Your healing awaits just like the paralyzed man who suffered from palsy for 38 years that Jesus healed instantly:
Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” ~ Luke 5:24b-26
Friends, may God grant that your pain disappear overnight allowing a restful sleep.
Embrace your healing with an attitude of gratitude! You have been blessed with great things today!! I am sure that your neighbors noticed and are amazed too!! ~ SELAH
Yes, Jesus is not dead in a tomb but He burst forth alive and victorious just as the Bible predicted. He is now glorified forever, sitting on the right-hand side of Our Heavenly Father’s throne.
He’s alive! HALLELUJAH!!
And He’s in charge of everything!!!
We serve a risen Savior, Amen.
Rejoice!! Our King 👑 is coming soon to resurrect the rest of us believers.
It’s been soooo long since the last time I signed off here at Importantstuff.live. My blogging journey seems to have come full circle since the last time I offered a read. Thank you for checking in now. I have missed our little group. Over the past couple years, I have received many of your posts through my inbox. Each one has lifted my faith and my spirit – truly! Thank you all so much for your consistency and obedience to the Lord in sharing both His Word and encouragement in a world gone crazy.
Last month I seriously considered closing down this website. I have been blogging sporadically over at The Fragrance of Christ blog and asked the Lord what His purpose is for my blogging going forward. I went a step further and put out a fleece like Gideon:
“Lord, if two readers give a like to anything at Importantstuff.live, I will take that as my answer to renew the subscription for at least another year.”
Well, today I checked and exactly two readers gave my post Indecision – The Spirit of Fear from way back in 2016 a like! Isn’t God amazing? I love Him so much. So here I am telling you my mini story of a twinge of doubt in my walk with our Heavenly Father and how He has drawn me closer to Him every step of the way.
Today, I would like to wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and INCREASE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE IN THE COMING YEAR 2025!!! Don’t be surprised more posts from Importantstuff.live show up in your feed in the future. I am renewed by faith and encouraged by our Lord to show up and get back to work for His Glory. Love to All this Christmas season. Be safe, walk in the footsteps of Christ, and sprinkle kindness as you go.
Just checking in to say “Hi” to old friends. I’ve missed you and hope things have been going well with a steady growth in the Holy Spirit. Still trying to get my writing groove back …
I wish I could say that it has been going well but … not so much. Frankly, world events being what they are, I feel heartbroken. Then the words just don’t come to paper; so I post scriptures mostly about God’s love, for the world I thought I knew is unrecognizable.Yet the world needs to know that it’s not God’s fault. He loves us so much that he sacrificed his own Son to redeem us from our sinful selves.
The world is getting very very close to the “days of Noah” that Jesus talked about. Jesus is coming soon!
And then the judgement.
Proverbs 2:1-3
My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding…
Proverbs 2:6-9
For the LORD grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
He guard the paths of the just and protects those
who are faithful to him.
Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
Tribulations shall come; and we are told to glory in them (Romans 5:1-5 NKJV).
1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character, and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t say that I glory in times of testing. At times I have been so gripped by fear that I was virtually stuck – powerlessly overwhelmed by worry, doubt, and loss. My nights were sleepless and when I called out to God in prayer for peace of mind, it did not come.
What is wrong with me?
I was not earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 1:3). I lacked boldness and confidence in my Lord that He not only provides for all my needs, but He is more powerful than any circumstance. I was not living by faith in Jesus, but faith in myself.
I can’t fix anything! Once I turned everything over to Him, my burdens were lifted as He carried me through one difficulty after another. The more I trusted Jesus to take control of my life, my prayers were heard and answered according to His will. I can now see how giving God the glory fits with tribulation, as his solutions to problems are perfect compared to mine. Where was the evidence of my faith? Sadly – gone. But praise God, once I repented and began to live according to His Spirit guiding me, I learned:
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” ~ Romans 1:16-17 NKJV
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass… 7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret – it only causes harm. ~ Psalm 37:3-5,7a, 8 NKJV
Jesus keep me from stumbling! Keep me from taking back any burdens You have freed me from so I can rest in You always. Thank You LORD!
28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, as I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
And also:
20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ~ Jude 1:20-21 NKJV
Hi everybody! Happy Friday already … again … it sure comes around fast, doesn’t it? Has this week slipped by with you wondering where your blessing went?
Gee, I know how you feel! But what would happen if we speak God’s Word aloud all week?
Take Isaiah 41:10, for example:
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Okay, so what happens if we declare what God just said to us and accept it as truth? Let’s try speaking it back to Him!
“I am not afraid, for You are with me. I am not discouraged, for You are my God. You strengthen me and help me. You hold me up with Your victorious right hand. Selah!”
