Hey Buddy, Do Ya’ Think You’re Gonna’ Get a Free Lunch Here? by Linda Maynard

FREE!!!...FREE GROCERIES…$250 worth and I fell for it…I fell hard.

It was a couple of years ago, when we really could have used this type of “gift”. Are you shaking your heads saying…”uh—huh”…”that sista’ had that trusting thing bad”

So, I went into the 1st screen that brought me to the next screen, and offers…. (Shipping and handling only of course) all the while me thinking when I was going to get to the free grocery special?

I never quite made it all the way. Something or someone told me to stop there. But I messed up enough saying yes to a particular offer in which I paid shipping and handling. BUT, I signed up for a never ending monthly CD. I FINALLY got to discontinue it, with the bank’s help, but I lost a couple of hundred dollars in the process

What the saying? “If it sounds too good to be true….it probably IS too good to be true.”

Well that applies to earthly things but not heavenly things.

Jesus died, not because He was a great Teacher, Leader or Person. He died on the cross to free everyman woman and child from the ravages and consequences of sin


Interestingly enough, that news IS good news…it does sound too good to be true.

However, there is something in our human nature that has a hard time yielding to that type of Love. It seems too far-fetched. We want to know what WE could do to earn such a gift.

There was a song when my kids were growing up. On the album’s title song which was.

“Free to Be You and Me” It comes from the 60’s and 70’s era, where free love was expounded and free expression was valued. Not all of that is wrong but we have to admit some of it was off balance.

I agree with the fact that we can be held back by expectations of others, as well as our own for ourselves.

I can remember my oldest brother asking Marcel (my husband) why he felt he needed to become Born Again. He prefaced it this way though,” I know why SHE ( meaning me) felt she should be born again, but you seem to be one who has a lot less needs”…(Don’t you love older, blunt brothers?) He further questioned Marcel  he could just not get his mind wrapped around the fact that he didn’t have to do anything to earn salvation. He didn’t have to jump through hoops to attain forgiveness. And probably got stuck in a place many people get stuck in, is the fact that they STILL want control and so there is something that they need to do…that they can do. As Marcel, explained it as best he could, my brother kind of shook his head and perhaps thought “Freedom is free???  It makes absolutely no sense to me. I can’t be that easy”

He had some religious upbringing but that did not gel with this news. And if he did think that, he was correct in that point, it is religion that wants to have rules and regulations and a way that seems right to a man, rather than believing the incredible Good News.

I remember hearing once that the Gospel is “The Good Glad Glorious News That Makes a Man Leap for Joy”…I like that…It sure sounds like sheep a leapin’ in the fields.  

Jesus wrought us a freedom that is free and yet was not free. Ok, you say, now you are mixing me up.

It is a Free Gift to us but it was a Costly Gift for the Lord. 

He gave ALL He had…His very own life.

He gave His Life, what More could He do?
Oh how He loves me
Oh how he loves you
Oh how He loves you and me.

Freedom Blessing by Jenna Vick Silliman

A couple of years ago, on New Year’s Eve, my pastor, John Himmelberger, asked if he could pray for me for more freedom. I didn’t think I needed more freedom, but I now know I did! Freedom in the Holy Spirit is wonderful. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” (See Galatians 5:1.) Free to be all that God created us to be, free to grow and bloom and be more and more like Jesus every day. Our heavenly Father has so much for us! In our lives we typically only recognize a small portion of our blessings. Today I would like to bless you with more freedom. May I give you a "Freedom Blessing"? Just insert your name in the blank and receive all these blessings from the Lord that are all yours already!

Dear _____, Today I bless you with receiving the Truth that the Lord promises will set you free. I bless you with knowledge of your Papa’s awesome, extravagant love for you and how He treats you with special care because you belong to Him. I bless you with a new understanding of your freedom from anything holding you back such as fear, worry, negativity, complaining, distrust, or doubting. I bless you with freedom from loneliness and a new awareness that Papa is with you 24/7. I bless you with freedom from anything that would make you unusable for the Lord’s glory. I bless you with a desire to forgive anyone who has hurt you and to forgive and forget any offenses. I bless your spirit with the freedom from distractions to seek after God and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. I bless you as FREE INDEED. Free from the bondage of worrying what people think. Free of all the negative stuff. Free to share our faith with confidence. Free to give generously and enjoy it. Free to worship and express emotions and enthusiasm. Free to dare to be different and unique. Free to be child-like and have fun and goof off. Free to dance without self-consciousness. Free to believe. Free to love and be loved. Free to be affectionate and receive it too. Free to receive all the promises in Scripture! I bless your mind with the freedom to dwell on all good things--whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, and whatever is worthy of praise. I bless you with freedom to stand—unshakeable-- in victory and triumph over sin, not by your own might or your own power, but through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. I bless you with a revelation that you can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you. I bless you with the freedom to declare the truths of God’s Word and take authority in the name of Jesus. I bless you with ears to hear your Papa’s voice better and to hear Him call you by name with tender lovingkindness. I bless you with eyes to see into the supernatural realm and recognize the riches of our inheritance and our identity in Jesus. I bless you with the revelation that we are co-crucified, co-buried, co-resurrected, co-enthroned, and co-heirs with Jesus! I also bless you with the ability to see yourself the way Papa does—free of sin, perfect, and beautiful. I bless you with a new zeal for encouraging others in the Lord, for evangelism, for prayer, for healing, and for using all the gifts so freely given to us from our Papa. I bless you with the ability to receive empowerment in the Holy Spirit. I bless you with the desire to give thanks always, to rejoice in all Papa’s good gifts, and to celebrate FREEDOM!"

