Category: Mark

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Seek Jesus

This morning started with a song and then a verse. The song: In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus!

Yes, Father let me see Jesus in His glory and His love. That’s my desire.

Then the verse:

“Turn to the Lord! He can still be found. Call out to God! He is near.
7 Give up your evil ways and your evil thoughts. Return to the Lord our God.
He will be merciful and forgive your sins.” Isaiah 55:6-7 CEV

Seek is an old-fashioned word. In this translation they use the word turn, in others they use search. The meaning is the same – look for the Lord.

When we rise each morning, we should be looking for the Lord. Great things happen when we seek Him. Let me give you just a few examples.

Of course, the most publicized seeking came from the wisemen. Their journey of searching lasted months, even possibly a year or two. (Matthew 2)

Nicodemus, the religious leader, came to Jesus at night. He was concerned about his reputation. (John 3 spiritual healing)

The woman who had a blood disorder braved the crowds coming to Jesus. (Mark 5 physical healing)

The man with leprosy did the same thing. (Matthew 8)

Then there was the army officer with the sick servant. (Matthew 8)

Let’s see who else sought to be in the presence of Jesus – the man whose daughter died, the demon possessed(emotional healing), the blind and the lame, those who had all kinds of diseases and sickness. They all came seeking Jesus.

Then one of my favorites is Zaccheaus. (Luke 19 healing from greed and dishonesty)

“Jesus was going through Jericho, 2 where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting taxes and was very rich. 3-4 Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree.

5 When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.’” Luke 19:1-5 CEV

Not once did Jesus turn any of them away. Not once did he say, “You’re not worth it. Go away you’re bothering me”. Jesus came to “Seek and to save the lost”. Luke 19:10

I hope you are saying with me, “in the morning when I rise, I seek You Jesus”. I can promise that when you seek Him, He will find you and life will never be the same.

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A Good Place

I don’t know who you are and I really don’t expect that you will admit this openly but someone said, just last night, “I have come to the end of my rope and I don’t know what I’m going to do now.”

Been there – said that! And so have many others. Let me show you just a few.

There was the professional fisherman who couldn’t manage the storm at sea.

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Mark 4:37-38 KJV

Then there was a woman who spent every thing she had on doctor’s and only got worse.

“And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” Mark 5:26-27 KJV

What about the military leader whose servant was very ill?

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” Matthew 8:5-6 KJV

Or the leper whose body was being eaten away?

“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Matthew 8:2

And there was the man who was paralyzed, laying on a cot. He was literally at the end of the rope.

“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” Mark 2:3-4

We can’t forget the rich tax collector who had everything but friends and peace.

“And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.” Luke 19:3-4 KJV

I want you to notice that in every situation Jesus met the need of those who came to him. He didn’t lecture them and say “what took you so long”. Nor did he get offended that they had tried everything else and he was their last resort. Jesus met them where they were and took control over the situation.

He’s still that way today. Jesus isn’t a dictatorial tyrannt that comes in demanding allegiance and forcibly takes control; no, he waits for us to come and ask and then He moves with compassion to change the circumstances.

Don’t get discouraged. Wait on the Lord, watch Him change the circumstances. He is good.

“Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it. 30 God knows how many hairs you have on your head. 31 So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.” Matthew 10:29-31 NLV

“17 The Lord is right and good in all His ways, and kind in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. 19 He will fill the desire of those who fear Him. He will also hear their cry and will save them. 20 The Lord takes care of all who love Him.” Psalm 145:17-20 NLV

I’m not sure who you are or what you’re going through but I do know if you’ll call out to the Lord he’ll be there and he’ll take you through to victory. He’ll take you to a good place!

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And the “Advent”ure Begins

I have a confession to make that may surprise you. I didn’t grow up in a church that focused on Advent during December.

Oh, we had the typical Sunday sermons on the Christmas story, but the word Advent was not a part of our Christmas vocabulary. In fact, several years ago, when I wrote The Best Gifts of Christmas someone asked me about my advent book, and I wasn’t really sure what they meant.

However, each year after Thanksgiving is over my mind shifts to the activities and events of the Christmas season and I found myself writing in my journal today, “Let the Advent-ure Begin”.

And what an adventure it was!

“One day Zechariah’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest…11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him: Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15  Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.

