Posted by: judyhitson | April 22, 2024

The Grace of Deliverance

The Grace of Deliverance
by Judy Hitson

Romans 7:6 NKJV But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I grew up hearing and believing the Gospel. That is the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The problem I had was being taught faith in Jesus Christ through good works. That may come under the category of a false gospel. Do you think?

All I knew was being steeped in the doctrine of a particular denomination. This caused me to miss the  true gospel which is to “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…” Acts 16:31.

When it came to the Bible, it was a Holy Book for the church leaders to read and explain.  At the time, it wasn’t a book we were encouraged to read on our own. 

I was taught rituals to follow and prayers to memorize. It was like following the law, not learning about grace and the love of Christ.

Praise God, after being born again when I was 36 yrs. old, He brought Christian women in my life. They invited me to a weekly prayer group in a home, took me to a Women’s Christian Bible Conference and asked me to join a weekly Women’s Bible Study. After a few years of growing as a woman of the Word, I learned of a woman teaching on Deliverance and Healing at a church. The teaching and her testimony brought me to tears. Though I was learning to walk with Jesus, I felt like Lazarus coming out of the grave with grave clothes to remove. The teacher had an invitation for prayer. I couldn’t go forward fast enough wanting her to pray for me.

I won’t go into detail of this experience except to say when she prayed for me it was like she read my mail. No one ever prayed for me like that. She took authority against religious spirits and invited the Holy Spirit to minister life to me and freedom in Christ. When I left the church that day I was free in Christ’s love and life in His Spirit. Instead of following church rules and regulations, I learned to practice the presence of God where there is fullness of joy, Ps. 16:11.

Prayer: Thank You Lord for the ongoing ministry of Deliverance to deliver us from bondage and set us free in Christ. Amen.    

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Posted by: Administrator | April 9, 2024

Grace and Truth Revealed

Grace and Truth Revealed
by Brenda D. Flowers

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1: 16-17, AMP)

On Wednesday morning, the last week of March 2024, during “Holy Week”, I had the opportunity to teach a class of 1 year olds this simple Bible verse, “…grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” To plant the seed of truth in their little hearts, we sang this verse to the melody of “Skip to My Lou”, (Singing the verse 3 times and ending with singing the Bible address “John 1: 17b”)

I shared with the children how prayer is talking to God. I prayed with them asking God to show them how much He loved them. I thanked God for sending Jesus to earth to take away our sins so we may truly live with Him.

In preparation to teach these little ones, I thought about you, the reader of this post. Some of you fully understand why Jesus came to earth and why He suffered a cruel death on a cross; however,  there may be others who do not. May we all grasp the greatness of the gospel message, “Jesus is alive!”

There is no doubt for me that if one reads and studies the Bible with a searching heart, he or she will discover how God was very intentional in His plan to redeem us and to empower us to live in victory.

Paul, a former persecutor of Christians in the 1st century was transformed by Jesus to become a faithful missionary and church planter. He testified regarding God’s grace and truth in many of his letters in the New Testament, and he explained why Jesus came:

For God made the One who did not know sin to become sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God through our union with Him. (2 Cor. 5: 21, NKJV)  

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2: 8-10, NKJV)

Before I went to bed last night, I had been praying about how to close this blog post. Around 3:00 AM, I awoke suddenly hearing in my spirit the word, “fulfilled”. The experience prompted me to pray, “What are You saying to me, Lord?”

Be full-filled! came to mind.

I felt as though God was challenging me to write about how we can trust God completely to fill us with His essence.

Jesus is our all in all! We can be filled to overflowing with His love, grace and truth when we choose to trust Him. God gives us the full embodiment of Truth and He bestows His grace so we may live on mission with Him.

Living for Jesus is a fulfilling life!

Because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross and His resurrection, we can experience new abundant life in Him, now and eternally. Let’s rejoice together in knowing Jesus spoke these words before He died on the cross, “It is finished!”

Believe Truth.

We can trust God has great things in store for us who do believe! Let’s join our hearts in praise.

