Life Would Be Boring If We Had It All Figured Out

 

                                                         

                                                        

 I started thinking about the saying, “God is in the details.” I started thinking not just about my own life but about others' lives. I don’t know one person who has “it all figured out".

What if we did? I couldn’t imagine a life without “surprises”. Some people seem to have an easier time just “going with it”. When life throws them punches, they don’t seem to be as bruised and hurt as others. Some people can get up and move forward more easily and quickly than others. The ones I know who do that don’t keep telling themselves that good things can’t happen to them. In other words, they don’t give excuses. They don’t give up. Some are still searching for how to live in peace amid all the “surprises” in their lives.

There are several articles on how childhood trauma may impact adults. The article is just one, and I want to share it here in case anyone is in need of this information

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/how-childhood-trauma-may-impact-adults

Another website I would like to mention that may help in providing treatment for many of the mental health problems people are suffering from is :

https://www.honeylake.clinic/

I do not know anything other than what I read online about Honey Lake Clinic. Honestly, it sounds like a place I would want to vacation at for 7 to 10 days.

At JesusRx, we are about mind, body, and spirit healing, and we know that through the Great Physician, our needs will be met. I did not say that life will be all happy, as that is not what this world gives us. When God created this world, He gave us perfection, and all was good. When sin entered, it entered for all of us.

I just wanted to go over John 19:38-42 as we approach Easter.

Jesus dies on the cross, and two men take care of the burial. Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take away Jesus' body. He was a “secret disciple” because he feared what the Jews would do to him if they knew he was following Jesus.

Nicodemus is the other man who came and brought about a hundred pounds of myrrh and Aloe. They used the spices and wrapped Jesus in strips of linen. This is the Jewish custom for burial.

In the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb. No one had yet been laid there. The Jews had a preparation day before observing Passover, and no work was to be done on Passover day.

It was a perfect place to have the tomb so the men could lay Jesus' body before Passover. They would not have been allowed to transfer or prepare Jesus' body the next day, according to Jewish law.

Joseph and Nicodemus no doubt loved Jesus very much and wanted to give him the burial he deserved. No one else was there to get Jesus' body.

Notice how every detail is taken care of. The people to get Jesus' body, Pilate allowed them to do so, and the provision of oil and supplies needed. The timing and place are perfect. Jesus would have hung on the cross for several days because of the Passover.

This all happened at the perfect time, and God was in the details. There was an empty tomb in the garden, so it wasn’t necessary to try to look for a place or to take Jesus' body far away. God had it all figured out.

If you continue to read the next few chapters, it gets very exciting!

It’s draining to try to figure out all the details of my life. There is no way I can do this. I serve a God who is in every detail of my life if I will allow Him to be. If I knew what was happening tomorrow, I probably would not focus on today.

If I saw a wonderful thing that was going to happen, I would focus on that and let the great things of the day I’m in slip by me. If I knew something “bad” was going to happen, I would worry or try to avoid it. I do know I can avoid many “bad” things by staying away from things I know don’t do me any good.

I’ll try to explain this in very simple terms. Let's take a car accident, for example. If I head out to the shelter to volunteer and am on my way, someone runs a red light and hits me, I really have no control over that other than never getting in a car and going anywhere. That is not reasonable or how God would want me to live my life. (fear-based. We have a prescription for fear at JesusRx.org.)

If on my way to the shelter, I drive 100mph (my car would laugh at that. I always tell my husband I need a fast car.), lose control, and wreck, well, that is on me. I had control over how fast to drive and chose to drive out of the limits, and in turn, got hurt.

God is with me at all times. In every detail. Do I observe the things from Him that bring life, or choose my own ways? In many instances, I am selfish. It’s human nature to want what we want. I don’t want this human nature. I want a Spirit-filled nature.

The Spirit-filled nature will allow me to let the One who has my life all figured out guide me. What a relief, I don’t have to have life all figured out.

Do you need that relief today? You can have it. It’s as simple as 1,2,3.

1.         1.    Romans 3:23 Says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Admit you are a sinner (sin is the act of breaking God’s laws and is the sickness that separates us from God)

2.             2.     Romans 10:9-10  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Believe that  Jesus is the Son of God, the perfect One, able to take your sin and heal your separation from God.