16 John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17  He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. This is how John will get people ready for the Lord.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”…23 When Zechariah’s time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24 Soon after this, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25 ‘What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.’” Luke 1:10-25 CEV

Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly people. Little did they know they had a part to play in the coming of the Messiah. Old Testament prophecy said that the Son of man would be proceeded by “one crying in the wilderness”. This would be their son.

“Someone is shouting: ‘Clear a path in the desert! Make a straight road for the Lord our God. 4 Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and mountain. Level the rough and rugged ground.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will appear for all to see. The Lord has promised this!” Isaiah 40:3-5 CEV

“ It began just as God had said in the book written by Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am sending my messenger to get the way ready for you. 3 In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him.’ ” 4 So John the Baptist showed up in the desert and told everyone, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.” Mark 1:2-4 CEV

The arrival of Christ was not happenstance. It was designed and orchestrated by God. The cast of characters was many, each had a part, not knowing that others were being enlisted in this grand plan. It was all designed to reconcile us all to God.

We also have a part to play. We are called to share the good news of the Gospel.

Let the Advent-ure Begin!

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Making Claims

Have you ever had to make an insurance claim? You know, you’ve been in an accident or perhaps had damage to your home or had something stolen.

You call the insurance company to report the loss. They send out a claims adjuster, he writes an estimate of damage done and then it’s filed with the company, and you wait for restitution and/or the repair to your property.

We had to file a claim on our home and one of our vehicles once because of a hailstorm. It was a lengthy process. That was the thought as I was reading this morning in Mark.

“Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn’t even standing room left in front of the door. Jesus was still teaching 3 when four people came up, carrying a man on a mat because he could not walk. 4 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof above him and let the man down in front of everyone.

5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7 “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”

8 At once, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this man his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10 I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, 11 “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.”

12 The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:2-12 CEV

That particular damage to the house could certainly be listed as “an act of God”.

These four friends wanted to bring this man to Jesus, so they just picked up his bed and carried him through the streets to the house where Jesus was. Not being able to get in because of the crowd, they carried him to the roof and made a hole in it.

Now for the tricky part. They had to let the man down through the hole and hope that he would drop in close to where Jesus was standing. The Bible doesn’t specify but the friends must have come prepare for every possible circumstance. Did they bring the tools that made the hole in the roof? How long did it take to deconstruct? How did they let him down into the house? Did they bring ropes that they tied to his bed?

However, they did it, it didn’t matter. What mattered was their faith in getting to Jesus? They made claim on Jesus’ ability to heal their friend. Jesus also made a claim. His claim was that the man’s sins had been forgiven. That one set the religious leaders on edge. They objected – they refused His claim.

Jesus produced the evidence that supported His claim. “Take up your bed and WALK”. The man had been crippled. How long, we don’t know. But there was power in the words Jesus spoke. Power to give strength to legs that hadn’t walked in quite some time. Power to refute the skeptic minds of the religious elite. Power to heal and forgive.

Claim filed and settled.

“But I trust you, Lord, and I claim you as my God. 15 My life is in your hands. ” Psalm 31:14-15 CEV

We all need to make a claim. We claim the Father as our Lord and our God. We place our lives in His hands.

“Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away.

38 I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, 39 and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day.” John 6:37-39 CEV

The claim we make on God’s love will certainly insure us against loss.

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No Showoffs Please

First of all, this morning I would like to thank you for following the link and going directly to the website to read yesterday’s blog. I’m not sure if I will be able to post to Facebook again this morning but I’m hopeful.

However, if you are blessed by reading this each morning and want to receive it each day, uninterrupted, please go to the blog tab of the website, www.arizonakristi.com, and on the right side of the page fill in your email address and you will receive it each morning, just like the old-fashioned morning newspaper.

It somehow seemed appropriate that a morning teaching on not being irritated or short-tempered would be removed for whatever reason. It certainly gave me the opportunity to practice what I preach – I was able to stay calm, it didn’t spoil my morning.

Now, on to more of Jesus’ teachings from the mountain. He had just told us to love like His Father, our Father, in every situation.

“When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.

2 When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 3 When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. 4 Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you.

5  When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 6 When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-6 CEV

There was a problem in the Jewish synagogues with the religious leaders trying to call attention to themselves. They wanted everyone to see how long they prayed and how much money they gave. They sought to be the center of attention. They weren’t there to worship God but to draw attention to themselves.

We are often guilty of the same thing – telling people about the “good” we do to help others. Bringing attention to ourselves.