Oh the glorious FREEDOM of the children of God! (See Romans 8:21b.)

Please say this poem aloud with me to receive additional freedom.

Freedom Poem (Author unknown)

I believe in love.

I believe in miracles.

I believe in freedom.

I like to color outside the lines.

I like to dream without fines.

Busted parking meters.

I like to push the pedal.

It’s time to release.

It’s time to be freer than walls.

It’s time to answer the call

To be who I am

Strengths, weaknesses, and all.

I believe.

His love is untainted for me.

I am free.

[I got the idea of giving a blessing from the book Blessing Your Spirit by Sylvia Gunter and Arthur Burk. However, “Freedom Blessing” is written by me, JennaSilliman@gmail.com www.TheDanceOfLifeWithJenna.blogspot.com and I’d be so happy if you would pass it on. Feel free to share it!]

Free to BE

Kingdom Bloggers are shifting around again.  We like to keep things moving and having different voices.  I’m a returning KBer and will be filling the Monday slots.  This week your faithful scribes will be sharing our perspectives on freedom.  We will be answering the questions. What has Christ made us free to? What is freedom in Christ?

The first thing that went through my mind when I read those questions was the song – I am free to run, I am free to dance… Maybe you don’t know that song – if not, here it is:

But then I thought – oh yeah, Jenna is the dancer on KB so maybe I should share something else.

Freedom in Christ is a deep subject – it’s easy to say Christ has made me free.  You might even think of the scripture Romans 8:2 and think of being free from the law of sin and death.  But for me, I have been free to be.

If you’ve read KB for a while, you remember me.  You remember I went back to school.  The first summer session we learned the phrase – Esse Quam Videri – to be, rather than to seem.  It’s always been hard to be me.  I’ve always felt like I was an oddity and different.

Guess what?  I am.  And so are you?  We are all unique.  We are not a cookie cutter creation of God.  We are each individuals, perfectly made.  I had a very hard time with that.  I thought I should be like someone else.

As I reflect on the freedom I have in Christ, I realize that I am free to be.  I am free to be the nerd.  I am free to be quiet.  I am free to feel all the emotions that well up inside of me.  I’ve spent most of my life trying to do.  To do this and do that, to be busy and please God or others.  We do need to be sensitive to others.  But when it controls you, you aren’t being YOU.  The YOU God created.

I’m almost finished with school.  As I look back, I think the thing that I’ve learned that will serve me best, is that I can “be.”  I don’t have to do, I can just be.  Christ has given me the freedom to be the woman He created me to be.

Why Am I Thirsty?

It's a good question, don't you think?As humans we have a few different systems running together in our bodies that make up something we call life. Without our digestive system, we would not survive. The same is true with our nervous system and our reproductive system - well, maybe we could survive, without the latter - ah never mind.

Today's Holy Week verse is I am thirsty. John 19:28.

Our human bodies have drives and instincts that respond to all sorts of stimuli as well as an ongoing chemical analysis going on in our body. We have the drive to eat, to drink, to reproduce, and instincts, senses and emotions that drive us to what it is that we do as humans.

The good news is that we, unlike any other animal, have an other system, another dimension which we call spirit. There is the unredeemed version we call evil, and the redeemed version that most evangelicals refer to as "saved." I confess, I don't really know how God's Spirit co-mingles with our spirit, but I know when it happened.

Thirst, even the thirst which Jesus had on the cross, is often analogous for spiritual thirst. As a longtime Christian, for me, it's sort a worn out analogy. I want something more, something deeper, something meaningful.

