Returning to Intimacy

Tag: bible

  • OnlyJesus

    Jesus said, “Follow Me.”
    That wasn’t a suggestion, it was a call to reorient everything. And it changed my life.

    I wasn’t always bold. I didn’t always feel qualified. In fact, there was a time I was hiding, behind fear, behind pain, behind shame. But Jesus… Jesus came right into that place and called me by name. He didn’t ask me to be perfect. He didn’t ask me to fix myself. He just said, “Follow Me.”

    And I did. That simple yes led to the most beautiful undoing and becoming. My Pastor reminded me of these three key nuggets:

    1. Jesus Helps Ordinary People

    I’m proof of this. I’m not here because I figured life out. I’m here because Jesus met me as I was, ordinary, overwhelmed, unsure, and loved me anyway. His grace didn’t demand performance; it invited me to rest.

    “When they saw the courage of Peter and John… they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
    Acts 4:13

    Peter and John were fishermen. Rough around the edges. But being with Jesus made them bold. It still does.

    There’s something sacred about helping others find what we’ve found, grace that rewrites your story. Eulogy virtue isn’t about what we achieve. It’s about who we become. Jesus is still using ordinary people to do eternal work.

    1. Jesus Helps Us Become

    I used to strive to “get it right” before I believed I could belong. But Jesus flipped that.

    With Him, you belong before you believe, and you believe before you behave. That truth shattered my shame. The way Jesus loves is deeper than any sin that tried to stain me. I didn’t have to earn it. I just had to receive it.

    “In Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

    Even me. Especially me.
    Being with Jesus changes you. His grace is greater than your guilt. His love digs deeper than your brokenness. He doesn’t shame you into holiness, He loves you into wholeness.

    1. Jesus Makes Us Passionate Followers

    Somewhere along the way, I stopped trying to just survive and started burning with purpose. The same Jesus who called me out of hiding, now sends me out to help others find Him. I’m not here to impress people, I’m here to point them to Jesus, the Preeminent One.

    “That in everything He might be preeminent.”
    Colossians 1:18

    He’s not just first in my day, He’s first in my desires, in my calling, in my voice. Jesus is not just someone I talk about, He is my life.

    So Today, I Reorient

    I reorient my thoughts, my steps, my heart, around Jesus. Not religion. Not rules. Just Jesus. He found me. He changed me. He sent me. And now I burn to help others come and follow Him too.

    Let me leave you with this:

    Only Jesus can take ordinary people and make them bold. Only Jesus can turn shame into strength. Only Jesus is worthy of your whole life.

  • A Living Testimony

    Living Testimony for Jesus

    We are not just called to speak about Jesus, we are called to live Him. Every trial we’ve overcome, every tear we’ve shed, and every victory we’ve won by faith tells a story. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through our lives, we become living epistles, letters written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:3).

    Being a living testimony means loving when it’s hard, forgiving when it’s undeserved, and standing firm in truth when the world sways. It’s in how we respond to hardship, how we extend grace, and how we choose obedience over convenience.

    Our lives preach louder than our lips ever could.

    Lord Jesus, let our lives reflect Your glory. Let our walk match our words. May every part of us testify to Your goodness, mercy, and power. Use our life to draw others to You. In Jesus name. Amen.

    Take one moment today to share your story, big or small, with someone who needs hope. Your scars might just be the roadmap to someone else’s healing.

  • Stewardship Over Ownership

    “It’s Not Mine , But It’s In My Hands”

    Pastor Mike gave us a powerful reflection on stewardship and obedience on Sunday. His message struck a deep chord in me, especially as he unpacked what it truly means to be a steward and not an owner. I had to learn this lesson, many years ago, particularly in the area of giving.

    He shared three key truths:

    1. Hold loosely what God has entrusted to you.
    2. Be honest about what you really control.
    3. Look for opportunities to invest in God’s Kingdom.

    That resonated deeply with me. There was a time I robbed God in tithes and offerings, not out of rebellion, but out of ignorance and fear. But when I came to understand the truth about tithing, that “it all belongs to God,” my heart began to shift. I realized then: I’m not giving to be seen or feel important, but because I love Him. Obedience became my worship.

    Whether it’s tithing to my church, sowing into various ministries, none of it is really mine. God just placed it in my hands.

