THE TRADING POST

There is a transaction going on for your soul.

Will you choose the deal of a lifetime?

Read The Trading Post and decide.

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Two Christian horror stories about how enemies come for your life. 

One operates through time and the other through indecision.

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GETTING CONNECTED

Read Getting Connected along with two other short stories as part of

When You Go Looking: Three Short Stories About Finding Purpose, Renewal, and Mercy

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The characters in these Christian short stories find what they are looking for in the most unusual places.

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PASSING THE MANTLE

A Short Story About Rightful Inheritance
There is a battle between our youth and
the enemy of life who seeks to steal their inheritance.

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BE THE CHANGE

Read Be the Change along with two other short stories as part of

When You Go Looking: Three Short Stories About Finding Purpose, Renewal, and Mercy

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The characters in these Christian short stories find what they are looking for in the most unusual places.

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A LEAP OF FAITH (guest post by Aaron Lambers)

To Jump or Not to Jump? That is the question.

For my entire life, I have heard the expression “leap of faith.” However, this phrase cannot be found anywhere in scripture. No doubt, there are times when we take actions in faith, that might seem on the surface as reckless or something like jumping off a tall building—for instance, Esther going before the King Xerxes uninvited, David challenging Goliath, or Abraham offering up Isaac. The potential was assuredly destruction, but ultimately for God’s providence. However, should we really call them a leap?

There was an instance in the Bible when Jesus was tempted to “take the leap,” but not by God. Consider the temptation of Jesus described in Luke 4:9-12. The devil took Him to the pinnacle of the temple, told Him to cast Himself down, because according to Psalm 91:12 (which the devil was quoting), the angels would save Him. Jesus refused and in turn quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, which states that we are not to put God to the test.

“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” And Jesus answering said unto him, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Luke 4:9–12, KJV)

If you are going to take an action in faith, with potentially disastrous consequences, make sure God is instructing you to do it or that He has given you specific authority in His Word. I routinely ask God for confirmation before acting, because I want to be sure it is Him and I am not acting on my own. I never act based on someone else telling me what God wants me to do. If God truly wants me to take a specific action, He will reveal it to me. Remember—the devil used scripture out of context to justify taking a leap. He is cunning, so don’t be deceived. It is imperative that you read the scriptures and seek God yourself, so you are not deceived. If God told you to do it, you can proceed with complete confidence, that He will not fail you. However, jumping outside of God’s will can lead to tragic consequences and spiritual disillusionment.

What do I mean by spiritual disillusionment? If we make a bad decision outside of God’s will, we can question why God didn’t honor our faith. We can question why our leap became a fall. We wonder why the angels didn’t bear us up or why God didn’t perform the miracle in the way we asked Him to. It can lead to a faith crisis that some folks simply don’t recover from. The enemy may try to convince us that God doesn’t really exist or that He has forsaken us or His Word is not true. Just as the enemy tried to trick Jesus, he will do the same to us. It is our job to be diligent, educated in the scriptures, and in tune with the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that knowing the scriptures and being filled with the Spirit kept Jesus from making a bad decision.

Also remember that God needs no testing. He has never changed, nor will He ever. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He has never failed at anything. He has never broken a promise. To hold the position that God needs to prove Himself is offensive and stands in unbelief of His character and power. Organizations put new hires through a probationary period to see if they can (or will) do the job. To test the Creator of the universe is not only unthinkable, but we are commanded to not do it (Deuteronomy 6:16). If He said He will, then He will, but not at our command or for our selfish purposes.

Our entire Christian life is built upon faith, from initial salvation to our victory over death. Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Hall of Fame of faithful people in the Bible, who through outstanding faith, endured the greatest of trials and received unbelievable miracles. The Word of God talks about the “gift of faith,” that the Holy Spirit imparts to us, to believe for the impossible. The “gift of faith” should not be confused with the “measure of faith” that is given to each of us (Romans 12:3). It is true that faith is the key to unlock the power of God; however, the application of faith must be in keeping with God’s written and discerned will before His power is released. Knowing when and how to apply faith to a situation hinges on the knowledge of God’s Word and the application of spiritual discernment.