There are many symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Psalms refers to the "deep calling deep." (Psalm 42:7) There are terms for rivers (Matthew 3:16) and rivers of living water (John 7:38) and water so deep we can measure it by another cubit. (Ezekiel 47) So?


But isn't there more? Isn't there something deeper to our thirst than just another sermon, another worship tune, and another Easter service?



I don' think we thirst for more of God, or a deeper understanding of Jesus. If that were the case, more Christians would be flocking to church and more of them would be asking less questions about his existence, moral character and his ability to do things like heal.

WHAT IS THAT WE ACTUALLY THIRST FOR?

As Christians it's easy to be like the Israelites and demand water from a rock. Demanding things from God won't work. Why? Because what we thirst for is PURPOSE. Each one of us has a God-given purpose and destiny. Our choices bring us closer to it or farther away; at the very least, they keep it at bay.

Today as you ponder the crucifixion of Jesus, and again on Sunday morning as you celebrate His resurrection, ask Him to give you a drink of His especially designed purpose in your life - to take a drink of your destiny in Christ. For you to be in the Kingdom of God here on earth, "like it is in Heaven!"

Isn't that what you are thirsty for, to know the will of God for you family, your job, and flow with that? You want to know where God is going, right? The good news is that, like a cold beer on a hot day, he is never stingy.

Forsaken by Linda Maynard

                                   "Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani"

which means, "My God, my God,why have You forsaken me?"

Matthew 27:46

I will never leave you or forsake you

…Hebrews 13:5

This week in KB we are each talking about one of the seven things that Jesus said from the cross.

My assignment was the above scripture in that Jesus is crying out, in a loud voice, to God, about being forsaken.

Forsake  abandon, to withdraw companionship, protection or support from somebody, desert, leave disown, cast off, reject.

When Jesus said this, was it that God the Father could not look at sin? Jesus took all sin upon Him, and is that the reason He turned His back to Jesus? To me that makes sense, yet some disagree. But I propose that, at the very least, the intimacy and fellowship that Jesus shared with His Father was broken.

We see in Genesis, Adam’s (the first Adam) intimacy with God, was broken by his disobedience. That happened in the Garden of Eden, at the same hour of day, as when darkness settled over the earth at Golgotha, where Jesus was on the cross. Jesus (the second Adam), was destroying sin by dying on the cross and restoring fully what the first Adam had lost.

While listening closely to what people are saying, you can pick up clues.

We go to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus goes with his disciples to pray. (Boy, did He ever need prayer support!) After telling the disciples that His soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, He asks them to watch and pray. Going further, Jesus falls to the ground and prays, "My Father, if it be possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will… Mt 26:39

He returns to the disciples and finds them asleep. (I used to judge them harshly until I admitted that I have "slept on my watch" too.) He went away a second time and He implores…" My Father, if it is not possible, for this cup to be taken away, unless I drink it, may Your will be done… Mt 26:42

Jesus, still in the Garden of Gethsemane, is calling God, His Father. Then, on the cross, He is referring to Him as God. That to me is telling that there was a breach in the intimacy, which Jesus previously enjoyed with His Father…His ABBA.

Jesus felt abandoned, rejected, cast off. To Him, God the Father seemed indifferent. We have to remember again that Jesus was FULLY God and yet FULLY man. And as man, the Word says that He is touched and familiar with our infirmities.

My "go to" Life scripture is Hebrews 13:5. "I will never leave you or forsake you." I cannot tell you how many times it has settled storms in my life. It has also given me hope, as well as reassurance when I have blown it. I am reminded of God’s consistent Love.

Because Jesus endured the cross, along with feeling that He too was alone and no longer in fellowship with God the Father, I can say "Lord, You have defeated a sense of aloneness for all, on the cross for all mankind."

I may "feel" abandoned or rejected, but His Word always trumps my feelings.

He has given me His Word that He will not disown me. He is not a man who would lie and withdraw His protection and support.

When I ask, "God where are You?’

He will whisper, "I am right here, my child"

Whew! I can breathe again and let out a deep sigh of relief.

Celebrate Passover! by Jenna Vick Silliman

Exodus 12:22-24 "And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For God will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons FOREVER."

Jesus celebrated PASSOVER with His disciples. (See Matthew 26:17-19.) The word in Hebrew is Pecach or Pesach. It is from the root verb Pacach, meaning to pass over, to spare or to skip. Jesus is our Passover lamb that takes away the sin of the world. All we have to do is BELIEVE. Jesus is God become a man so that He could shed His blood for us. His blood covers us and so we are spared just like the Hebrews were spared by the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts!