See how we can clothe ourselves in glory by speaking God’s Word for us back to Him? It’s affirmation. It’s receiving through speaking scriptures into the atmosphere that changes our circumstances. It builds us up, just as God intended. It shifts things that are against us into things working for our good.
Many times we hear that prayer changes things – and it does. I would add that boldly speaking God’s Word in our prayers delights God. Making confident declarations of God’s wisdom through His Word makes a lot of sense to me. How about you?
Try with me Matthew 5:44-45a (declared):
“I declare, that I love my enemies, and bless those who curse me, just as You commanded, LORD. I do my best to do good to those who hate me, and pray for those who mistreat me and persecute me. This way, I behave as a true child of my Father in Heaven.”
Let’s open ourselves up to the possibilities of God’s greatness toward us. Speak God’s Word!
“but we who hope in the LORD will renew our strength. We will soar on wings like eagles; we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31 (declared)
“The LORD keeps me from all harm – He watches over my life; the LORD watches over my coming and going both now and forevermore.” ~ Psalm 121:7-8 (declared)
Are we getting the hang of it now? Look at how effective prayer is when we speak the Word of God:
“Jesus, You said that I’m to keep on asking, and I will receive what I ask for; to keep on seeking, and I will find.
to keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to me. That is what I’m doing, LORD, for everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” ~ Matthew 7:7-8 (declared)
While we’re at it, let’s thank God for His great GREAT love for us with one of my favorite worship songs. Let me know in the comments if you have tried this “declare and receive” prayer method and whether it has helped achieve breakthroughs for you or not. As always, I sincerely thank you for following Importantstuff.Live and should we stray may the LORD leave the ninety-nine and keep comin’ after me and you!
²²But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, ²³GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL. Against such there is no law. . . 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.~Galatians 5:22,23,25 NKJV
7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap . . . 8bbut he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. . . . 16And as many as walk according to this rule, PEACE and MERCY be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.~Galatians 6:7,8b,9,16 NKJV (emphasis added)
Brethren, keep God’s law – love one another. Share each others’ burdens. Keep sowing to the Spirit and reap everlasting life. Don’t lose heart!
The Jewish leadership of Jerusalem has accused Paul of sedition according to their law (Acts 21-26). After possibly being held for ransom in Caesarea for two years by then Governor Felix, Paul’s case is heard by the new Governor Portius Festus and yet another politico named King Herod Agrippa II.
Paul eloquently defends himself to these authorities and also gives witness about Jesus to everyone there with no evidence of belief in the room. However, Paul is granted his appeal to be tried by Caesar and handed over to a Roman centurion of the Augustan Regiment named Julius.
How many times have I thought I was headed in the right direction and then out of the blue I’m derailed into some kind of weird time-loop-thing I can’t seem to make any sense of, but is hindering my progress! Not just me, but other people tell me they experience the same thing. Praise God! His timing is perfect! …. I tend to blunder along and sometimes God sends me a big, “WHOA, SLOW DOWN!” command … anyway, back to our story of Paul, who appears to be two years late from the git-go on heading over to Rome …
Time to shove off!
Julius wastes no time in setting sail for Rome with Paul, Luke, Aristarchus, and some other prisoners in tow. Within a day, they reach the port of Sidon, where Julius shows a bit of kindness toward Paul and allows him freedom to visit with friends before setting sail again. A bit of a wind tosses the ship, so the captain steers along the leeward shoreline of Cyprus and hugs the southern coastline of today’s Turkey before pulling into Myla, a city of Lycia. Julius quickly books passage on an Alexandrian ship heading to Italy, and as soon as his responsibilities are all aboard, probably kicks back for a game of dice with his officers; thinking that the voyage to Rome is going along better than he could have expected.
Not so fast!
“7When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. 8Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.” ~ Acts 27:7-8 NKJV
Now winter is pressing upon this little ship of fools – Ooops! I mean souls. So much time has passed by now that even The Fastis mentioned in verse 9, or Tisri (The Day of Atonement), indicating the date to be September 24th in that year. After much time spent debating whether to put up here for the winter or to press forward to Crete, Paul warns Julius against proceeding. Paul predicts loss of cargo, the ship, and even lives if the ship continues.
Against Paul’s warning Julius accepts the captain’s and ship-owner’s advice to continue onward to Crete. There is a better winter harbor at Phoenix on Crete and perhaps Julius values the judgement of experienced sailors over a prisoner who may or may not want to delay legal proceedings in Rome. Regardless, the winds let down, majority rules, and off they sail … thinking they have favor with the sea gods!
How often do I launch my boat against good advice? – Or even worse, against God’s will? Hah! Too many times for me to confess here. At least with the Holy Spirit’s help I chose the right harbor – Jesus is my rest. How about you, friend?
Stay tuned to hear Luke’s account of what happens next as the wind changes and calamity strikes!
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