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Posted by: judyhitson | March 25, 2024

The Grace of Healing



The Grace of Healing
by Judy Hitson

Psalm 30:2 NKJV O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

Yes! Time and again I have cried out to the Lord my God and time and again He healed me. How He has bestowed His grace of healing upon me, I don’t understand, but I will be forever grateful.

 Two examples from my life come to mind in regards to healing. One is on physical healing while the
other is inner healing. Both are important for our lives as you may have experienced in your own life.

It was frightening the day I couldn’t articulate my speech. With the fear of having a stroke, I asked the Lord what to do. I heard, “Tell your husband to take you to St. Thomas Emergency Room.” Unable to speak, I wrote a note with this request and soon we drove to that hospital. Only the Lord could provide the best Neurologist in town to see me in the E.R. before leaving for his vacation. He gave instructions to the E.R. doctor to admit me and put me on IV Heparin. Praise God for healing me. By morning, my speech
was restored and I was discharged from the hospital with no ill effects.

Examples like this of healing in my own life are treasures
in my heart and remind me to pray for others to be healed.

My experience with inner healing occurred over a period of years. Now as I recall past hurts, I realize inner healing is a lifelong process to work through even in our latter years. It is amazing how hurts from
our childhood can come fresh to our minds with stark memories that cause us to seek the Lord’s continued healing.

One example in my life is childhood hurts speaking harsh words and negative name calling that our family inflicted on each other. I said when I got older, I would never act like that with my husband and children. Unfortunately, the negative patterns of my childhood were reenacted until I came to a love relationship with Jesus Christ. I began to cry out to the Lord and He healed us.

Praise God for His words of life and transformation to heal our hurts. Here are two verses the Lord spoke to my heart for our family and He started to bring changes in our lives:

Ephesians 4:32 NLT Instead,
be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God
through Christ has forgiven you.

Proverbs 15:1 NIV A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.



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Posted by: Administrator | March 11, 2024

Illuminating Grace

Illuminating Grace

by Brenda D. Flowers

Once your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him.

Whatever the revelation-light exposes, it will also correct, and everything that reveals truth is light to the soul.(Ephesians 5:8&13, TPT)

It is interesting to me how artists and cartoonists innately use symbols of light, such as a light bulb or a light shining on a person, to illustrate a person having a creative idea or a person coming into understanding.

God’s light illuminates the mind and heart. He initiates this light, a gift of grace.

The Bible says, God first loved us.

When we fully understand the magnitude of what God did for all of lost humanity, we acquire this understanding by way of His illuminating grace.

Jesus, God’s Son, willingly obeyed His Father. He came to earth to rescue us. He willingly died on the cross to save us so we may be forever with Him. He conquered death so we may have resurrection life with Him, and He gives a guarantee of everlasting life with Him by sending us His Spirit.

Have you received God’s gift?

I remember when I experienced God’s saving grace and understanding of what God had done for me, I truly felt like a light bulb was turned on inside of me. The Gospel message was no longer a mystery to me. I believed in the truth of the words I read and heard from the Bible and I was willing to trust God.

Throughout my journey as a Christian, God has continued to illuminate His Word to me. One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 119. The writer of this acrostic poem, beautifully expresses His longing to have greater revelation of God’s ways and he deeply expresses his love and trust of God’s Word.

As I read this psalm, I often do so prayerfully, speaking the words as though they are my words.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119: 105, KJV)

Break open your word within me until revelation-light shines out! (Psalm 119: 130 a, TPT)

The process of sanctification is God’s doing. God empowers and equips us to be more and more like Jesus by awakening us to Truth and helping us to change by His Spirit. He also matures us to deepen our understanding of Him so we may transmit His light into the world.

We are enlightened the more we remain in His Word and in His presence, allowing God’s light to transform us.

We can trust this amazing truth and promise spoken by Jesus:

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, NKJV)

James, Jesus’s half-brother under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, exhorts his brethren in the faith not to err from truth, but to trust God’s truth:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.(James 1: 17,NKJV)

On March 31, 2024, Christians all over the world will celebrate Resurrection Sunday, Easter. In this time of preparation, may we truly seek the Lord for His illuminating grace to reveal how we may trust Him more and grow in maturity. May we grow in understanding His mysteries so we  may live brightly for Him.