    We live in a culture obsessed with more, driven by the idol of Mammon. But in the Book of Acts (Acts 4:34–37), we see a church that lived differently. They understood the difference, as Pastor calls it, between BO—Body Odor (when it belongs to man) and DO—Divine Odor (when it belongs to God). Everything they had, they laid at the apostles’ feet, not because they were forced, but because they were free.

    He also gave the analogy of the boy with the two fish and five loaves of bread. It wasn’t much. But it was in his hand, and when he released it to Jesus, it became more than enough.That’s the power of stewardship: We don’t use God to get what we want.
    We use what He gives to glorify Him. We stop being stingy with what already belongs to God. Stewardship over ownership. Worship over materialism. Obedience over self-glory.

    My heart cry today is: “God, how do You want me to use what You gave me?”
    Because I know now, it’s not mine, but it’s in my hand. And when I place it in His hands, it becomes much.

    Sovereign Lord,

    Thank You for entrusting us with what is Yours. We come with open hands and humble hearts, recognizing that everything we have, our time, talents, resources, relationships, even our very breath, belongs to You. It’s not ours, but You’ve placed it in our hands to manage with care, faithfulness, and love.

    Forgive us, Lord, for the times we’ve held too tightly to what was never ours to begin with. Teach us to hold loosely, to give freely, and to live generously. Help us to be honest about what we truly control and to release the illusion of ownership.

    Lord, we want to be faithful stewards, willing vessels used for Your glory. Lead us to invest in Your Kingdom: in people, in truth, in compassion, and in eternal things. Remind us daily that only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Let us not be consumed by the pull of materialism or the idol of more. Deliver us from the love of money and the fear of lack. Teach us to trust You as our Source, our Provider, our Shepherd, our King.

    Use what’s in our hands, Lord, no matter how small it may seem. Multiply it for Your purposes. May our obedience release miracles like the loaves and fish, and may our giving carry the fragrance of heaven, not the scent of self.

    We surrender again today, our hearts, our gifts, our lives.

    In Jesus’ name,
    Amen.

  • Exposing The Deceiver

    Key Scripture:
    “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8

    Satan doesn’t always show up with fury and flames. Sometimes, he comes quietly, through distraction, compromise, or indifference. His goal? To steal your focus, kill your passion, and destroy your purpose.

    The Bible reveals four strategic ways the enemy tries to deceive God’s people:

    1. Indifference – The devil numbs our hunger for God, making spiritual things feel unnecessary or irrelevant. This is spiritual apathy, and it’s dangerous (1 John 5:19).
    2. Ignorance – Where God’s truth is lacking, deception runs wild. Satan loves to operate in darkness. That’s why staying rooted in the Word is vital (Hosea 4:6).
    3. Infiltration – The enemy slips in through small compromises: secret sins, anger left unchecked, or unguarded thoughts (Eph. 4:27; Prov. 6:27). He doesn’t need a big door, just a crack.
    4. Intervention through BUSYness – Satan keeps us Bound Under Satan’s Yoke by crowding our lives with debt, distractions, and an endless pursuit of “more.” It’s not always evil, sometimes it’s just everything else but God.

    But here’s the truth:
    Satan is not God’s equal. He is a defeated enemy, a created being on a divine leash. He is not omnipresent, omnipotent, or omniscient. He is not the opposite of God, at best, he’s the opposite of Michael the archangel.

    And YOU, dear child of God, are on Team Jesus. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

    Ask yourself this question: How can I stay vigilant and walk daily in the victory Jesus already won?

    Father,
    Thank You for giving me discernment and authority through Christ. Help me to remain sober and vigilant, not falling into the traps of indifference, ignorance, or distraction. Expose every lie and help me to walk in truth. Thank You that Satan is defeated and that the One in me is greater than the one in the world.
    I choose today to stand firm, as a warrior on Team Jesus. In Jesus’ name,
    Amen.

  • A Vessel or Vault?

    Living a Life of Generosity

    “What do you have?”
    This was the question posed by the prophet Elisha to a desperate widow in 2 Kings 4:2–7. Her answer, a small jar of oil, did not seem like much. But what followed was a miracle rooted not in how much she had, but in her willingness to pour out what she did have.

    This same question echoes to us today: What do you have? And are you willing to give it to the Lord?

    As Pastor Matt shared these truths, he reminded us that generosity isn’t just about money or things, it’s about identity. It’s not simply something we do; it’s who we are. Generosity is the outward expression of a heart surrendered to God.

    Scripture is clear:
    “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty… for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11

    “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me,’ but remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” – Deuteronomy 8:17-18

    “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.” – Haggai 2:8

    God owns it all, yet He chooses to work through us. The question is, how are we stewarding what He’s placed in our hands?