As I previously mentioned, “leap of faith” is found nowhere in the scriptures. Scripture doesn’t support making reckless and hasty decisions and expecting God to bless them. Rather, that every decision should be measured by its scriptural alignment and Holy Spirit confirmation. Proverbs 3:6 (ESV) says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” David said in Psalm 17:5 (ESV), “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.” By God’s providence, Esther was prepared “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). David had been anointed King by God, and knew his God-given authority and the Spirit of God rested upon Him. Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his only son. These people were not simply casting themselves into the wind, but following the divine guidance of God. Could it be that the phrase “leap of faith” is a grand scheme of the enemy to get us to “cast ourselves down?”

Concerning my initial question of to jump or not to jump: 1) Understand that Satan sometimes tempts us to take actions of faith. 2) We must use God’s Word and spiritual discernment to avoid falling into Satan’s trap. 3) Don’t test God, but instead, trust God. 4) Faith is a powerful tool for kingdom purposes, but it is not to be used indiscriminately. 5) Consider eliminating “leap of faith” from your vocabulary and replace it with scriptural references of direction and faith. And, my final suggestion is to NOT go looking for pinnacles to jump from. Instead walk in the divine calling God has placed on your life. When situations arise, God will be there to give you direction, faith, and victory.

Aaron Lambers is an ordained bishop in the Church of God. He serves on the pastoral staff at Gateway Church, Ashland, KY. He has a passion for God’s Word, reaching the lost, and discipling the next generation. Contact Aaron at pastoraaron@gatewaychurch.cc.

Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the King James Version, which is public domain in the United States. Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

THE SANDMAN

The Sandman steals years from us 

but eventually faces his own eternity.

Click here to read on Amazon Kindle 

Two Christian horror stories about how enemies come for your life. 

One operates through time and the other through indecision.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

BATTLING ANXIETY AND NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

My Personal Battle 

While I don’t deal with depression, and 99% of the time, my emotional status is peaceful and level, I do battle anxiety on occasion and it always comes in the form of negative thoughts, and mostly at night. I say negative thoughts, but really, they resemble voices whispering in my ear saying things like: 

“You shouldn’t have said that…”

“You totally hurt their feelings when you did that…”

“They think you’re lying…”

“How can you call yourself a Christian…”

“You failed at that…”

“You’re not going to make it…”

“You’re always going to be remembered for that mistake…”

And on and on it goes like a bad song stuck on repeat.

Over the years, these negative thoughts have persistently tried to hijack my life. At first, I would try to occupy my mind and displace them. My favorite tool was counting. I counted everything—road signs, trees, stars, specks on my ceiling, threads in my curtains, and eventually, even my breaths. Before I knew it, though, I was caught in a snare of obsessive counting, and the voices just chimed in and told me I would be forever stuck there. But not so, because I am nothing less than an overcomer.

It wasn’t until my late 20s early 30s that I began to find a “cure” for the negative thoughts and to put the counting to rest. Although my revelation was birthed then, it took many years for me to come to a full understanding. Now, I overcome the negative thoughts with a two-pronged approach: B vitamins and scripture. 

B Vitamins

When my daughter was about five years old, she began having horrible nightmares. Despite our intense prayers, she wasn’t getting any relief. (Looking back now, I realize that we were only praying for God to remove them instead of asking for wisdom and knowledge in dealing with them. Once our prayers changed, our answer manifested almost immediately.) I stumbled across a testimony on the internet of how parents gave B vitamins to their child and the nightmares stopped. My husband and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try, so we gave our daughter some the next night. No nightmares! Since then throughout her childhood, each time the nightmares would return, we administered a couple weeks of B vitamins, and it worked every time.

After seeing the effect B vitamins had on my daughter’s intermittent nighttime anxiety, I began to dabble with B vitamins in my own life. Sure enough, every time a season of anxiety perched upon me, I was able to shoo it away with a couple weeks of treatment. At this point, you may be asking why I didn’t stay on B vitamins all the time. It’s because I was using mega doses, and after a couple weeks, I would begin to exhibit signs of vitamin overdose and toxicity. It’s taken me several years to find a complex B vitamin that has just the right mixture and amounts of vitamins that my body needs.