I pray His Light may touch many lives for His glory in this coming season of rejoicing.

Father of lights, thank You for sending Your Son to be the Light and The Way to restored relationship with You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who enlightens Truth within us so we may grow and be transformed. May Your revelation-light expose any areas in us where change is needed and may we trust Your resurrection power to work within us so we may be Your lights in this dark world every day. We long to grow to be Your mature sons and daughters shining for You. In Jesus’s name we pray.

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Posted by: judyhitson | February 29, 2024

The Grace of Forgiveness

The Grace of Forgiveness
by Judy Hitson

1 John 1:9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I have tasted and I see the mercy and goodness of God in my life. God is gracious to forgive our sins. We need not be afraid of God but rather know His love and forgiveness in our lives. Through confession and repentance we discover God’s forgiveness and cleansing.

Andrew Murray’s book, CONFESSION The Road to Forgiveness is a good read to understand the grace of forgiveness. 

This hymn comes to mind as I write, “Grace Greater Than Our Sin.” Whether or not you are familiar with this hymn, I’d like to share the refrain with you to think about:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

There was a time in my life, I thought those words were too good to be true. I was guilt ridden with my sins and desperate to know the Lord. It was a miracle for me to receive His forgiveness and cleansing when I confessed my sins to Him. His grace did abound more than my sin. (See Romans 5:15-17)

The full experience of this grace didn’t happen in an instant or even overnight. In fact, I was stuck for 21 years with doubts, fears and unbelief. God had forgiven me but I couldn’t forgive myself. That is often the case for many of us, unable to forgive ourselves.  

Have you tasted the goodness of the Lord with the grace of forgiveness?

When we do, then we come to realize our need to forgive others as the Lord forgave us. Unforgiveness blocks our relationship with God. That should be enough to keep us on the road of forgiveness. Yet in our humanness, we often struggle to forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 NLT If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Prayer: Lord help us to confess our sins to You and believe You are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness and cleansing of our sins. Help us to forgive others who sin against us as You have forgiven us. In Jesus name and by Your Spirit. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | February 12, 2024

God’s Grace to Live Sacrificially

God’s Grace to Live Sacrificially
by Brenda D. Flowers

God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone (That is, grace has revealed a salvation available for everyone…) This same grace teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on ungodliness and indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age. (Titus 2:11-12, TPT)

Jesus obediently came to earth as a human being not only to fulfill God’s will to save us from our sins and to restore our relationship with God as His children, but also to teach and show us how to live godly lives in this present age.

Jesus modeled how to live sacrificially, trusting God’s grace.

On the night of Jesus’s betrayal, when He knew His time to complete His mission had come, Jesus invested His time with His disciples, celebrating the Passover Feast with them. 

I am awed by what Jesus did to show His disciples how much He loved them:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel which He was girded. (John 13:3-5, NKJV) 

 John wrote from a position of authority since He was one of the twelve original disciples and a recipient of Jesus’s love and cleansing touch. It is interesting to note that Jesus also washed Judas’s feet, the disciple who He knew would betray Him.

 John recorded that after Jesus washed their feet, Jesus spoke these important words:

 “ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13: 14-17, NKJV)

God promises a blessing when we love sacrificially as Jesus did.

I have found this to be true in my life. When I serve as the Lord leads me, God blesses me. 

But I must be honest, there have been times when I have struggled to be obedient to God’s call to service and sacrificial living.

Last year, I knew God wanted me to volunteer to teach preschool aged children so they and their mothers or caregivers could participate in Bible study and fellowship (Through the BSF Program). I struggled in my flesh because I knew it would involve sacrifice of my time. I gave my struggle to the Lord and He led me to commit this time to Him in service. 

What a blessing it has been to love these precious children with my time and attention!