3.             3.    1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Ask Jesus to come and live in your heart as your personal Savior. That is it; you have received His wonderful gift! He will change you.

Please send me an email if this spoke to you, and especially if you have received your free gift of Jesus Christ and no longer need to “have it all figured out!” Praise God for that.

 

 

 

Grief, Tears and the Empty Place

 

Grief, Tears, and the Empty Place

When a loved one passes, grief happens. I have known people to grieve even when a relative was not necessarily close to them. There is just something about a person being gone from this physical world that hits many of us in crazy ways.

What I learned from the passing of my mom is that grief really is a strange thing. How one minute I would be going about my daily activities of life, minding my own business, then BAM, just like that, it hits. IT is hard to describe. It isn’t like the heaviness of when you are taking care of a sick loved one. It was different. It is just that longing to hear her voice, to see her smile, and, yes, even to argue with me. She made me laugh, and I could get her to laugh on most days when she was not well.

I can’t even imagine the pain, hurt, or grief a mother, father, or grandparent feels when a child is taken from this earth. The unfulfilled dreams a parent had for them. Many tears must fall. Anger may even happen. (We have a Prescription For Anger available. See Jesusrx.org or evapopek.com for details)

In my tears, Jesus cares. In my tears, I may not recognize that He is near. In my tears, I should be seeking Him and His comfort. In my tears, I know He can be preparing me for an assignment. I need to know Jesus lives. I need to let Him live in my life, and turn my sadness into joy.

Mary, the disciples, and I have much to rejoice over. Jesus did and always does what He says He will.

Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus (Mark 15:40-41). She loved Him deeply. She had been delivered from demons (Luke 8:2). She witnessed His crucifixion and resurrection. (Matthew 27:54-28:10, Mark 16:1-10, Luke 24:10, and John 19:25-20:18)

Mary went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. She was weeping. She was so sad and stooped down to look into the tomb, and it was empty. Nobody, dead or alive, was there. She couldn’t believe this. Who would take Jesus dead body? She wept, and then saw 2 angels in white, one at the head of where Jesus body had lain and one at the foot.

They asked, “Why are you weeping?” She said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid Him”.

As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know it was Him. He must not have looked the same as before His death, or she was so distraught that she did not even recognize Him. I think He must have looked different, because two of the disciples He was walking behind after He rose from the grave didn't recognize Him either.

Jesus asked Mary the same questions as the angels did, “Why are you weeping? And adds “Who are you seeking?” (John 20:1-21)

Jesus cared about why Mary was weeping. Jesus cares about why we weep. He wants to know who Mary was seeking. I think that when I’m in tears over anything, I know God cares. He sent Jesus to us because of the many tears we will shed here on earth. For many, heartache and tears have led them to know the Love of God. As we seek Jesus, knowing He died for us and, better yet, rose to sit at the right hand of the Father, they see us. Jesus did not stay in that grave.

At that moment, Mary did not know that Jesus was speaking to her. She thought it was the gardener, since the gardener usually worked the hour she was in the garden. She thought maybe the gardener had placed Him somewhere else. She wanted to know where He was so she could go get Him.

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” Because of the exclamation mark (this is in the NKJV), I believe He said it the way I do when I need to get my dog Rosie's attention. I say it with force and authority. She knows the voice. Mary belonged to Jesus. He wanted to make sure she knew His voice.

Jesus called out Mary’s name with authority. She turned to him and said Robboni (I think she may have shouted it!). It means teacher. I’m sure she was so excited to see Him alive and talking to her. She wanted to stay near Him. Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to my brethren (believers) and say to them “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

We are told she went and did as Jesus, her Lord asked.

Wow! She was so obedient. I wonder if she thought, “But Jesus, they won’t believe me. But Jesus, I just want to stay near you. But Jesus, I’m tired. What I just experienced is too emotional for me.” She no doubt was happy and did as Jesus asked. She seemed to know she would see Him again. She did.

I have no doubt I will get to see my loved ones again that know Jesus. He has a place for them and all those knowing Him to re-unite. Oh what a reunion it will be. Glorifying the Lord in truth and Spirit, not room for the flesh.

John 20:19 we see Jesus words “Peace be with you” and as He breathed on them, He said  “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  Peace be with you the common Jewish greeting is still used today (Shalom alekem).

