2 Corinthians 3:17

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the brave men and women who serve and have served in the military. Pray for them, their families. Pray for a day when there will be no more battles.

     Please also pray that the Church will come together, that there will be a revival in this country, and that we will not throw away our freedom to worship the one and only true living God.

     Also, join me in rejoicing the dedication and perseverance of the apostles. Let us praise and give thanks for their sacrifices, and for our merciful Father who paved the way, that the gospel was received.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #MemorialDay #freedom #gratitude #remembrance #thankful #Jesus #sacrifice #GoodNews #gospel #salvation #praise

John 8:36

 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the brave men and women who serve and have served in the military. Pray for them, their families. Pray for a day when there will be no more battles.

     Please also pray that the Church will come together, that there will be a revival in this country, and that we will not throw away our freedom to worship the one and only true living God.

     Also, join me in rejoicing the dedication and perseverance of the apostles. Let us praise and give thanks for their sacrifices, and for our merciful Father who paved the way, that the gospel was received.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #MemorialDay #freedom #gratitude #remembrance #thankful #Jesus #sacrifice #GoodNews #gospel #salvation #praise

Praise for the cross

 

I woke up this morning, singing Chris McClarney's "Hallelujah For The Cross":

Hallelujah, thank You, Jesus

I was a prisoner, now I'm not

With Your blood, You bought my freedom

Hallelujah for the cross

It is ironic, and a God thing because today I was going to write about Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. He came here from Heaven to live in the flesh, as we do, and demonstrated how we're to live. He never sinned, yet He took the wrath for all of our sins.

     This also makes me think of His/our Father and the sacrifice that He made in sending His only Son. Anyone who has ever said 'goodbye' to a loved one leaving for battle can relate, at least in human terms. We can't however, comprehend having the foreknowledge of such a horrific death. 

     We also can't comprehend what Jesus went through in the time leading to His death. In the garden, He sweated blood, because of His anguish (Luke 22:44). This is a rare occurrence known as "hematohidrosis."

     Praise Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit for our freedom. Praise Them for Their love, grace, and mercy. Lift up your voices and sing, "Hallelujah for the cross."

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4 ESV

You may also like:

"Faith in God" from November 22, 2012

"A Loving Gift" from November 4, 2019

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Please join me this week in praying for the brave men and women who serve and have served in the military. Pray for them, their families. Pray for a day when there will be no more battles.

     Please also pray that the Church will come together, that there will be a revival in this country, and that we will not throw away our freedom to worship the one and only true living God.

     Also, join me in rejoicing the dedication and perseverance of the apostles. Let us praise and give thanks for their sacrifices, and for our merciful Father who paved the way, that the gospel was received.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #MemorialDay #freedom #gratitude #remembrance #thankful #Jesus #sacrifice #GoodNews #gospel #salvation #praise

1 Peter 2:16

 

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, 

but living as servants of God.

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

You may also like:

- "Gratitude for our Veterans" November 11, 2019 (includes a really great video)

- "Give thanks for freedom" August 21, 2020 (includes a quote from Billy Graham)

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Please join me this week in praying for the brave men and women who serve and have served in the military. Pray for them, their families. Pray for a day when there will be no more battles.

     Please also pray that the Church will come together, that there will be a revival in this country, and that we will not throw away our freedom to worship the one and only true living God.

     Also, join me in rejoicing the dedication and perseverance of the apostles. Let us praise and give thanks for their sacrifices, and for our merciful Father who paved the way, that the gospel was received.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #MemorialDay #freedom #gratitude #remembrance #thankful #apostles #disciples #GoodNews #gospel #salvation

Hey, Good News!

 

We should also remember the original apostles (minus Judas, plus Matthias and Paul) plus others later commissioned, who sacrificed everything to spread the Good News. If it weren't for them, think about where we'd be right now?! I'm especially thankful to our loving and merciful Father for allowing the Gospel to spread to the gentiles.
     You can do an internet search of 'how did the apostles died' for a detailed explanation of what is known based on historical records. I also found from various places where some of them traveled:

- Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 Peter 1:1 ESV
- Paul traveled through Israel, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain (See the book of Acts for more information).
- Thomas and Bartholomew traveled through Iran and India
- Philip and Mark went to Egypt (separately and to different places)
- Matthew went to Ethiopia
Note: This isn't an exhaustive list and you should do your own due diligence before quoting me on any of this.

Because of them, we are free. Because of them, we will live forever with the saints.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Luke 4:18-19 ESV

Don't let it stop there. Continue their work. There are still so many people who have never heard the Gospel. They may even be your neighbors.

Please add to your prayers, that we rejoice in the dedication and perseverance of the apostles. Let us praise and give thanks for their sacrifices, and for our merciful Father who paved the way, that the Gospel was received.

You may also like:
"Palm Sunday April 9 2017"
"Faith comes from hearing" from February 21, 2019

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Please join me this week in praying for the brave men and women who serve and have served in the military. Pray for them, their families. Pray for a day when there will be no more battles.

     Please also pray that the Church will come together, that there will be a revival in this country, and that we will not throw away our freedom to worship the one and only true living God.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #MemorialDay #freedom #soldiers #gratitude #remembrance #thankful #apostles #disciples #GoodNews #gospel

Freedom in the Spirit

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #HolySpirit

Live like you're free

 

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #servant #Jesus

Truth equals freedom

 

Truth: God's word, Christ is the Messiah, Jesus died on the cross, paid the price for our sins, and 3 days later was resurrected.

Freedom: no longer a slave to sin. We're free from an eternal life of punishment and condemnation.

     The best way to know truth is to study God's word. God communicates with us through His word and we should have a hunger and thirst to know everything He has to say to us.

