you be courageous enough to have that child like faith He yearns for you to have (Matthew 18:3)? I challenge you to read/re-read Isaiah 53 & let Him minister to you. Let these words about Jesus resonate within your soul, as you read about what He did to save you and heal you.

Prayer: 

Father, in the name of Jesus, let every person who reads this be changed. Impress upon them strongly to live the Gospel and speak your truth with GREAT BOLDNESS, UNASHAMED. Let them feel the awe, wonder, amazement, majesty of Your Presence, Jesus. Let us shamelessly be "doers of Your Word" & not hearers only, because we know according to James 1:22, we are fooling ourselves if we listen to Your Word & do not do what it says. Let us proudly serve you, because you had no shame in taking on the full weight of all our sins & sicknesses, so that we may be free from sin, sickness & every evil (Psalm 91) in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Father, for your infinite love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for all that You are: Savior, Healer, Provider, Prince of Peace, and so much more. 

In Jesus Name,

Amen

In God's Infinite Compassion,

Rachel Marie

Jesus Carries His Children CLOSE to HIS HEART

He tends his flock like a shepherd: 

He gathers the lambs in HIS ARMS 

and CARRIES THEM CLOSE TO HIS HEART;

he gently leads those that have young. 

- Isaiah 40:11 NIV

WOW! This Scripture blows me away. These Words from God reach into the deepest parts of my heart. As children of God, we are lambs, the flock of Jesus (the Good Shepard). This verse informs us that JESUS CHRIST gathers US into HIS ARMS. Let that sink in. Let His love, peace, and comfort wash over you and consume you like a tidal wave. 

He gathers all of His Children, and gently carries us through the storms in our lives. He shields us from the pain, from the crashing waves, from the stormy nights. Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the MORNING (Psalm 30:5). Keep in mind, though, that He is with you during those weepy nights. The Word of God says that He counts the tears of the righteous. The next line in this verse says that Jesus carries His Children CLOSE TO HIS HEART. How wonderful it is to know how deeply loved we are! How wonderful it is to close your eyes and picture JESUS carrying you close to HIS HEART... And He really is. He cares for your every hurt, want, and need. God always makes a way for His people, even if He has to part the Red Sea to do so (Exodus 14). The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who,are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Oh, His love for us is so deep, wide, long! May we have the power to grasp the depth and height and width of His infinite love!! 

"...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. "

-- Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)

So whether you're going through a storm or in a happy season that you never want to end, remember that God Himself is carrying you close to His Heart: today, tomorrow, and forevermore! His all-consuming Love never ends! His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).

In the Love of Christ,

Rachel Marie

DO NOT FEAR

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Let's all stand firmly on the Word of God. Let's not fear the Ebola virus. I def. know it's serious but let's claim the blood of Jesus over ourselves. The Word of God says "The LORD WILL KEEP YOU FREE FROM EVERY DISEASE" in Deuteronomy 7:15! His Word also says, "BY HIS STRIPES WE WERE HEALED", "HE TOOK OUR SICKNESSES and REMOVED OUR DISEASES (Matt. 8:17), & 

Psalm 91:

6) Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, 

nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 

7) Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 

(NLT)

Let's be dedicated to walk in the Divine Health & Healing that Jesus Christ purchased for us with His stripes!! Claim and hold fast to these promises in His a Word that cannot return void (Isaiah 55:10-11), if you obey The Lord and believe on Jesus.

- Rachel Marie

CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY OF FALL; NOT THE WORK OF THE DEVIL

(Title inspired by my mom's beautiful statement shown after mine!)

 This has been on my heart lately with Halloween coming up. I used to think there was no harm in celebrating Halloween, in watching scary movies, haunted houses, being into popular series that glorified vampires & I was very defensive over it, when others tried to warn me of the danger in it.

BUT ALL THAT OPENS DOORS FOR EVIL TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE. It invites sickness and evil spirits. Watching these things, attending haunted invites all sorts of evil into your life. The bible says DO NOT GIVE THE DEVIL A FOOTHOLD & that is exactly what all this does.

Still don't believe me? As many of you know, I AM HEALED NOW BY JESUS (as of July 25, 2013) but I had been healthy all my life until I started reading and became obsessed with a certain book/movie series (on vampires) in 2008! A lot of times, I truly believe that is why I got sick bc I opened the door to let evil in my life. God will protect you, but He can't and won't protect you - if you are opening the doors! When GOD finally got my attention about the dangers of all that (several years ago), I threw out every last thing I had that represented evil! Now, I don't watch or attend anything that could possibly invite evil!

