Jesus, my Friend and Friend of Sinners. Friend to all.

Jesus said to His disciples: 

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:12‭-‬15 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.15.12-15.NIV

Jesus was the ultimate example of pure friendship. His disciples weren’t just His followers or students, nor were they just servants and Him- the Master in fact He took it upon Himself to serve them. If you love someone, whether it’s a friendship, marriage or family relationship or school or work relationship- you seek out ways to help serve and care for others just as Jesus did. 

Let’s think about Jesus’s beloved besties here: We got a list of the 12 disciples “the crew” or “the squad” if you may. And of those 12, Jesus had 3 inner circle “ride or die” type of friends Peter, James and John. Some say Jesus greatest miracle was still have close reliable friendships in his 30s. They are hard to find and keep the older you get sometimes. Jesus had other friends besides the chosen students of His: the female disciples such as Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susana the ones who found the empty tomb! Then there’s Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany. Also, His own biological immediate family, remember Jesus was Mary’s firstborn her and Joseph had many more children (approximately 6) after baby Jesus including James (James the Just), Joseph Jr. (Joses), Simon, and Judas known as Jude, he also had sisters but they were not named (Matthew 13:55). Jesus was and in indeed unlike anyone else, but He was and is the most approachable, gentle, humble, loving and perfect individual to ever walk this earth. Those He loves, (all of us) He loves with passion and unconditionally. He still does.

Jesus, friend of sinners. That is something He is often referred to. He was never afraid to befriend and reach out to the outcast, broken, left out misfits of society. Some of these people were outcasts because of circumstances beyond their control like sickness and disease and some were outcasts because of bad reputations like harlots and tax collectors. He is a restorer and mender of brokenness and a healer of all emotional, spiritual and physical sicknesses and diseases. Like I said unconditional and without limits, He had boundaries just like we need to but loving others to show them the way, teach them about the Kingdom of God. To seek and save the lost.

Jesus did all things: teach, lead, challenged leaders and anyone with hard questions that opened not only their minds but their hearts, heal the sick, perform amazing miracles, delivered people out their own bondage and vices, cast out demons, he served meals, he cooked, he fished, he built things, he read, he spent quiet time alone in prayer with the Father, he taught and lead by example, he loved and gave His life for His friends. Let’s live and be like Jesus. He is still alive and would love to be your best friend, if you just let Him in.

Love in friendship and grace,

Heather H. Carnley

“What a Friend we have in Jesus”

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Jehovah Rapha: The God Who Heals

We hear Jesus called by many names Prince of Peace, Son of God and Son of Man, the Messiah, Jeshua, Savior, Rabbi, Teacher, Prophet. God is also called by many different names especially in the Old Testament Hebrew language: El Shaddai (God Almighty), Abba (Father), Yahweh, and Jehovah to name a few ( I encourage you to look them up along with their meanings) they all reflect different parts and attributes of His character. This week, we are going to reflect and ponder upon one very particular name Jehovah Rapha, Healer  or “The God who Heals” and Jesus Christ, the Son is often referred to as “The Great Physician”. This week we will take a look at a few instances in the New Testament when Jesus healed the so-called incurable diseases that doctors could not solve or fix.

Here is a list of the healing and curing that Jesus did recorded in the New Testament Gospels:

• Jesus touched and healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a high fever (Mark 1:30-31).
• Jesus healed the Roman Soldier (centurion’s) servant who was very sick (Matthew 8:5-13).
• Jesus healed the paralytic and made him walk (Matthew 9:1-8).
• Jesus healed an outcast “unclean” leper (Mark 1:40-45)
• Jesus cured a woman of an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48).
• Jesus healed a paralyzed man at the pool called Bethesda (John 5:1-9).
• Jesus loosened/fixed the tongue of a man who could not speak since birth (Matthew 9:32-33).
• Jesus restored a withered, crippled hand (Matthew 12:10-13).
• Jesus cured a man born deaf and mute (Mark 7:31-37).
• Jesus healed a woman from Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28).
• Jesus healed a woman who had been afflicted with serious debilitating pain for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).
• Jesus cured a man of “dropsy”/dangerous swelling and infection(Luke 14:1-4).
• Jesus cleansed and healed ten lepers of their contagious disease that left them outcastsof society.  (Luke 17:11-19).
• Several instances he healed many (at least 4) people born blind! John 9:1-38, Mark 8:22-26, Matthew 9:27-31.
• Jesus restored and fixed the ear of the high priest’s servant that Peter cut off! (Luke 22:50-51).
• We often think of healing as curing illnesses and diseases, or better yet fixing what is wrong Jesus also healed people plagued and tormented by demons (Mark 1:23-28, Matthew 12:22, Matthew 17:14-21)
• Jesus also raised more than Lazarus from the dead: Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead (Luke 7:11-18).Jesus raised the ruler’s daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26).Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-6).