     In my mind, it's a roadmap, a textbook, a reference manual, a how-to book, and an encyclopedia; it's a book of literature, history, poetry, and songs. It's everything we need to get us through this life and into the next.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:31-32 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #liberty #Jesus #truth

My distress

 

The past two weeks have been extremely stressful at work. I hate lies and I hate threats, but that's how some clients think they can "motivate" me to work faster. Each day, I feel like I'm being sucked down this deep, dark hole.
     Yesterday was probably the worse, and I apologize to all of my friends whom I unloaded on <3 But, at the end of the day, I searched for a Bible passage to share with you, and this is the one the Lord shared with me:

Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

Psalm 118:5-7 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #liberty #Jesus

The Son sets us free

 

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:34-36 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #liberty #Jesus

A doer who acts

Last week we had a prayer meeting for missionaries. We met outside, behind the church. I couldn't help but think of the irony in our gathering. Here we were, openly praying for missionaries and unreached people groups, many of which, if caught in the same situation, would be imprisoned or killed. They boldly share the gospel knowing that it puts their lives in danger.
     Then, here I am in the U.S. afraid to verbally share the gospel with people I know for fear of some unknown reaction. I feel guilty and a sense of anguish. What's the worst thing that could happen? The person might get angry, walk away, unfriend me? I need to get to where I'm okay with that and no longer fear those things. I keep praying for words and encouragement.
     God will guide me so that I may become a 'doer who acts' instead of a 'hearer who forgets.' I just need patience. Everything happens in His time according to His purposes.

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:25 ESV

John MacArthur wrote about this verse that "perfect law...God's revealed, inerrant, sufficient, and comprehensive Word is called "law". The presence of His grace does not mean there is no moral law or code of conduct for believers to obey. Believers are enabled by the Spirit to keep it. liberty. Genuine freedom from sin. As the Holy Spirit applies the principles of Scripture to believer's hearts, they are freed from sin's bondage and enabled to obey God."*

* MacArthur, John (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible, New King James version.
     Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN.

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #liberty

Give thanks for freedom

There has been a lot of talking and shouting about freedom lately, especially as it relates to the mandates and restrictions imposed by our government over the past 5 months. A lot of people are very angry that they're being told what to do. A lot of people are very thankful for the restrictions that help protect them and their loved ones. No matter which group you fall into, I'd like to paraphrase what my Pastor said about it. He said that the Bible is clear that we're to do what our government asks us to do, as long as it isn't asking us to sin. I'm not going to look up the text, because that's a whole different study from where I'm going with this.
     Because there's been so much talk about freedom, I decided to search "what does freedom mean in the bible?" And that's what I would like for us to pray on this week. I found this great piece from Billy Graham who explained it really well:

"The core message of the Christian faith—the Gospel—is that Jesus Christ rescues us from the slavery of sin and offers true freedom in this life and beyond." ...
"The Good News—the best news ever—is that faith in Jesus frees us from the death we deserve for sinning against God. It frees us from the punishment that would be inflicted upon us at the end of our lives for the evil things we’ve thought and done.
While Christ followers still battle with sin, they are no longer slaves to it. Through the power of Christ, His people can be set free from the bondage of greed, vanity, pride, pornography, addiction, abusive behavior, gluttony, selfishness—and any other sin under the sun."

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising our Father in Heaven for this freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus so that we are no longer slaves to our sin. Pray that He gives us the opportunity and encouragement (and words) to share this great news with everyone we meet. Let's also pray that those who do not have this freedom come to know Christ and that those who do profess to know Christ not abuse this freedom as a means to sin. Finally, let's pray that we focus on all of the worldly freedoms we have that others all over the globe can't even imagine. 

   We should give thanks daily for being born in this time and this place where we can worship and praise our Father without fear of persecution. The restrictions we do face because of the pandemic are no different than the restrictions that people all over the world have dealt with or are dealing with, and these inconveniences are temporary. If the worst thing in our lives right now is having to concede to a few mandates, then we should consider ourselves extremely blessed. Praise the Lord for the countless blessings He bestows on us every single day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #freedom #liberty

Gratitude for our Veterans

These brave and selfless veterans defended our country with a servant's heart. They did this for you and me, risking their lives for us.

The video refers to Matthew 20:28:

 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, 

but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (NKJV)

Galatians 5:13 ESV says:

 For you were called to freedom, brothers. 

Only do not use your freedom as an 

opportunity for the flesh, but through love 

serve one another.

Join me in thanking our veterans and letting them know that they are appreciated.

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This week we are praying for a servant's heart. I'll personally be asking God to quash my pride and fill me with the desire and opportunity to serve others. (Like I wrote previously if you pray for this be prepared for God to give you someone fairly quickly).

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The freedom of forgiveness

Bear with each other and 

forgive one another 

if any of you has a grievance against someone. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 NIV

Do you see a similarity between all of this week's Bible verses? Forgive as God forgives you. We all want to be forgiven, but sometimes, when it comes time for us to forgive someone, we struggle with it. After my first husband passed away, I felt like it was necessary to forgive him for the many ways he wronged me, mostly for the hurtful things he said. I had a really hard time with it and told myself that he never, ever apologized; he didn't ask for my forgiveness so, therefore, I didn't have to forgive him. Yet I spent a lot of time (and money) in therapy because of it. I realized that the only way to be free from him was to forgive him, wholeheartedly. I wrote him a letter and poured out my heart. It cleansed me and allowed me to move on. Now I'm able to look back on our 25 years together and remember the good times. The bad stuff is no longer overshadowing the past and I feel so much more at peace now. Not forgiving someone, whether they ask for forgiveness or not, can darken one's heart. Don't let that happen. Forgive, and then forget. It will free you.

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Please join me this week in praying for someone who needs to forgive another.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Instagram @archadia27
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power