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Do you see how much Jesus loves you? He won't leave you.
"You are Mine. I'm in you. I love you too much to leave you. I'm not going to leave you because I love you. You don't know Me. But I will meet you at the Gates and marry you forever. I will be your God and you will be My son. Don't let that confuse you when I talk like that. It means that you are Mine".
I want you to know something about the Holy Spirit. When I saw Him in jail in my backslidings in 2019, He looked like a huge Morning Dove. A Dove the size of a man. His eyes were sad. It took me two years to find a term to describe that look in His sad eyes. The look was that of an abandoned parent or a jilted lover.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional describes God as an abandoned parent and a jilted lover from Zepheniah 3. Read it. That day I saw the Holy Spirit looking at me with sad eyes in jail in 2019, was in September 2019. From September, 2019 to May, 10th, 2021 is 20 months. From that vision to my Daily Devotional reading in Our Daily Bread, is 20 months. It took 20 months for God to create this message you're reading today on repentance to make the Rapture, because the Rapture is about to happen.
God looked at me with sad eyes in jail in September, 2019. Then 20 months later, He gave me the term to describe that look from one of His churches, RBC Ministries Daily Devotional, Our Daily Bread. That's what I mean that without Jesus, we can't do a thing without Him. I never would have been able to describe that look if the Holy Spirit hadn't made me repent and get back into Daily Devotions with Him. But God used a more skilled man in Bible study to help me.
He gave me time to repent. 20 months. He waited until I did my time, paid my dues and got off Probation to give me the the words to describe that look in His eyes that day in jail.
Parents love their children more than the children love their parents. When we backslide on God after we've been born again, we hurt the Lord like an unruly child hurts their parents. The Holy Spirit loves us so much that He will never leave us, but we grieve the Holy Spirit with our sins. That's how He looks whenever we backslide. That look said this, "I love you but you don't want me". An abandoned parent.
Jesus said that if we love Him, we'll obey Him (Jn. 14:15-21). When we don't love God and backslide so carelessly on God (Heb. 12:16, 17), the Holy Spirit, our Father, stands there looking at us sad, like an abandoned parent, because we don't listen to Him. We don't love Him. When we sin, we die, not Him (Rom. 6:23). The Lord hurts when we backslide. But we pay the price. When we backslide, we go to jail for correction from God and God's plan for our lives, that plan for marriage and success in ministry, is gone, and we're in jail suffering when we should've been happy and successful.
That look in His eyes changed me. God now means more to me than life. Nothing can make me hurt the Lord again. I saw the Holy Spirit again last year, around September 5th, 2020 (my daughter's birthday), and He was looking at me and smiling instead of sad, because I repented of backsliding.
The interesting thing about my repentance, is that, without Him, I couldn't do it (Jn. 15:5). The Lord visited me for a little talk back then (the power of His Word), and whatever He said to me, I became (Mk. 11:12-26). He said, "Repent and prepare for the Rapture", and I repented. The only reason I stopped hurting the Lord with sin, was because He said, "Repent". The Christian life is a work of God. This means that He is the one that bears our fruit. Without Him, we can do NOTHING (Jn. 15:1-5).
This is what Jesus wants you to know today, that, without Him, we can't do a thing for God. God made me repent. That's why He was looking at me like that. And only He can make you repent too.
If you're stuck in the pit of sin and backsliding, you need to ask Jesus for help to come back to God because only his Word can set you free from the sins of backsliding. You won't make it back to God if you don't ask Him for help. He'll be there soon to bring you back. He will never leave you and only the true conversions come back to God from sin (Lk. 8:4-15).
John 15
Authorized (King James) Version {Paraphrased}
1 I {Jesus} am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
See this passage in the Living Bible Version:
John 15
Living Bible {Paraphrased}
1 “I {Jesus} am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. 2 He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops. 3 He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. 4 Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me.
5 “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned. 7 But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! 8 My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love. 10 When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow! 12 I demand that you love each other as much as I love you. 13 And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; 14 and you are my friends if you obey me. 15 I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesn’t confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proved by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told me.
16 “You didn’t choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you. 17 I demand that you love each other, 18 for you get enough hate from the world! But then, it hated me before it hated you. 19 The world would love you if you belonged to it; but you don’t—for I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave isn’t greater than his master!’ So since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! 21 The people of the world will persecute you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me.
22 “They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone hating me is also hating my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such mighty miracles among them they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw these miracles and yet they hated both of us—me and my Father. 25 This has fulfilled what the prophets said concerning the Messiah, ‘They hated me without reason.’
26 “But I will send you the Comforter—the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. 27 And you also must tell everyone about me because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus said in verse 11, that our joy is full when we listen to Him because we love Him. If we don't listen to God, we will not be joyful, or, happy. We will be sad like we are in jail because we sin and commit crimes instead of listen to Jesus. Your love for Jesus will override anything that makes you sin.
Here's today's Our Daily Bread Devotional for Tuesday, May 10th, 2021.