What ails, torments or plagues you today? Whether it is healing of a sickness in your body from the cold/flu or something as long term as cancer or organ failure, a disease with no known reasons or cures, constant pain or aches throughout your physical body. Or an affliction or heaviness in your mind and spirit that has crushed your heart beyond restoration or so you think…the Jesus I know can make the impossible possible and cure the incurable. When all resources and doctors and earthly research for answers had been exhausted, hope came in the form of Jesus. Yes, He was able to physically touch those around Him and heal them, but what about us today? He can’t lay hands on us, but that’s what disciples are called to do. As followers we are called to continue His work not our own but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray for each other in times of illness and affliction. What kind of miracle and healing touch do you need today?

My prayer for you today: Dear Lord, thank You for making me fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image. You created my body, and You never ever fiber and cell of how I function and live. You are the Life Giver. You are the Creator. You alone are the Great Physician that has all the answers to the mysteries of all that ails Your children. Lord, help me to make choices and decisions that take care of my temple, the body the houses my soul and where you dwell in my heart. Protect my body, guard and cleanse my heart and mind of anything toxic, hurtful or negative and not healthy. Heal my broken spirit. In Your all powerful name. Amen

With full faith in miracles, Heather H. Carnley

Resurrection Power, Death to Life

Have you ever prayed for a miracle and felt like it didn’t happen the way you wanted it to? Even when you’ve seen amazing miracles happen in the exact way for others. That’s probably how Mary and Martha felt. The two sisters and their dear brother Lazarus were very close friends of Jesus and the disciples. In fact this Mary is the same one who anointed Jesus’s feet with very expensive perfume and wept tears of worship on his feet. They knew what Jesus could do, what He taught and most importantly they knew and loved Him. The Son of God, surely He could easily heal and restore health to their gravely ill brother Lazarus. However when Jesus heard about it in the next town over, He had been teaching and preaching to another crowd. He was taking care of His Father’s business, on assignment. It wasn’t as if Mary, Martha and Lazarus weren’t important, they already had accepted and received Jesus as the Messiah. He was teaching those who had not heard about the Kingdom of Heaven, the Gospel. Their miracle was coming, but Jesus had a particular timing for a reason, the reason being so that God the Father could be glorified in it all. If Jesus would’ve came earlier He could’ve just easily healed Lazarus’ sickness and that would be all there was to it. Many people had seen Him heal the sick before. But what He was going to do was far greater than any doctor could ever do. He would raise the dead back to life! He waited. He did it purposefully so they would all believe that God sent Him! Mary, Martha and everyone else said He was too late, he was already gone! 

Scriptures:

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

John 11:38‭-‬44 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.11.38-44.NIV

Have you ever felt that way before? Like it was too late for a change, the chance of a miracle had come and gone, the hope and dream was well past dead? Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days! When we feel like it’s over, it’s done- He is always on time! You may have given up, when you’re miracle is on it’s way! And yet sometimes we have to understand that our miracle is not always about us, Lazarus’ didn’t get healed right away, but he was restored! His miracle was a testimony to others witnessing what had happened. Our prayers for healing of the sick loved ones may not always be answered on this side of Heaven. Jesus made sure that God the Father in heaven was glorified through this miracle. A little known fact is that this was one of the last miracles Jesus performed, after that they sought out to arrest Him! He was foreshadowing what was to come the Resurrection of His own life after the crucifixion that would take place. Jesus said in John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25‭-‬26 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.11.25-26.NIV

The greatest miracle yet was still to come!

What “dead” dreams and “hope is gone” in your life need to be resurrected? On the flip side, what things do you need to let go of? Scripture says we die daily to our sin nature and live in the hope that Christ Jesus gives us. We, too, will live eternally with Jesus when we go to Heaven. But you have to accept the gift first. 

Stay hopeful, your miracle may be late to you but He’s always on time! 

With hope, Heather Carnley

Justice of Peace, Walk in Freedom

Peace vs. Chaos. Justice vs. Injustice. Fear vs. Faith. Freedom vs. Captivity. July 4, 1776 and June 19, 1865…dates that represent freedom. One for the birth of a country breaking away from a tyrannical ruler, the other for people the first time being called free and not someone else’s property. Rewind centuries earlier, thousands of years earlier: a dreary Friday, a silent Saturday, and a glorious Sunday where death had been defeated…the day where true freedom began.