“As Jesus was teaching, he said: Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. 39 They like the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 40 But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all…42 Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins worth only a few pennies. 43 Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44 Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.” Mark 12:39-44 CEV

Jesus was not impressed with their piety; in fact, he faulted them for their hypocrisy. They had their reward.

God doesn’t need show-offs; His desire is that we show out His love and compassion.

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Come & Sit

Do you know what I love about my mornings? It’s the quiet.

The only sounds I hear are the quiet hum of the air conditioning and the tick of the coffee maker. Other than that, it’s completely silent.

The first thing I do each morning is write my heart’s impressions in my journal, only a couple of sentences of gratitude and love. Then I say a short prayer for guidance before I open my Bible and begin to read. Many days during that writing and that prayer the Holy Spirit prompts me with what I should share with you, sometimes that comes once I begin reading.

This morning as I was writing, these four words were what I penned on the page. “Come sit with Me”. Oh, how I love that – time just sitting here, coffee cup in hand, when it’s just the Father and I. He bringing Scriptures to mind and flooding me with His presence.

Those of you who have read my writings for any length of time know that one of my most favorite old hymns is “In the Garden”.

  1. I come to the garden alone,
    While the dew is still on the roses,
    And the voice I hear falling on my ear
    The Son of God discloses.
    • Refrain:
      And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
      And He tells me I am His own;
      And the joy we share as we tarry there,
      None other has ever known.
  2. He speaks, and the sound of His voice
    Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
    And the melody that He gave to me
    Within my heart is ringing.

I know exactly what the writer of this hymn experienced.

“You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” Psalm 16:11 NLV

Come, sit with me.

“Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to all He said. 40 Martha was working hard getting the supper ready…42 Only a few things are important, even just one. Mary has chosen the good thing. It will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:39-42 NLV

“Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread into pieces and gave them to his followers. He told them to give the bread to the people, and they did as he said. 7 The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told them to give the fish to the people.” Mark 8:6-7 ERV

Sitting with the Lord is a good thing!

Something to be chosen above all else. It’s a place of learning, of resting and refreshing. It’s a place of miracles.

Listen with your heart. When you hear the Lord say “Come sit with me”, take time to stop and enjoy His presence. It will fill you with joy!

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Growing Strong

As I was reading in Psalms this morning, I came across some verses I needed to think on for a while. In light of yesterday’s blog, these verses took on a deeper meaning.

Psalm 85 is captioned “A Prayer for Peace” in the CEV translation. That title intrigued me, and what I read in the last few verses really ministered to me.

“I will listen to you, Lord God, because you promise peace to those who are faithful and no longer foolish. 9 You are ready to rescue everyone who worships you, so that you will live with us in all your glory. 10 Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite. 11 Loyalty will sprout from the ground; justice will look down from the sky above. 12 Our Lord, you will bless us; our land will produce wonderful crops. 13 Justice will march in front, making a path for you to follow.” Psalm 85:8-13 CEV

“I will listen to what God the Lord will say. For He will speak peace to His people, to those who are right with Him. But do not let them turn again to foolish things. 9 For sure His saving power is near those who fear Him, so His shining-greatness may live in the land. 10 Loving-kindness and truth have met together. Peace and what is right and good have kissed each other. 11 Truth comes up from the earth. And what is right and good looks down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good. And our land will give its fruit. 13 What is right and good will go before Him and make a way for His steps.” Psalm 85:8-13 NLV

Seed sprouting in the ground, producing a crop. It’s what we were talking about yesterday. The ground..the seed..the crop.

When we listen to God’s word, what He says, we are receiving seed. Seed that will sprout up from the ground. When the ground is good the harvest will be fruitful. I know that this is referring to the land of Israel having bountiful crops but I believe it is more than that, it’s a changed heart.

Peace, truth, love, goodness. This is the same fruit that Paul tells us will grow in our lives when we have the Holy Spirit controlling us.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

When the ground of our hearts is prepared, and the seed is planted we will produce a harvest.

“ And those are the ones sown on the good soil. They hear the word and accept it and produce fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20 TLV

May we allow God’s word a place to grow strong in our lives.

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Balance Sheet

Today marks the 7th anniversary of Kristi’s Morning Devotional. Before that I was making daily postings on Facebook but a friend of mine, Tom Slater, told me I needed a blog and he developed it for me.

It has been a joy to share God’s word with you on this avenue. I am so humbled and blessed that it has touched so many lives.

This is that first posting. Somehow it seems very appropriate for today too. ‘”Yesterday I spent a good portion of the day working on bookkeeping. Evaluating some things and determining if they were financially profitable based on the time expended.