    We can live life as a vault, locked up, storing for ourselves, hoarding our time, talent, and treasure. Or we can live as a vessel, open, yielded, and ready to pour.

    Elisha didn’t ask the widow to store the oil. He told her to pour it. And as long as she poured, the oil kept flowing. That’s the kingdom principle: the key to ongoing provision is pouring, not preserving.

    Are you a storer or a pourer?

    Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) If our heart is truly set on the kingdom, generosity becomes our natural response. We’re not called to keep the oil, but to spread it, across generations, across communities, across nations.

    We are agents of hope and transformation. When we live with open hands and surrendered hearts, God uses us to fill empty jars all around us, broken people, hurting families, weary souls.

    So ask yourself today:
    Am I living as a vessel or a vault? Am I storing or pouring?

    May our answer be: “Lord, all I have is Yours. Use me as a vessel, let the oil flow.”

  • Stay Connected to the Vine

    Jesus said, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

    To stay connected to the Vine is not a passive suggestion, it’s a covenant call. A divine invitation to live in alignment, authority, and abundant grace. When we abide in Him, we step into a rhythm not driven by striving but by divine partnership.

    Grace is not only what saves us, it reveals what faith retrieves. In other words, grace opens the door, but faith is what walks through it. When we are intimately connected to Christ, our faith becomes alive, strong, and active. We no longer live reactionary lives. We live responsive ones, sensitive to the Spirit and bold in obedience.

    The place where you meet God is sacred. But it is also limitless. Expand your expectations. Invite Him everywhere, into the car ride, the boardroom, the kitchen, the prison, the hospital room. Like the psalmist said, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). The answer? Nowhere. He is always present. And He wants to be invited into everything.

    To stay connected is to stay in covenant. Not just when it feels good, but when it’s hard. Ecclesiastes 9:11 reminds us that the race is not given to the swift. In other words, this walk isn’t about being the fastest or most talented, it’s about being faithful.

    “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2 Timothy 2:12). Passion for Christ will cause us to suffer. But suffering in Christ isn’t a setback, it’s a setup for authority. Through suffering, we gain spiritual weight. Heaven recognizes those who’ve stayed when others left, who pressed in when others gave up.

    Beloved, don’t let go.
    Be persistent. Be rooted. Be relentless. God is not after perfection, He’s after connection. To stay connected to the Vine is to remain nourished when the world is dry, focused when distractions scream, and fruitful even in famine.

    Stay in divine alignment. Stand for what God stands for. You were born to bear much fruit, but only in Him.

  • What Church Are You?

    Revelation 3:14 – The Church of Laodicea

    Last night at Evening Prayer, we looked into the sobering words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. This is a message to a church in the last days, our time. And it’s a message we can’t afford to ignore.

    Jesus says, “I know your works…” (v15). That was the first point Pastor Byron made. God sees everything we do, not just what’s on the outside, but the true condition of our hearts. He said this church was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, and because of that, He was ready to spit them out of His mouth. That’s strong language, but it shows us how serious this is. Lukewarm means complacent, self-satisfied, religious but not surrendered.

    Pastor Byron compared this to the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes. You remember the story, the emperor thought he was wearing beautiful garments, but he was actually naked. He was blind to his true condition, and everyone around him just played along. That’s what the Laodicean church was like. They said, “I am rich, I have prospered, I need nothing,” but Jesus said, “You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” They were unaware of their spiritual poverty, and that’s the second key point. We must know the true condition of our souls.

    Then Jesus tells them, and us, what to do: “Buy from Me gold refined by fire.” (v.18) At first, I wasn’t sure what this meant, but then we were directed to Isaiah 55:1, where it says:
    “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

    That scripture helps us understand, Jesus is not talking about literal gold. He’s inviting us to come to Him with empty hands, to receive pure faith, tested character, and true riches of the Spirit that cannot be bought with money. This gold, refined by fire, represents a faith that has gone through the fire and comes out pure. It’s the kind of life that pleases God.

    And then Jesus ends with a promise: “To the one who overcomes…” (v21). That’s our goal, to overcome lukewarmness, compromise, and spiritual blindness. And we do that by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Not just once, but continually seeking Him, checking the condition of our hearts, and living a life surrendered to Jesus.

    So I ask myself, and I ask you: What can I do so I’m not lukewarm?