Each week, I get to experience God’s marvelous grace at work in my life and the lives of the 1 year olds I teach. Recently, I was especially blessed when, during praise and worship time, one of the little girls, who happened to be one who used to cry a lot when her mommy left her, stood up and sang the words of the song, “Trust and Obey”. She knew all the words and her voice sang joyfully. 

Praise the Lord! 

Father, may we obediently follow Jesus’s example of humility and compassion, and may we trust and obey You as Your children. You are love and Your grace is truly marvelous, helping us to live sacrificially. Thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who guides us each day. We are truly blessed! In Jesus’s victorious name, we pray. Amen

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Posted by: judyhitson | January 24, 2024

The Grace of Salvation

The Grace of Salvation
by Judy Hitson

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Salvation cannot be earned on our own merit. It is not of good works that we have done. I found this out the hard way. Spending the first 36 years of my life trying to be good enough to come close to God, I failed over and over again, falling into sin fulfilling desires of my flesh.

Praise God for His love and kindness to extend the grace of salvation, a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. He loved us while we were still sinners, see Rom. 5:8. Remembering what God’s Word says on faith, I am encouraged about salvation and the grace I received from Him.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Salvation is an act of God. God’s Word has much to say for us to understand how to receive this wonderful gift God offers to all mankind. By spending time in the Bible as God’s Word to us and among God’s people, we have opportunities to know God through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, I didn’t read the Bible as a child. I heard portions of Scripture shared in church services but didn’t personalize it in my life. Instead, I learned to follow rules and regulations during the 12 years I spent in Catholic school.

One portion of Scripture I was taught to put to memory was the Lord’s Prayer, Matt. 6:9-13. The problem for me was learning it by rote. I had not yet hidden God’s word in my heart, see Ps.119:11a.

Before I was saved, there were different people who shared the plan of salvation with me, but each time I rejected it, believing what I was taught was right and they were wrong. Perhaps I had a problem with pride. God says He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble in James 4:6.

When I was 36 yrs old searching to know the Lord with all my heart, I found Him as the Bible says.

Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

It’s been many years since that day I received the grace of salvation. Since then I continue to learn many ways God extends His grace. I look forward to sharing with you some of those ways through these devotionals this year on Grace.     

Prayer: Today Lord, I thank You for the grace of salvation. Amen.

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Posted by: judyhitson | January 11, 2024

A Grace Filled Year

 A Grace Filled Year
by Brenda D. Flowers

Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, …”(Exodus 34: 5-6, NKJV)

As we enter this new year, it is a good time to seek God for direction. If you are like me, you are not wanting to waste your days.

 The older I get, the more I realize the importance of starting my day with God, giving Him the first fruits of my attention. I want Him to know I love Him and want to honor Him with my life.

I believe He has a purpose and plan for each of us. 

In 2023, on this website, we spent time learning about God’s names, His character and attributes. I loved how Holy Spirit encouraged Judy and me to write purposeful testimonial messages to share with you, our readers.

If this is your first time to our website or if you are in need of encouragement, I hope you’ll review our past writings. I trust God to bless you as you meditate on the Scriptures we shared.

God often speaks to me through the writings of faithful followers who love His Word.

In 2024, we will be stepping even deeper into knowing God more intimately as we consider His grace. His actions always come from a place of grace because He is gracious by nature.

The prophet, Joel, inspired by Holy Spirit, warnedGod’s people regarding a coming judgment and called them to repentance. He encouraged them to return to God and to know Him as He truly is:

Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to Yahweh your God, because he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in loyal love, and relenting from harm. (Joel 2:13, LEB)

Joel’s words are meaningful for us today. Do we see our need to turn to God in repentance? Do we trust God as being gracious to forgive or do we still believe we must work to get His approval? Do we know Him as an approachable God or a distant God?

Let’s enter this new year and years to come with hope and positive anticipation realizing God is for us. He loves us intently. That is why He sent Jesus to rescue us. Let’s look for His grace in His words and actions and draw close to Him.

May this year be a grace-filled year for each of us as we trust God with our whole hearts.