Have you ever put together a profit and loss statement? Listing your assests and liabilities can certainly be worthwhile in determining how you should spend your time and your money.

So let’s get down to the bottom line. What do you owe? That’s the question the Apostle Paul was addressing this morning as I read Romans 13.

‘8 You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has done all that the law commands. 9 The law says, “You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not want what belongs to someone else.” All these commands and all other commands are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” 10 Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law.

11 I say this because you know that we live in an important time. Yes, it is now time for you to wake up from your sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost finished. The day is almost here. So we should stop doing whatever belongs to darkness. We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light. 13 We should live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or be drunk. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous. 14 But be like the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don’t think about how to satisfy the desires of your sinful self.” Romans 13:8-14 ERV

Owe no one anything…nothing except love!

The desire to live debt free is admirable and is one worth pursuing. An even greater goal is to live a life of loving people, not with a human selfish love but with the same love that Jesus shows us.

Let’s look at that bottom line again, the P&L Statement.

” For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36 KJV

Let love be your daily ambition and let your only debt be that of love.”

Thank you all for reading each day and thank you for loving those in your world the way Jesus has commanded us too.

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I’m Sure!

Welcome to another morning of God’s mercy and grace. Yes, I’m sure.

The sun will come up this morning, the earth is still rotating on its axis, birds will sing, waves will rush to the shore and God’s love never ceases.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my God, and I trust him.’” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

Sitting with my hot cup of coffee, in the quiet of the morning hour, it is well with my soul!

Does that mean that everything is perfect? No worries, no problems? Does it mean I have no unanswered questions? On any given day, whether bombarded with challenges and difficulties or relaxed and filled with joy I have learned to be sure.

“Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 2  It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.

3  Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God’s command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

4  Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

5  Enoch had faith and did not die. He pleased God, and God took him up to heaven. This is why his body was never found. 6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:1-6 CEV

Did you read that? Faith makes us sure and gives us proof. We cannot please God without faith. By faith, we believe that God is real and He rewards us for seeking Him.

When we are seeking for God, searching for Him like something that was lost, we focus on Him. When we focus on Him, He keeps us in peace.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

I’m reminded of a father who brought his son to Jesus for healing.

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ The father answered, ‘Since he was very young. 22 The spirit often throws him into a fire or into water to kill him. If you can do anything, please have pity on us and help us.’ 23 Jesus said to the father, ‘Why did you say ‘if you can’? All things are possible for the one who believes.‘ 24 Immediately the father shouted, ‘I do believe. Help me to believe more!‘” Mark 9:21-24 ERV

That’s what searching for God does. It helps us believe more. This was exactly the reaction that Jesus was hoping to see in this father’s heart.

Our confidence in God grows when we spend time in His presence.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Our heavenly Father does not lie. When He tells us to come, He means it. He rewards us for coming. He rewards us with grace, help and peace in our time of need.

I’m sure!

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Never Underestimate the Impossible

Those are the song lyrics that lulled me to sleep. It was a song that topped the charts in 2002. Here are some of the lyrics:

“Unsinkable ships – sink
Unbreakable walls – break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that
Unbendable steel – bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I’ve learned to never underestimate
The impossible”

And with that melody still in my heart this morning I began to think about the impossible things in Scripture.

Noah built a boat to shelter his family from the rain, but it had never rained.

Abraham and Sarah had their first child at ages 90 and 100.

Moses talked to a burning bush that was never consumed and parted the Red Sea with his walking stick.

Joshua saw the walls of Jericho fall flat and all he did was walk around the outside wall for seven days.

David killed a giant with a sling shot and a stone.

Daniel used a lion for a pillow.

Mary, a young virgin, gave birth to a son.

5000 people were fed with five small loaves and two fish.

Water was turned to wine.

Peter walked on water.

Lazarus was raised from the dead.

Jesus ascended to heaven.

“Jesus said to the father, ‘Why did you say ‘if you can’? All things are possible for the one who believes.’ 24 Immediately the father shouted, ‘I do believe. Help me to believe more!'” Mark 9:23-24 ERV

You may be facing the impossible. Don’t be deterred; don’t be afraid. Believe God and His word.

“Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Jeremiah, I am the Lord. I am the God of every person on the earth. You know that nothing is impossible for me.” Jeremiah 32:26-27 ERV

Our Father is a creator of miracles. Nothing is impossible for Him!

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