Since that initial find of the internet testimony several years ago, I have noticed an increase in the amount of research around the relationship of B vitamins and mental health. Research continues to show that not only can B vitamin supplements enhance mental health, but a deficiency of B vitamins in the body can produce symptoms of irritability, mental confusion, anxiety, depression, and even schizophrenia. In addition, some research has shown that B vitamins may protect against Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other similar disorders. Now, as you know in these days, medical information is never complete without a disclaimer lest you risk being sued, so here’s mine: While B vitamins work for me, consult your family doctor and/or pharmacists before taking any dietary supplement. 

Scripture

B vitamins help with the physical manifestation of anxiety in my body brought on by organic causes; however, there is a spiritual component that must be dealt with, too. For example, when I speak before a crowd or try to be a witness for the Lord, the enemy will send his minions to whisper in my ear and plant a thought. These sorts of assaults are not physical ones that can be defeated with vitamins; they are spiritual battles that must be waged with spiritual weapons.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)

The Bible says that our enemy accuses us day and night, but we can triumph over him. While the Bible is loaded with powerful weapons to overcome the enemy regardless of the attack, the two scriptures I primarily use against negative thoughts are found in 2 Timothy 1:7 and Philippians 4:8. 

The very moment I begin to hear the negative thoughts, I say these eight words: “I have power, love, and a sound mind.” If I begin to hear the thoughts again, I repeat. Most times I get by with saying it only once. Whereas before when I used to lie in the bed for hours with negative thoughts running rampant through my mind, I can now get to sleep within five minutes. I use 2 Timothy 1:7 to annihilate any seeds deposited by the enemy in my mind. I shared this tactic with my husband, and it works for him, too. He told me a couple days ago that he was having trouble sleeping and used this scripture to bring immediate peace to his mind and then sleep to his body.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

Once I take captive the negative thought and expel it from my mind, I fill the void with the things listed in Philippians 4:8: 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

What Really Counts

Every now and then, I still soothe myself by counting. It’s used more like a gentle rocking, though, instead of like fists flying aimlessly in the air as though pummeling a dark cloud above my head.

The Bible says that the only thing that really counts is faith expressing itself through love. God showed us the ultimate love by sending His son to die for our sins, and we don’t have to live with condemnation or fear anymore. 

Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them. (Romans 4:8 NIV)

As for me—I count myself as an overcomer and use the two weapons of B vitamins and scripture when battling anxiety and negative thoughts. 

I know there is a ton of advice out there about mental health, and this is but a miniscule piece. If you’ve tried everything and still can’t get relief, please seek help and remember that you are not alone. If you have thoughts about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Be counted among the living and not the dead. 

*****

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to read my future ones, please submit your email under the “Follow by Email” tab on the sidebar. By doing this, each time I post a new blog, it will be emailed automatically to you, and you won’t have to watch social media for the links. I promise to not use your email for solicitation or mass distributions. Also, I would love to hear from you, so please drop a comment below, even if it’s just to say hello.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The Author closed his eyes, sat back in his favorite writing chair, and rested his hands on the thick, blank book positioned squarely on his lap. He began to tap on the cover and listen to the resulting soft thud as if he were signaling someone and heeding their reply. He seemed to be calling to the book and it was answering. After a few exchanges, he concluded this next book in the series would be about Jack. 

The Author saw the substance of Jack in his mind before the character was ever placed on paper. He knew the secret thoughts he had for this being and held them close until the time was ripe. At last, the Author picked up his pen to form this glorious creation on the cover of the book. He crafted Jack in his image, depositing a little of himself within, and fashioned him to be like previous characters in the series, yet different in his own way. Jack was the Author’s workmanship, fearfully and wonderfully made. How marvelous was this work!

The Author allowed his fingers to trace the cover before opening the book. He knew the plans he had for Jack—plans to prosper him and not to harm him, plans to give him hope and a future. Nevertheless, Jack was created with free will to forgo the Author’s plans for his own. The Author felt the foreknown pangs of hurt for the choices Jack would make, as he gazed upon the innocence of this individual standing on the first page of the rest of his life. 