If you haven’t yet, say this simple prayer to God and you will be made holy and blameless before Him for all time and abundant LIFE will be yours to enjoy!

“Thank You, Lord Jesus God, for Your blood shed for me and for the forgiveness of my sins forever. Thank You for peace, joy, and abundant life. I believe in You!”

In Hebrews 10:17 we read that by the blood of Jesus, God remembers our sins and lawless deeds no more. Now that is a PASSOVER TO CELEBRATE! Happy Passover everybody!!!

"Today you will be with me in Paradise."

Paul Miller, in his book A Praying Life, describes Jesus' amazing ability to have a one-person focus even in a crowd: “When Jesus interacts with people, he narrows his focus down to one person... that person is the only person in the room. The way he loves people is identical to the way he prays to His Father. This one-person focus is how love works. Love incarnates by slowing down and focusing on just the beloved” (Miller, p. 46).

Astoundingly, Jesus manages this even on the cross. He is in agony. Nails have been driven through his hands and feet. Earlier, he had been scourged (for a description of the physical torture Jesus would have received as a prisoner, click here). But his agony is more than physical: for the first time in his 33 years, he is separated from his heavenly Father (see Matthew 27:46).

He has been abandoned by his disciples. The Jews who had welcomed him just days ago with praises, are now heckling him. Jesus is even jeered by one of two thieves hanging from crosses on either side of him.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him.

“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).

Jesus’ one on one ministry extends even from the cross! The thief to the left wants down from his predicament and curses Jesus for not fixing things for himself and them. Even in the face of death, this man’s heart is hard and fixed. The thief to the right sees the reality of his own sin and the innocence of Jesus. Not just his innocence, but his divinity. What faith to see God in this suffering, blood-covered man. What depths of love our Savior had for a repentant criminal. What hope for humanity, that it is our faith in Christ, not our works, not a religious process, that saves!

“Christ upon the cross, is gracious like Christ upon the throne. Though he was in the greatest struggle and agony, yet he had pity for a poor penitent. By this act of grace we are to understand that Jesus Christ died to open the kingdom of heaven to all penitent, obedient believers. It is a single instance in Scripture; it should teach us to despair of none, and that none should despair of themselves; but lest it should be abused, it is contrasted with the awful state of the other thief, who died hardened in unbelief, though a crucified Saviour was so near him” (Matthew Henry).

Sources: 

"View from the Cross," James Tissot, 1886-94. Brooklyn Museum.

Miller, Paul. A Praying Life (NavPress, 2009).

Matthew Henry Commentary, retrieved online: http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?b=42&c=23&com=mhc

The Last Mortal Words of a Savior (By Tony C)

This Holy Week, like the past two, I will be going dark on all forms of social media. I do this to cut out a lot of the background noise we all are inundated with each day and to focus more on the events of this week over 2000 years ago...and how it impacts my life personally.

This week your Kingdom Bloggers are going to each write on one of the seven phrases spoken by Jesus from the cross as recorded in either the Gospel of Matthew or Luke.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  Luke 23:34 NKJV

Scholars and medical professionals alike have studied and shared with us the agonizing death that crucifixion caused. It was plain and simple torture. Not only was the victim exposed, literally, for all to see and to the effects of the elements, the process was grueling and punishing. Death for many came by asphyxiation or drowning in fluids gathered in the victims lungs. It took hours for death to mercifully arrive.

Add to the fact that Jesus was flogged so severely that the injuries from that task alone could have ended His mortal existence, and you have a morning and afternoon of unimaginable suffering.

Then...you have the act of sacrifice that would see the sins of all mankind placed on a person and entity that had never, repeat never, personally experienced sin in an eternal life.

I think we often overlook the physical aspects that Jesus suffered because, well, He is God. But Jesus suffered tremendous physical pain and I believe anxiety. Yet through the bodily suffering, the humiliation (some from His own people), and the soon to come bearing of mankind's sin...Jesus looks to the Father and ask Him to forgive those who tortured and mocked Him below the cross.

Love is not a big enough word...it's just not.

I'm blessed to write about this subject on my last post for the near future. I'm taking a hiatus to focus on another issue, but please know that I not only covet your prayers, but I would be honored to do the same for each of you. I leave my writing position on Mondays to someone I both love and respect, and I look forward to reading her future post about God's Kingdom. Thank you Joyce.

Praise God! The tomb was empty that Easter morning!  

We are the Hands and the Feet and the Heart Of Jesus..Where is He Leading ? Linda Maynard

Where would I choose to go on a 6 month Missions trip, if the opportunity was presented to me? That is the subject up for discussion on KB this week.

