Faith and Belief - Two Completely Different Things

Wednesday Word Study | Futility - Episode 7

Strongs Concordance Number: 3153 Transliteration: mataiotés  Phonetic Spelling: (mat-ah-yot'-ace)  Definition: vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, instability, frailty; false religion. Aimlessness due to lacking purpose or any meaningful end. On Monday, we talked about the scripture Romans 8:19 and how all of creation is waiting eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed. This holding pattern we are all placed in until that time is described by the author with the word futility. All of creation is in a futile period of time, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

Monday Meditations | Romans 8:19 – Episode 7

Today’s Meditation Verse: Romans 8:19 19) All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are. Monday Meditations are designed to get you to thinking about scriptures that you may have not previously thought much about.  It is to hopefully get you to meditating on a particular scripture for the entire week.  I think this week you may ponder this one for some time. Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

Archive Story | A Test of the Emergency Godcast System! - Episode 19

How many moments in our lives could truly be labeled… “Attention. Attention. This is a test of the emergency GODCAST system!”? As children of God, we are continually being tested as to our quality. I Peter 4:12 in the Amplified reads, “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.” (Emphasis mine). Sometimes it takes years before we even realize that we are being tested. We look at it as just another of life’s experiences and act according to our impulses. Then at some point we realize it is a test, and that God desires a specific reaction from us in any situation. The tests are not for God’s benefit to see how we will react but for our own benefit; for our growth. Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