Jack stood beside a bookcase, not knowing what to do next. The Author formally introduced himself (although they intimately knew each during the development process), and he drew Jack’s attention to the hundreds of white, blank pages in the book. He explained to Jack that this was his story, to be told by himself. With that, the Author sketched a black ink pen for Jack to make his indelible mark on this world and suggested he use the bookcase for learning and reference. The Author then exhorted Jack to go forth and multiply, subdue his world, and fulfill his purpose.

Jack wasted no time getting started, but was slow on the uptake owing to the steep learning curve, especially when it came to expressing himself. Not only did he need to learn to walk before running, he also had to figure out how to navigate the obstacles along the way. It didn’t take Jack long to get the hang of things, and he loved blazing his own path—maybe loved it too much.

Jack relished the idea of being in control and doing things on his own. Pride crept in as he began to disregard any help or advice from others. He became puffed up and full of himself, leaving no more room for the Author in his life. Lost in his own doings, Jack veered off the path intended for him and relinquished himself to one mistake after another. He attempted to hide his misdeeds by scratching them out with more ink, but alas, he only made a bigger mess. Eventually he found himself drowning in a sea of blackness as his sins consumed him.

With nowhere else to turn, Jack called out for the Author and threw up desperate hands hoping to touch the Author in the space above the page. “Please save me from myself! Hide your face from my sins and blot out either my iniquity or me. Please shine your light into my abyss.”

The Author replied, “I am he who blots out your transgressions and remembers your sins no more.” Immediately after the declaration, the Author whipped out his special correction ink and began to dab over Jack’s transgressions. 

Overwhelming joy and gratitude washed over Jack. “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered! Your love has covered a multitude of my sins! I was lost in the blackness of death, but now I am found! Was blind, but now I see!” 

Jack realized he couldn’t continue to do life his way. He repented and tried to hand over his black ink pen to the Author; however, the Author explained that Jack must tell his own story, in his own words. Then he made Jack a guarantee: “I will go with you and never forsake you. Every time you seek me, you will find me. When you call upon me, and I will listen. I will be with you always. When you pass through the waters, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.” 

Jack replied, “I can do nothing on my own. I seek not my own will, but the will of you who sent me.”

“Go be the salt and the light your world needs. Write down your story so that others may use it. You will not be alone in this endeavor. I’m with you always, to the end of the age.”

After blotting out the transgressions, regrets, and other errors, the Author turned to a blank page for Jack to start writing again. It was the fresh start Jack needed. The story of Jack poured out with combined effort: Jack operating in his free will and the Author ready to help when needed by placing notes and signs along his path for direction. Jack also began to see the importance of the bookcase and used it every chance he had.

Although Jack still had the occasional problem, he found hope in the Author always being there for him. Each time he made a mistake, he didn’t try to conceal it like before, but immediately called out for help, and the Author always obliged. 

Jack developed a great love for the Author and strove to demonstrate the Author’s essence and character in his own life. Oftentimes, Jack would record in the book the words he heard his Author speak, and he vowed to tell others of the Author’s righteous acts and wondrous deeds. He sought to proclaim his might to another generation, and to all those coming after him. 

True to his word, the Author never forsook Jack in all his days and was with him to the end. Eventually, Jack grew tired, though, and his pen ran dry. The Author (and now the finisher) of Jack’s faith picked up where he left off and penned the last words in the book: “Well done, my good and faithful one. You fought the good fight, finished your race, and kept the faith.” Jack’s life on paper was now complete and only the legacy of it remained.

The Author closed the book about Jack’s story and placed it in its rightful spot on the bookcase, beside the book about Jack’s grandfather. He returned to his favorite writing chair and plucked a new book from his stash in the basket beside it. He slowly rolled the book back and forth in his hands until it came to a rest on both palms. Staring at the book, his eyes brimmed with liquid joy as he contemplated the potential in this new life. He lifted the book gently to inhale the freshness of the empty pages, yet knowing that once written, the book would bear an even sweeter aroma. He laid the book across his lap and adorned it with a title: Jack’s Grandson and His Story. While this would be a short story, only a couple pages, it would have the power to change lives for generations to come, just like Jack’s story. 