Peace was Jesus’s gift to His followers by virtue of His sacrificial death on the cross. (NKJV study notes).  As Easter time approaches and we remember His resurrection, keep in mind the gift of His peace to those who follow Him. Seek His peace when you grieve, joy will come in the morning. Maybe not the next morning, but it will come.

We have the Prescription For Peace workbook available. See my website Jesusrx.org or evapopek.com for details. We offer 5 week sessions on each prescription. If interested send me a message from my website.

I have been given peace that passes all understanding because of His promises. May you continue in His word and my peace abound in the midst of your tears.

 

Faultless. How is that Possible?

 

Faultless. How is that Possible?

Don’t we all have faults, shortcomings, and things we want to change about ourselves?

Have you ever said, “I wish I could be more like____________. Fill in the blank.

Maybe it wasn’t a person but an attribute you wanted to have. In the past, I have said “I want to be more organized, I want to be healthier, I wish I was taller, I want better vision”. What things have you said about yourself in the past that you wanted changed?

Can we agree that everyone has faults? What is a fault?

Fault: implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit. You can read more about the definition here:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fault

Because we know and I think we agree that “no one is perfect,” how can we become “faultless”?

About a month after my mom passed, a wonderful friend of mine sent me a devotional book titled “Prayers & Promises for Women.” The first promise was acceptance. It was a very short read, and I will put the Bible Verses at the end. If you will take the time to look them up, I hope you will find your acceptance in those words.

There are people whom I have met who think they have no faults. There was a time in my life when I thought I was right about everything. Actually, I was so argumentative that people said I should’ve been a lawyer, or they got so tired of me trying to convince myself I was right, they just agreed (even if I was way off). Praise God, I had medication to help me. I no longer act in such a way. The medication I take has truly been a Godsend! I take a prescription for speech, love, joy, and anger. They are available at my website, JesusRx.org

 evapopek.com

 I am so overjoyed when I met someone without fault, no, it’s not my husband. He is pretty close to perfection most days. Wives, here’s a little advice. Tell your husband how good he is and so close to perfection, and how blessed you are. This will keep him motivated to do good things for you. Seriously, show appreciation for your man, just as you want them to show appreciation for you and all you do.

Back to becoming faultless. It is possible. I was amazed to learn it is possible. The man I speak of, whose name is Jesus, makes it possible. He was accused of many things and brought before Pilate. Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man”. False witnesses were gathered to testify.

Time and time again, I read about the sinless life Jesus led and about His purpose. Do you know His purpose for coming, dying, and being raised from the dead?

Here are some verses to look up about His sinless life: 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 8:46, 1 Peter 2:22, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:19, Romans 8:3-4 . There are more, but I hope you get the point.

We are told many times that Jesus was without sin. This is why He was accepted by God as our sacrifice, and in turn makes us acceptable to God. This allows me NOT to die in my sins.  (1 John 3:5, John 1:29, and John 3:16)

Will I ever achieve complete faultlessness while on this earth? No, but as I’m being sanctified, changed, and commit my life to God’s ways and rely on the Holy Spirit (not a list of do’s and don’ts), I WILL BE PRESENTED BLAMELESS, HOLY, AND FAULTLESS. This is only possible BECAUSE OF JESUS' PERFECT BODY, MIND, AND SOUL WAS PRESENTED IN THE FLESH, AS MY PERFECTION. WHEN MY LIFE IN THE FLESH IS DONE AND NO LONGER NEEDED HERE, I WILL BE FREED OF ANY FAULTS (Colossians 1:22)

You can be accepted; everyone and anyone can be accepted (John 6:37) because Jesus says He will always accept those the Father gives Him.

The Lord looks at your heart, not the outward appearance, as people do. God is for you! He has chosen you to be His very own through what Jesus did on the cross. Because accepting Jesus, we now stand before Him covered in His love. As God has accepted me with all my faults, may I be able to accept others and share the love that has covered me.

When we receive Jesus and allow His perfection to cover us, His love is like no other.

JesusRx Prescription For Love is available now. Just click the title, and you will be directed to the bookstore. 

You can email me at evapopekjesusrx@gmail and I will send you the Zoom invitation to join us in taking the Prescription for Love.  We will continue with other prescriptions you can take AS NEEDED. I need them daily! 

Stay healthy and stay in His Word!