Miracle Story | Misguided Fasting & Prayer - Episode 19

I wrote the previous eighteen miracles sometime ago. When coming to this spot, I just froze. I debated for literally years before deciding to include this one. It is no doubt a miracle, but one that honestly I am ashamed to admit to. However, including it may very well help someone else. There is a lesson to be learned here, so I am going to humble myself, admit to my naivety and immaturity at the time and write about this experience. Major Life Change Not long after my father passed away, everything changed. My marriage had been rocky for years. I had been so on fire for the Lord and reading my Bible and going to church that my life felt truly alive, except for one thing. My marriage was, for me, horrible. He worked very long hours. He was a good provider, but that left very few hours at home with us. The details of the downfall of my marriage is a story for another time. Suffice it to say that I had become horribly depressed and longed to be loved.  My father had loved me unconditionally. My mother loved me the best she could, but the scenario surrounding my conception and birth clouded me in a dense spirit of rejection, which I spoke about previously. A spirit of rejection prevents a person from feeling loved and accepted and, in return, pushes others away. I never felt loved or accepted and yearned for it. Even after being delivered, the damage from years of experiencing that bondage remained. Let me encourage anyone who is walking through any type of deliverance; you still need to work on allowing God to heal what was damaged. Once delivered, so many walk away assuming that all is good and well and nothing more needs to be done. But where wounds were created, there needs to be healing and forgiveness. Craving To Be Loved As I said, my father had loved me unconditionally. But he was gone. I never ever felt loved other than that. I craved to be loved. I never ever felt that my husband loved me. If he had, he never once showed me or told me. So, during that dark period of my life, I was subconsciously on a quest for love or to be loved. I dated a lot. I began a life of falling into relationships compulsively and hanging on to them for dear life, hoping I would feel loved. They were horrible and toxic relationships. I knew I should change, but couldn’t help it.  After my divorce, I did not handle the freedom from being on my own for the first time well. But I eventually began the climb out of the toxic fall God had allowed, not caused, but had allowed. I moved to Oklahoma City and got out of the area where I had lived and out of a relationship that I shouldn’t have been in. I Wanted a New Start A new start. I started going back to church and living a way that I knew to live. I felt so much better. I was in a Christian singles group and made great friends. But I carried guilt, shame, and sorrow for the previous few years. I told none of my new friends. I honestly didn’t even feel worthy to call myself a Christian. I was so ashamed. I also carried still that compulsive need to feel loved. A need to be in a relationship that would fulfill that need to be loved. In the huge singles group I was in, there was a sea of single men. And I always seemed to pick the wrong ones. Unhealed wounds will do that to you. Those wounds draw you to the wrong people and wrong places. And not all men in a singles group are good, Godly men. Early on, there was one man I fixed my eye on. I was determined that he was ‘the one’. I would talk about it with my new best friend. She also had fixated on someone. So, we would pray and talk about it. We would try to rationalize what and how to make it work out so that the relationships would happen. In other words, we were attempting to manipulate the situation. As I look back on this, I am so very ashamed that my focus was on this and not on the kingdom of God. It breaks my heart when I think of it. With all that I knew spiritually, there was still so much toxic behavior that was unresolved. I had been delivered from a spirit of rejection. I had been delivered from a spirit of fear. But there were still toxic tendrils remaining from having lived like that for so long. I was not healed emotionally. As I said earlier, I felt shame about how I had lived for so long. I unconsciously felt as though I didn’t deserve to be loved. I felt like I didn’t deserve to have a good man love me. I honestly didn’t believe that God would give me someone just right for me. With all my faith, I still couldn’t believe it. So, I didn’t trust Him with that part of my life. Surrender Would Have Solved So Much Had I only known, if I had just surrendered that part to Him, He would have performed miracles I never knew could be done. And He tried to. He brought a great man into my life who had become a great friend. But I didn’t believe he could ever love me beyond friendship, and I pushed that miracle away. But that is not what this miracle is about. It may seem like I have been very long-winded here. And yes, I have, but feel like in order to talk about all of this you needed context. To go back to that man that I had become fixated on and how determined that I was to ‘have him’, I decided I would fast and pray for him. Not for him as a person, but to have him as mine. What a waste of fasting and prayer. It moves mountains and so much spiritual darkness.. But to use it in a way that is so shallow and immature brings me embarrassment and a galling bitter taste in my mouth. I knew fasting was powerful. So, I did it. I fasted for three days. No food, only water. I journaled what I hoped would happen from my fasting. That he become more than a friend. Let me say here that we had gone on a date, and then he decided I was not what he wanted for a mate. But I still hoped that prayer and fasting would ‘force’ him into another decision. That makes me cringe to this day. My fast ended at midnight Saturday. The next morning I was so hopeful heading to church. There was nothing different when we saw each other. He said ‘hi’ and went his way. I was disappointed, but still hopeful. Church ended, and I went home devastated. Fasting and Prayer Does Work But once home, I went before the Lord and reminded Him I had fasted and prayed and believed, and that what I had believed for should happen. I knew that prayer and fasting were powerful and I was so confused by the outcome. Then there was a knock on my door. It was him. He seemed a little flustered, as though he wasn’t sure why he was there. He asked me if I wanted to go to Target with him. He said he was on the way there, and before he passed by my house, he felt the overwhelming urge that he was supposed to stop and ask me to go with him. Well, you can imagine how thrilled I was. I knew, just knew it was the answer to my fasting. We went to Target and sparks didn’t fly. It was fine. It was two friends going to Target. I am not sure we ever did anything together again after that. So, what is the miracle here? What is the takeaway? Prayer and fasting moves mountains. I believe God wanted to show me how powerful my fasting and praying had been. But it wasn’t meant to be for me to be with that person. He wasn’t someone who could love me the way I was meant to be loved. I saw the power of fasting and prayer that day, but without the complete answer. It was after that when God presented me with that friend who would have made a great husband. But I was so damaged still, ...