My immediate thought was Poland. Both sets of grandparents are from that country in Europe. I feel a strong sense of connection with the Polish people.

My main focus for the trip would be to talk to the people. I would share as one brought up in the catholic tradition, about my own experience of finding the Lord Jesus as my Savior. I would like to talk to them, preferably in their own homes. I would share, one on one, about how I had a level of understanding about Jesus and how I came to realize that head knowledge of who He is differed from the heart knowledge, which I have come to embrace.

In this, I would pray that my discussions would whet some appetites to further study about Jesus, especially through the Bible. Perhaps they might, as I did, come to know Jesus rather than just know about Him. Giving mental ascent was what I did and I surmise that many Catholics do the same. Through non-confrontational discussion; I would pray that our times of fellowship would cause them to hunger for more.

As I left, I would be confident that even though my trip did not involve mass meetings, it would have touched the hearts of families and from there, they could spread the good news of the Gospel with their community. I would pray for that to become a ripple effect and in that many Catholics in the area, would come to a genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

Because there was no steadfast “rule” about the 6 month period, I would like to split up my time in Poland and Tapachula Mexico.

I’ve come to know a couple, who are missionaries in Tapachula.  Hope and Steve are the parents of my daughter in law.

They themselves had been on several trips, through their church. As time passed and as circumstances changed, they felt a pull to become full time missionaries.

The focus of what they do is children. They have established 2 boy’s homes and 1 girl’s home in the same neighborhood.

You may wonder where the children come from, as they are without their parents and yet the homes are not orphanages.

They come from prisons.

Yes, you heard that right, from prisons. They have not committed any crimes, their parents have. And the way things are governed in that region is that, when an adult is convicted of a crime and sent to prison, the whole family has to go with them.

As you can imagine, they are deplorable places for adults, let alone children. In this dark place, they witness despicable behavior and they themselves are victims of all forms of abuse…sexual abuse being the major one.
So, through Mission on the Move, and the efforts of Hope and Steve, these children come to a place of hope with a future.

To get into to the Home, they have to be granted permission by the parents.

There, they are “cleaned up”…body, mind and soul. They are taught things like basic manners, as well being provided with regular schooling. They learn to trust adults. They receive counseling to deal with the aftermath of the squalor they have lived in. whether through the prison and the lifestyle of their parents previous to their incarceration. Most of all, they are introduced to the Savior Jesus Christ and receive instruction in the bible.
Some of them arrive as young as 5 and others at an older age. As of now, 3 boys are attending college and I know of 1 girl, who has graduated from college.

The home provides them everything that a healthy home would provide. Sadly it is not perfect in the sense of the ultimate family would be one in which healthy parents would provide all the resources for their own children to grow up with a good future.

As a bonus, some of these parents have become Christians as well. They are provided with instruction through a Prison Ministry.

I would like to be part of the ongoing process to teach, nourish and encourage these children…especially the girls.

If an opportunity arose, I would be willing to speak in public to raise awareness about this beautiful ministry. I would hope to raise funds for college scholarships for them and to start a fund to establish, not only an additional girls’ home, but more homes as well.

Up front personal ministry and prayer would thrill me, to bring the Good News of the Gospel to these 2 very different people groups.

My Missionary Lifestyle by Jenna Vick Silliman

When Jesus said to GO I considered myself SENT and now I am on a MISSION everywhere I go. However, the Lord has not given me any desire to travel anywhere in this season of my life. I am to bloom and grow and bear fruit right here in Clallam County where I live and where He has planted me. As I abide in Jesus I will bear much fruit as Jesus promised. (See John 15.)

To establish a mindset, I have five declarations that I speak out and keep before me to help me in my missionary lifestyle:
1. I am a connecting link to God's loving kindness.
2. People are open and ready to hear about God's love and to believe.
3. Through me God's love is drawing people into a relationship with Him.
4. Everyone around me has powerful encounters with God's presence.
5. I have Jesus as Lord in my heart; I'm always ready to share about Him.

My focus is on God and worshiping Him. He inhabits the praises of His people. I walk habitually with the Lord 24/7 and continually give Him thanks for this is the password to His presence. I am a host for His presence!

Yesterday after teaching my children's dance class I danced to a song of worship to show my students "worship dancing." My son Peter did a video so I can share it with you. The song is called "The Paintbrush" from the album "Paint Your Picture" by Julie Meyer. As I dance I am praying and asking God "Pick me up like a paintbrush, God, dip it in the colors of my life, paint Your picture, Father, fashion a heart that is wholly Yours...Take Your fingers God, Master Potter come mold the clay. Tell Your story...and write Your name in the clay and sign Your name on the picture."