The First Step Toward Freedom

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" (John 5:2-6).

Jesus asked this man a seemingly ridiculous question, "Do you want to be made well?"  It's obvious isn't it?  He is at the pool, isn't he?  The only reason people went there was to be healed.  What kind of a question is that to be asking?  Of course, he wanted to be healed.

But Jesus was not convinced.  This man had been stuck in his condition for a long time.  He was not only lying down on the outside, he was lying down on the inside.

Arise My Son

Written by Barbara Alpert

If you have struggled with your relationship with a parent or are struggling as a parent, we are here to talk. Contact us today.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

My beloved son, it is time for you to arise and take your stance in the Light of my Son. I, your heavenly Father, am calling you out of darkness. Arise from your affliction for the power –My power within you– is greater than your despondency. Healing, restoration, and freedom await, but you must have faith. I beckon you to arise to the new things I seek to do within, for, and through you.

Clearly, you do not perceive that your prison sentence, inner turmoil, and suffering are over. I, the Lord, have removed the chains that bound you. Your shackles are loose, and your prison doors are open. In your darkness, I heard your grieving and now I offer you my joy. Freedom and new life await but you must choose to come out of captivity. My valued one, it is time for you to behold, step forward, and partake in the new things I set before you.

Stuck

Written by Debbie West

Take today’s next step: Take the 35 Day Challenge and get unstuck.

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12b-13)

When my niece Caroline was almost two years old, I took her to the mall to run an errand for her mom. While we were there, we went to the indoor playground. It was a closed-in area for preschoolers. I sat among parents who watched their children crawl through and climb over the pint-sized obstacle course.

At one point I realized that I couldn’t see Caroline, so I stood and began walking toward the other end of the play area. I hadn’t taken two steps when I heard a child’s loud cry. Sure enough, it was Caroline. Another dad was holding her, scanning the play area to find the parent. I reached out and took her from him. “She stuck her head in one of the shoe cubbies and couldn’t get out,” he told me. “I don’t think she’s hurt but it scared her.”

Silver and Gold

A few months ago a reader wrote to tell me how devastated she’d been by the breakup of her marriage. One day her husband simply told her he no longer loved her and wasn’t interested in working things out. The marriage was ended.

At times her pain was physical. She felt as though she were having a heart attack. But through the pain and chaos, she refused to doubt God, telling him she knew he was faithful and good. During the months that followed, this heartbroken woman kept seeking him, yielding her life again and again.
Now a year later, after living through what she describes as the darkest time of her life, she speaks about healing and a new freedom to love God that she never imagined possible. Her hope is palpable as she tells of her confidence that the best is yet to come.

Why Our Walk With Jesus Seems So Hard Some Days

Written by Rev. Daniel Forster

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
Somehow upon receiving the freedom that comes when we accept Christ into our lives, we come up with a false notion that following Jesus is going to be easy. Because of this false notion, many folks who decide to give their lives to Christ end up returning to the life they were saved from. The enemy plants lies in their heads – that God is not with them or that the freedom they briefly experienced was not meant for them.

All we have to do is look at what Jesus faced and come to terms with the fact that we will face these things too. It is not that God is not with us, nor is His grace is unobtainable. These lies are tools used by the enemy to deceive us. There are four things I want to share with you today, that Jesus experienced and we will too.

When your loss is gain

It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed." —Kin Hubbard

I have a friend who has a great story about depending on money. He shared it with our church once, and this is about how it went:

In 1982, this issue of money started when I finished my degree at Dallas Seminary. I took a ministry position in California. Being young and confident, my wife and I bought another house when we moved. Ten months into that particular stint, I was fired. Now, we had two house payments... along with our third child just being born... along with all the expenses of a young family.

Untangle the Knots...One Day at a Time

by Joyce Meyer

Picture your life as a jumble of shoestrings all tied up in knots, each shoestring a different color. The different shoestrings represent the different elements of your life, such as your family, your job, etc. This jumble of knots could represent many of our lives—with everything all knotted up. 

Arise My Daughter

Written by Barbara Alpert

Is it time to take a step of faith?

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)  

My beloved daughter, it is time for you to arise and take your stance in the light of my Son. I, your heavenly Father, am calling you out of darkness. Arise from your affliction for my power within you is greater than your despondency. Healing, restoration, and freedom await but you must have faith. I beckon you to arise to the new things I seek to do within, for, and through you.    

Cleary, you do not perceive that your prison sentence, inner turmoil and suffering, is over. I, the Lord, have removed the chains that bound you. Your shackles are loose, and your prison doors are open. In your darkness, I heard your weeping and now I offer you my joy. Freedom and new life awaits but you must choose to come out of captivity. My precious one, it is time for you to step forward and partake in the new things I set before you.