Singing Over Us
[He] will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
A young father held his baby boy in his arms, singing to him and rocking him in soothing rhythm. The baby was hearing-impaired, unable to hear the melody or the words. Yet the father sang anyway, in a beautiful, tender act of love toward his son. And his efforts were rewarded with a delightful smile from his little boy.
The imagery of the father-son exchange bears a striking resemblance to the words of Zephaniah. The Old Testament prophet says that God will joyfully sing over His daughter, the people of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:17). God enjoys doing good things for His beloved people, such as taking away their punishment and turning back their enemies (v. 15). Zephaniah says they no longer have any reason for fear and instead have cause for rejoicing.
We, as God’s children redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sometimes are hard of hearing—unable, or perhaps unwilling, to tune our ears to the exuberant love God sings over us. His adoration of us is like that of the young father, who lovingly sang to his son despite his inability to hear. He has taken away our punishment too, giving us further reason to rejoice. Perhaps we might try to listen more closely to hear the joy ringing loudly in His voice. Father, help us to hear Your loving melody and savor being held safely in Your arms.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY
What keeps you from hearing God? How can you tune your ears to hear His delight in you?
Thank You, God, for taking great delight in me. May I always listen to your voice as You joyfully sing over me.
To learn more about Zephaniah, visit ChristianUniversity.org/OT226.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Zephaniah 3:14–17 is written like a psalm of salvation (such as Psalm 98). The prophet commands praise (Zephaniah 3:14), not only for what God has done in the past and will do in the future, but for the very presence of Yahweh in the midst of Israel as the loving king who inspires confidence (vv. 15–17). As such, this “psalm” expresses the motif of God’s continued presence in Zion, the city of David (Jerusalem), as promised in the covenant in 2 Samuel 7 and echoed in Isaiah and in psalms such as Psalms 2 and 89. The Lord is Israel’s king (Zephaniah 3:15) and her mighty warrior of salvation (v. 17). But He also responds to Israel like an abandoned parent or jilted lover to whom his beloved has returned. He rejoices with vocal jubilation as well as stillness and quiet (v. 17).
Con Campbell
The Holy Spirit just said to me,
"I'm going to put you in jail if you fight (so and so). This is why I'm sad. You keep doing things your way when it comes to people".
The other day I learned what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit from a Preacher on TBN.
Ephesians 4:30-32
Authorized (King James) Version
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
He started off by reading verse 30, which says not to grieve the Holy Spirit, or, not to make the Holy Spirit sad, like I did in 2019 in jail with backsliding. Then he said that how to not grieve the Holy Spirit, is in verse 31. Then he read it.
We stop grieving the Holy Spirit when we put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking and malice. He then said that all those things in verse 31, are things we do to other people. He said that we grieve the Holy Spirit when we mistreat people.
This is what the Holy Spirit is talking about in His prophecy above to me to not fight so and so. I got the name from the Holy Spirit, but I'm not going to say here who it is. The Lord talks to me by prophesy like this everyday. My enemies get scared when I know whose there and what they're doing. People can't lie to God or keep me in the dark about their conspiracies. The Lord doesn't want me to fight this man when he comes to see me.
Verse 32 tells us how to make the Holy Spirit happy. We treat people right. We be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving, like God has forgiven us.
Earlier this year, the Lord also told me how to make Him happy instead of grieve Him when it comes to people. The Lord told me that eating right and exercise will get rid of the oppressed pain, or what He called, the sin of murder, in me. This sin makes me a good homeboy, but not a good Christian. Going to heaven is more vital to me than my gang. So I choose to listen to the Lord.
This pent up anger I got, a deadly thing in me, is released when I exercise. I been doing that. The anger will surface when I'm relaxed and I'll feel mean for no reason. The Lord told me that that's when I'm to exercise. So I've been doing towel twists when I feel like fighting and I relax instead of act mean and grieving the Holy Spirit. It's a tough road of obedience back to my first love for Jesus.
So my anger will not be in control when this man comes, If he comes, and I choose to please the Lord instead of deal with him my way. I'm not going to fight. The Lord wants me to put him in jail instead of me. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways.
Proverbs 14:14
Authorized (King James) Version
14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
God is like a jilted lover
Jeremiah 3
Authorized (King James) Version
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. 2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. 3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. 6 The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 15 and I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. 19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. 20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord. 21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. 22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee: for thou art the Lord our God. 23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. 24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
Jeremiah 2:19
Authorized (King James) Version
19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.
Jeremiah 5:6
Authorized (King James) Version
6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
Jeremiah 8:5
Authorized (King James) Version
5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
Jeremiah 14:7
Authorized (King James) Version
7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
Jeremiah 31:22
Authorized (King James) version
22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
Jeremiah 49:4
Authorized (King James) Version
4 Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
Hosea 4:16
Authorized (King James) Version
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
Hosea 11:7
Authorized (King James) Version
7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
Hosea 14:4
Authorized (King James) Version
4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.