Jesus came to earth so we, who trust Him, may be transformed and clothed in His righteousness. He paved the way so we may confidently draw near to the throne of grace.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV)

God is gracious. That is who He is!

 I’m excited to be on this journey of growing in grace with you.

May the LORD bless you and keep you!  May He be gracious to you and give you peace.

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Posted by: judyhitson | December 27, 2023

Immanuel-God with Us

Immanuel-God with Us
by Judy Hitson

Matt.1:23 NKJV “Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Immanuel is found in the Old and New Testament as in our key verse above Matt.1:23 NKJV from the New Testament, and from the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14 NKJV Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

As the Lord blesses us with revelation and understanding we can see Immanuel-God with us from Genesis through Revelation. This is one of the twelve names of God I wrote about this year. Yet I see Immanuel as an all inclusive name of God subcategorized to specific perspectives of God starting with Creator in Genesis 1:1  to King of kings in Revelation 17:14.

Most profound for us is to see Jesus is Immanuel. The following verse says it best in the Amplified version, Phil.2:7 AMP but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man.]

 As children of God, we call on His name which is above all names, Phil.2:9.

As I consider God with us, I think of the hymn, “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” by Selah. That is who He is to us. My heart is deeply impacted this year taking time to focus on the names of God in the Bible. As we see this year coming to a close, Immanuel-God with us seems a perfect summation looking at different perspectives of our God according to His names, attributes and character in Scripture.

In my life, I have learned to call on the name of the Lord day by day. He is Immanuel-God with us. These words from the refrain in the hymn, “In The Garden” (He Walks With Me) come to mind:
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own………
     
This intimate love relationship with the Lord, to know Him and call on His name in times of sorrow or joy, in times of need or celebration, God hears and answers us.  

Closing Prayer: Thank You Lord as Immanuel-God with us. Praise Your holy name. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | December 12, 2023

Our Gracious Redeemer

Our Gracious Redeemer
by Brenda D. Flowers

I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;… (Job 19: 25a)

During the weeks leading to Christmas, I often recall memories of my childhood and have opportunities to share them with my family and friends. Sometimes, I realize God is prompting me to share a memory for a deeper reason. This is one of those memories:

When I was a young girl, I looked forward to receiving a doll each Christmas. This usually was my favorite gift. One Christmas, I ran down the stairs at my grandmother’s house to discover a beautiful doll with long auburn hair standing among the other gifts under the Christmas tree. This doll became the doll I treasured more than any other doll. I named her Ruth.

As an adult, when I thought of this special doll, I wondered why I named her Ruth.

Now I think I know. I believe, God, in His sovereign plan for my life, wanted me to tell this story.

When I first read the story of Ruth in the Bible as a young adult, I was impressed by Ruth’s faithfulness and love to her mother-in-law. As Naomi’s daughter-in-law (a widow), Ruth was willing to leave her home country to stay close beside Naomi (also a widow) to journey to Naomi’s homeland, where, according to Jewish tradition, they could be redeemed.

Recently, I read the story of Ruth again and realized the deep meaning of this redemption love story.

As we search the Scriptures, God reveals hidden treasures. As we seek Him, He shows us deeper truths.

Boaz, a kinsman redeemer and type of Jesus Christ, married Ruth. From their union came the Messianic Line. Ruth is listed in the lineage of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. (Matt. 1: 5)

 Many of the writers of the New Testament, like Matthew, walked with Jesus and talked with Him. They saw or were aware of His death and many of them saw Him in His resurrection body. They were willing to share boldly their faith in Jesus Christ, even in the face of great persecution.

Paul testified of a personal encounter with Jesus that changed him from a persecutor of Christians to a dynamic missionary. He wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to encourage followers of Jesus Christ to give thanks for God’s redemption:

…and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:12-14, NIV)

Dear ones, we can be sure that each story in the Bible is inspired by God. His plan of redemption was and is intentional. God is still working out His plan for the redemption of lost souls. We are a part of that plan.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son, the greatest gift of all. May we be faithful to share our testimonies of faith and trust in You and may many come to know You as Redeemer.

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