Only the Hungry have the Authority to Become a Child of God

Only the Hungry have the Authority to Become a Child of God Monday Meditations – Episode 6 Originally written September 12, 2011 Today’s Meditation Verse: John 1:9-13 Amplified Bible 9) There it was—the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.   10) He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.   11) He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him—His world, His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people—the Jewish nation] did not receive and welcome Him.   12) But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—   13) who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified]. This passage says so much. Jesus is the true light who came into this world, this earth which He had made. And yet the world, those on this earth did not recognize their maker. His Jewish people, did not receive Him. But that is okay because He came so that ANYONE can now receive Him and therefore become a citizen of His kingdom.  And those who were His people that rejected Jesus at that time, brought themselves under judgement. In verse 12 John tells us that anyone who receives Jesus was given by God’s authority the right to become a child of God. The walls were down, no more an exclusive club defined by lineage. Now anyone, regardless of race, vocation, or culture who received Jesus was given permission to become. In verse 13 we learn it isn’t by natural conception (Jewish lineage), not by physical impulse (just because you want to), nor by a natural father or person. Only by God and His divine supernatural birth are you born of God. Good works cannot get you there. Nationality cannot get you there. Force of will cannot get you there. Culture cannot get you there. Becoming a child of God cannot be done by any measure other than receiving Jesus. Once that genuine reception of Jesus happens (we will talk more about that soon in this week's Wednesday Word Study and Friday Finale) then anyone is given permission to become a child of God. Wednesday Word Study – Episode 6 Originally written August 10, 2011 Receive Today I want to discuss the contrast of one word that is used twice in one passage but has very different meanings. The word receive. John 1:9-13  9) There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11) He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12) But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13) who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. This scripture is talking about receiving Jesus as the Christ. In verse 11 it says… ‘His own did not receive Him.” In this instance the word receive.  paralambanó: To take, to receive, to take along, to accept Original Word: παραλαμβάνω  Part of Speech: Verb  Transliteration: paralambanó  Pronunciation: pah-rah-lahm-BAH-no  Phonetic Spelling: (par-al-am-ban'-o)  KJV: receive, take (unto, with)  NASB: took, received, take, taken, receive, took along, took aside  Word Origin: [from G3844 (παρά - than) [https://biblehub.com/greek/3844.htm] and G2983 (λαμβάνω - receive) [https://biblehub.com/greek/2983.htm]]   1. to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation) 2. (by analogy) to assume an office 3. (figuratively) to learn Strong's Exhaustive Concordance receive, take unto, with. From 3844 para [https://biblehub.com/greek/3844.htm] "from close-alongside" and 2983 lambano [https://biblehub.com/greek/2983.htm] "aggressively take"; to receive near, i.e. Associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn -- receive, take (unto), to take (receive) by showing strong personal initiative. I find it interesting that in verse 11 Jesus is talking about ‘His own” meaning the Jews not receiving Him. In the definition of that case of the word receive it says ‘to assume office’. Jesus had come to fulfill the promises made to both Abraham and David per their respective covenants with God. He came as both a Priest (Messiah) and King. He came to assume those offices, but His people did not receive Him as such. Here the word receive is a very passive type of word. It actually means they did not acknowledge Him. As if being in a group and someone walks in and they are ignored and no one notices that they are there. They didn’t acknowledge Him as priest (messiah) or king. The next verse, verse 12, says that as many, meaning anyone — Jew or Gentile who ‘received’ Him were given the right to become children of God. In this verse the word ‘received’ is totally different than the verse before. This word is a very active and even aggressive word. It means to aggressively take hold of something. In our English we have a watered down version of this word in this usage. lambanó: To take, receive, obtain Original Word: λαμβάνω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lambanó Pronunciation: lam-BAN-o Phonetic Spelling: (lam-ban'-o)  1. (actively) to take  2. (passively) to receive  3. (objectively) to get hold of (with the hand)  {in very many applications (literally and figuratively); whereas G1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while G138 is more violent, to seize or remove} HELPS Word-studies 2983 lambánō (from the primitive root, lab-, meaning "actively lay hold of to take or receive," see NAS dictionary) – properly, to lay hold by aggressively (actively) accepting what is available (offered). 2983 [https://biblehub.com/greek/2983.htm] /lambánō ("accept with initiative") emphasizes the volition (assertiveness) of the receiver. This is a very good example why to get a good and clear picture of scripture, we need to go to the root to find the genuine meaning of a word. Root words along with historical context will bring a much more acc...