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. We will not hide from the children the things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us, but will tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and of His might, and the wonders that He has done. (Derived from Proverbs 13:22 and Psalm 78:3-4)

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to read my future ones, please submit your email under the “Follow by Email” tab on the sidebar. By doing this, each time I post a new blog, it will be emailed automatically to you, and you won’t have to watch social media for the links. I promise to not use your email for solicitation or mass distributions. Also, I would love to hear from you, so please drop a comment below, even if it’s just to say hello.

THE PRICE ON MY HEAD

I’m going to share with you a story that I held secret for over twenty years. Why did I keep it hidden so long? Because I had no explanation, or even understanding, for what really happened—it blew my logic-based mind, and so I suppressed its very memory to keep from having to change the way I was living at the time.

When I was a teenager, my idea of having fun was a bit distorted. For example, a certain friend and I loved to go joy-riding and see how fast we could take the curves on one-lane country roads. We measured our success by two things: 1) the highest speed we could obtain in each curve and 2) the overall time it took to travel a selected length of the road (i.e., anywhere from five to ten miles). 

One late-summer day in 1987, my friend and I were playing our usual game on a winding road that had its fair share of sharp curves. This road traversed several lush farms, but we paid no attention to the to the freshly mowed fields. We came screeching around a blind curve about 50 mph when we saw a large tractor in our oncoming path. There was no time for us to slow down and no way to get over, because a deep creek lined the passenger side of the road.

Attached to the back of the tractor was some sort of implement. (I think it was a kind of hay rake, and for the purpose of the story, I’ll just make this assumption.) It was offset and completely reached past the tractor’s tires and to the opposite edge of the road. It was raised to the level of our heads as we were seated in the car. 

I saw the hay rake coming for us, and could see that it stretched completely across the hood of the car. I instantly knew that we were about to be decapitated and braced myself for the impact. I saw the rake come all the way up to the front windshield, and then it seemed to disappear. I quickly turned around and saw it behind us. It passed right through the car without touching us!

My friend kept driving until we found a place to pull over. We sat for a moment just staring at each other with incredulousness. Eventually, we were able to exit the car and walk on wobbly knees as we thoroughly inspected the entire car. Not one dent, scrape, or scratch. How was that even possible? The tractor tire alone was far enough over to drive upon the car. Somehow on that one-lane stretch of road, a tractor laden with a hay rake and a car passed each other without fail. While the incident threatened to take off my head physically, the incident definitely did the job emotionally. I had a choice to make: tell the story of how my life was spared, and then be forced to change the way I was living in appreciation, or let the memory of the event die in my place. 

Until November of 2008, the story lay dormant in forgotten memories. Then one night, I had a dream that a family member (who suffers from severe mental illness) called my mom and wanted to know how my husband, daughter, and I were doing and a couple other things. A simple dream at first glance, but it left a lingering impression on me. The next day in real life, this person actually did call my mom out of the blue, and the conversation included all the things I had heard in my dream the night before. In addition, though, this person revealed to my mom that he was “told” to kill me with an axe (cut off my head), and that he didn’t think he could do it.

The moment my mom finished describing the strange conversation, I heard the Lord speak very clearly to me: “I saved you once from having your head cut off and I can do it again.” IMMEDIATELY, the story about the tractor was resurrected in my mind in clear detail. I couldn’t decide what was more amazing—that a loved one wanted to cut off my head or that I could have forgotten such a miraculous story or that I dreamed the conversation before it happened or that the Lord was speaking directly to me. The one thing I had no trouble deciding, though, was that He was at work in my life. 

The Lord loves me, and He loves you too. He even loves us when we don’t love Him back. He knew us in our mother’s womb, and when we were woven together at creation, His eyes saw all the days ordained for us. And yes, He has a plan for our life: plans to prosper us and not to harm us; plans to give us hope and a future.

Although there was a hit out on me (not once, but twice), Jesus paid the price on my head. He paid it for you, too. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to read my future ones, please submit your email under the “Follow by Email” tab on the sidebar. By doing this, each time I post a new blog, it will be emailed automatically to you, and you won’t have to watch social media for the links. I promise to not use your email for solicitation or mass distributions. Also, I would love to hear from you, so please drop a comment below, even if it’s just to say hello.