Please close any and all open doors to evil you may have! It's not worth it!

- Rachel Marie

-- My mom also fell into this same temptation when I did. When God got our attention about it, she helped me throw away anything in our house that represented evil! Now, she says in agreement with God, my meme (whom God used to show us the truth) & I, "Don't give in to this 'Halloween' season! Celebrate the beautiful fall without celebrating evil!"

- Amanda Melissa

What Are You Listening To?

First, I would like to begin by saying until the last year or so, I did not realize the importance of not listening to secular music. I was very much in love with Jesus, but did not understand my music habits had to change. As I got closer to Jesus over the years, my choice in music did gradually refine over time (VERY VERY VERY SLOWLY: I am embarrassed to even think about the trashy lyrics I used to listen to. The thought literally makes me shudder!) Still, though I began to listen to cleaner genre's of music.. It still just shifts your focus way too much. I am proud to be able to say that for 1 year and 3 months now, I have been listening to worship music ONLY (with the exception of one secular concert I attended last October- 1 year ago.. This artist was much cleaner than most and had no curse words in his lyrics.. but still.. secular music shifts your focus in the wrong direction). God also had to work with me this year on changing the shows I was "obsessed" with watching each week and what my "favorite movies" were. Let me explain further:


AS LONG AS YOU HOLD ONTO YOUR MUSIC (or movies, tv shows, or books) THAT GLORIFIES SINFUL THINGS: drinking, drugs, premarital sex, revenge, etc.. YOU ARE ROBBING YOURSELF CONSTANTLY of GOING INTO A DEEPER, MORE COMFORTING, ALL-CONSUMING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.  You are holding yourself BACK from BEING FREE with every song, note, lyric, word (or movie scene) you pour into your heart that rips the seeds of Life (the Word of God) out of you. You are CONSTANTLY KEEPING GOD AT ARM'S LENGTH until you surrender every area  of your life, every part of yourself to HIM. You may be "pouring out" to God in prayer and then turning around and TURNING UP to the tunes of this world! You may have let "worldly things" become an "idol" that you turn to for comfort instead of giving it ALL to GOD.

"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he"

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

What you choose to listen to, watch, and read has a great impact on what you think about. Tell me how your music does not make you think that drinking alcohol, smoking, and partying is the only way to have a good time. That's exactly the devil's plan: to use whatever social media, music, shows, movies, and books to make you think "sinning" is the only way to have fun. Tell me your music does not make you think you are "nothing" if you are not in love and living out your "happily ever after". Tell me your music does not make you drown in your heartache day in and day out. OR here's the big one:

Tell me your music talks about Jesus and church...... But does it not also talk about a cold beer in the same exact song??????

Yeah... try to tell me that you feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit while you listen to that? Or while you watch [this show] or [that movie] or [read that book].

This leads people to think you can "live like the world" but still love the Lord. That is not at all what the Bible teaches. Satan is teaching such thinks to deceive. Satan is the father of lies, as Jesus tells us in the Bible.

Secular music, tv, books make you think of sin as fun and/or sulk in your problems... as opposed to the awesome reality of how fun it is to have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and live in & for God... and as opposed to "delighting in God's Law" like King David... as opposed to letting God "heal your broken heart" like He wants to. Worship music turns your eyes away from your problems and onto our loving LORD and Savior: JESUS CHRIST.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 that we think in our hearts, is who we really are. So, be careful with whatever you "plant" into your mind... that is what will "grow" the thoughts that will lead to the "harvest" of who you really, truly are. So, make whatever changes you need to make to plant godly thoughts in your heart :) I made the change. The question is: Will You?

In God's Infinite, All-Consuming Love,

Rachel Marie

Rachel Marie Ministries' Social Media Sites

Hi Everyone! :) Thank you for those of you who are listening to the messages GOD has given me to preach and teach! I LOVE DOING HIS WORK because I AM IN LOVE WITH JESUS! SOOOOOOOOOO IN LOVE WITH JESUS! I hope you have all had a very BLESSED day! Want to follow my ministry work for Jesus on other social media sites?

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God's Love is Infinte, All-Consuming, Liberating,

Rachel Marie

YouTube

Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a blessed day in The Lord today on the Sabbath! I just posted my first YouTube mini-sermon ever! Here is the link to it:

http://youtu.be/aOQm5btdpSQ

Feel free to subscribe to my channel because more videos will be coming soon! :)

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord JESUS Christ,

Rachel Marie