    I must ask for the infilling of the Holy Spirit daily. I must let God refine me by fire, burning away everything that’s not like Him. I must stay honest about my spiritual condition, and not pretend I’m “okay” when I’m not.

    This is not about perfection, it’s about hunger, honesty, and obedience.

    Let us not be like the emperor, walking around naked but thinking we’re clothed. Let’s ask the Lord to clothe us in white garments, open our eyes with His eye salve, and fill us with fire from above. Let us be hot for God, and never lukewarm.

  • Bold Request Kingdom Purpose

    The times we live in are marked by uncertainty, confusion, and spiritual distraction. Yet in the midst of it all, God calls His people to rise with clarity, confidence, and boldness, not in our strength, but in the assurance that when we align with His will, heaven responds.

    We’re not left to guess God’s will. It’s clear in His Word: souls saved, truth proclaimed, the Church purified, the Bride made ready. Our prayers are not meant to be timid wishes but bold declarations of what God already desires.

    When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are inviting Heaven’s agenda to invade the earth through our faith and obedience. We are also surrendering our own ideas and timelines to the perfect strategy of our King.

    Now is the time to ask boldly, for revival, for workers in the harvest, for clarity of purpose, and for hearts to be turned back to the Father.

    Prayer
    Heavenly Father,
    Thank You that we, as Your children, can approach You with boldness and confidence. Today, we come together in agreement, aligning our hearts with Your will. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in us, among us, and through us.

    Strengthen us as one Body to stand firm in faith and united in purpose. Give us clarity of vision and courage to walk in obedience. Stir Your Church to awaken, pray, and speak truth in love. Fill us with compassion for those still wandering, and grant us opportunities to share Your Gospel with power and humility.

    Use our voices, our gifts, and our testimonies to shine the light of Christ in this dark world. Let hearts be drawn to You before Your return. And may we, together, be faithful in carrying the message of salvation to every soul You place in our path.

    We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior and King.
    Amen.

  • Jesus Lives!

    Risen King Jesus, we exalt You! You are the Lamb who was slain, yet You live forevermore, crowned with glory and honor. You willingly bore the cross, despised its shame, and conquered death with unmatched power.
    You are the Holy One, the spotless sacrifice, our Great High Priest, and our Eternal Intercessor.

    Worthy are You, Lord, to receive all worship, for in You mercy and truth have met, righteousness and peace have kissed.
    We adore You for tearing the veil and opening the way for us to dwell with the Father, not as strangers, but as beloved children.

    O Lord, renew a right spirit within us. Let us never forget the weight of the cross and the depth of Your love.

    Thank You that the veil was torn from top to bottom, not by man, but by God Himself, declaring that we are welcome in Your presence forever. Thank You for direct access to the Father, for the gift of intimacy, for the power of resurrection life that now dwells in us.
    We praise You for Your finished work, and we rest in it with grateful hearts.

    Let the reality of the torn veil awaken fresh fire within us to seek Your face, know Your voice, and carry Your glory to a hurting world.
    We ask that the power of the resurrection rise in every dry and weary place within us. Use our lives as living testimonies of the victory You won our Risen King, our Coming Bridegroom, our Savior forever.

    In Your glorious name, Jesus — Amen.

  • Love Poured Out At Calvary 🩸

    Scripture:
    Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
    “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

    Reflection:
    Good Friday marks the most sacred, heart-wrenching act of love the world has ever known. On this day, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, willingly gave His life as a ransom for many. He was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross, bearing the full weight of our sin, shame, and judgment.

    It was not the nails that held Him there, it was love. Love for you. Love for the ones who would believe. The Lamb of God was offered as the final and perfect sacrifice. The veil in the temple was torn, signifying that access to God was now made available through the blood of Jesus.

    While it’s called “Good” Friday, the goodness lies not in the pain, but in the purpose. The Cross was not the end, it was the doorway to redemption, reconciliation, and victory.

    Prayer:
    Lord Jesus, thank You for enduring the cross for me. Thank You for staying when You could have walked away. You took my place, bore my punishment, and offered me eternal life. Let the power of Your sacrifice never become familiar to me. Teach me to live in a way that honors what You paid for. Amen.

    Reflection Challenge:
    Spend time quietly before the Lord today. Read the account of Jesus’ crucifixion in John 19. Reflect on each moment—His silence, His suffering, His surrender. Then, take Communion in remembrance of His body broken and blood shed. Worship Him for the love that held Him there.