QUANTUM CONNECTIONS

I’m starting this blog with a short science lesson on quantum physics. Okay, please don’t freak out and quit reading. Hang with me and it will be worth it.

But before we start, you need to open you mind to the understanding that time and space are tools that God gave us to be able to function and communicate while on earth. Imagine trying to describe to someone the fantastic Caribbean cruise you took last year if you didn’t have the tools of time and space to convey your thoughts.

Again, time and space are tools, NOT limits as many people believe. While it may be hard to imagine or perceive existing outside of time or space, it is not an impossibility. The Bible is full of stories that transcend both. We are NOT limited by time or space. Yes, the laws of physics rely on and support them, but on a massive scale (like when talking about galaxies) or on a subatomic scale (like when talking about things smaller than atoms), the laws of time and space can break down.

• Physics Fact 1. An action on one thing can be instantly detected by the other thing bound to it, regardless of the distance between them. Imagine you and I are at opposite ends of the universe separated by one billion light years, but yet somehow, we are still connected. If I jump, then it seems to reason that it should take one billion years for you to feel my action. However, recent experiments in physics have shown that the actions on one particle can be instantly detected in the other. Einstein was aware of this idea of universal entanglement and called it, “spooky action at a distance.”
• Physics Fact 2: A thing can exist simultaneously in two places and will only show up in one place or the other when it is measured. Physicists have shown that something (like an atom) can exist in two places at the same time, but it doesn’t show up in either until it is actually observed/measured there. In more general terms, this means that reality does not show up in the physical until it is measured.

Okay, that was more science than you probably ever wanted to hear or cared to know. So, why is it important? Because these principles are alive in the Bible, too.

The Bible says that through the blood of Jesus, we are redeemed back to God. In other words, the blood provides a reconciliation of earth back to heaven and thus, the two become reconnected. Colossians 1:20 says that Christ reconciled to Himself with all things, whether on earth or in heaven, and peace was made through His blood shed on the cross. Basically, there is a heavenly entanglement of our life on earth with what God has for us in heaven, and the blood is the connector. Matthew 16:19 tells us that whatever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. When we pull on that connection for something on earth, it is instantly felt in heaven, regardless of time or space. Our prayers and supplications are instantly perceived in heaven, and vice versa—when an action is taken in heaven on our behalf, its effects are available to us instantly. So why, then, do we not always “get” or “see” it in that same timing? For example, Abraham was given a promise, but a long time passed before he realized (or came into) that promise.

Romans 12:3 says that God has given every person a measure of faith, and 2 Corinthians 10:15 says that as our faith grows, our sphere of activity expands. We know from Mathew 17:20 that with faith, nothing is impossible. With even a small amount of faith, we can tell mountains to move. According to these scriptures, not only do we have a measure of faith that can cause things to physically show up where we need them, but we also have the power and authority though the Holy Spirit to tell things where to come or go. Abraham “received” his promise when he had the faith to believe for it. Hebrews 6:12 tells us to imitate those (like Abraham) who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. It’s sort of like salvation. Through Jesus, salvation was made available to all people; however, only those who have the faith to believe it’s true have it made manifest in their lives. Salvation exists in heaven and on earth independent of our opinions, but it doesn’t come into our life on earth until we apply a measure of faith.

So, what does all this mean for you?

Through the blood of Jesus, you are reconciled back to God, and your connection from earth to heaven is restored. Whatever it is that God has for you in heaven (i.e., healing, provision, knowledge, etc), it is available for you right here on earth, even if you cannot physically see it, because it exists in both places at the same time. To cause it to manifest in your life, pull on that connection to let your request be known, use your measure of faith to make it appear, and pray like Jesus taught—that it will be done in earth as it is in heaven. 

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to read my future ones, please submit your email under the “Follow by Email” tab on the sidebar. By doing this, each time I post a new blog, it will be emailed automatically to you, and you won’t have to watch social media for the links. I promise to not use your email for solicitation or mass distributions. Also, I would love to hear from you, so please drop a comment below, even if it’s just to say hello.