In the world as of lately, it was and is in an uproar let’s be realistic. A global pandemic causing death, everything to shut down and people living in fear. A battle against racial tension and injustice, inequality. Politics. Economic crisis. A coin shortage. Churches under attack from the enemy. And so much more, it will make your head spin if it’s all you consume yourself with. You will drive yourself crazy if it’s all you see and hear and let yourself think about. Step away and look at society, and look at it a little more personally: Who is in control of your actions? Who is in control of your thoughts and opinions? Who is in control of how your feelings and emotions cause you to react? Who is in control of the choices you make? The answer to all these questions is the same…YOU. God is in control of all things in the great big world and universe, but He gave us the ability to think, know, grow, live and make our own choices…good ones and bad ones. Freedom of choice. Freedom of opinion. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of speech. (Scripture says to be careful with our words because the power of life and death is in the tongue) We live in a country where we can do just about anything that is legal of course. You even have the freedom (free will) to go and make bad decisions (remember to everything there is a consequence). You sadly can oppress your own self by choices you make, in the form of addictions or vicious cycles if you so choose. You can work, you can dream, you can have a family. You can go into your church and worship freely. We have those rights. In the Declaration of Independence it states these three main points: All men (and women) are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain Inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and others. You have been given LIFE by the one who created YOU. You have been given LIBERTY, freedom by His Son Jesus on the Cross. You have been given the pursuit of happiness by the JOY that He brings you…anything else you chase and pursue you won’t always catch. This world cannot steal away what it did not give you to begin with. What is given by God cannot be taken away.

Let’s go back to that last part, no one can steal your joy or your peace, because no one in this world gave it to you. But freedom now, no one or no thing can hold you captive unless you let them have the keys! What freedom feels like is walking in your calling. What freedom feels like is knowing you are protected and loved. Freedom feels like a safety net and leap of fearless faith all in one because His arms will catch you. Freedom to fly and soar. What freedom feels like is walking into the sunlight. What freedom feels like is breathing in new fresh air in lungs once suffocated by panic. What freedom feels like is a new life. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! Jesus sets free every captive. He has the key, let Him in. Every chain can be broken or if it has a lock, you know there’s a key to it somewhere! Stop letting other people’s opinions, choices, words and actions determine you and your choices, opinions, words and actions. We often fall victim to our own thoughts, we create our own prisons of doubt and fear. Y’all, who the SON sets FREE is FREE INDEED! Stop letting others opinions and choices effect and dictate your life! We are called to live in freedom.

See the Light, Be the Light: Checking Your Blindspot

When you were little, were you ever afraid of the dark? I had a Barbie nightlight when I was about 5 years old. As an adult I still like to have some type of light, so I don’t trip, fall, or bump into anything if I have to get up in the middle of the night. The dark itself is not the scary part, it’s the uncertainty of what the darkness beholds. Not being able to see what is there is what scares most people. For a small child, they may think there are monsters lurking and waiting in the dark. Can you imagine being born without the ability to see or living in complete blindness and uncertainty? Never being able to see your loved ones faces, let alone know what you look like. Never being able to see the beauty of creation or the magnitude of the sunset or sunrise. Fear of the unknown is what holds many people back. Fear of not being able to see what lies ahead of them, but my dear friend isn’t that what faith is? The ability to trust and believe what you can’t always see despite the uncertainties. 

How often in our lives do we walk around with spiritual blinders on? Sometimes we get tunnel vision and only see what we want to see, or what is directly in front of us. But how often do we really look around us at our surroundings, the physical and the spiritual? God gave us peripheral vision for a reason, when we get distracted we can’t see what is around us. For example, when you are driving a vehicle, you have a rearview mirror to see what is in front of you without looking back, a windshield huge window to see ahead of you and two side view mirrors to see what’s beside you. But you have this thing called a blindspot where you’re side view mirrors cannot reach. You have to physically look and make sure your surroundings are safe. Spiritually we forget to check our blindspot sometimes, the things that we allow to catch us off guard but if we had took the time to look could’ve been avoided. Did you know that when you lack one of your five senses that most of the time the other senses are heightened and even more in tune with surroundings? There is a thing called spiritual warfare. What we can’t see but feel in every fiber of your being. The invisible enemy, if we were to put on spiritual glasses we would be afraid. Scripture says we fight the principalities of darkness and evil. Scripture also says that “the angel of the Lord encamps around those that fear Him.” The world is full of darkness but as children of God, followers of Jesus the one true light of the world- we must be the light. We must not walk around in spiritual darkness and blindness.

Scriptures: Mark 8:22-25, John 9:1-7

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-25)

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-7)

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 

When we pray and seek for Jesus to open our eyes, just like Bartimaeus and the other blind men He healed-our spiritual eyes are opened to see the needs of other, the eyes of your heart are opened to compassion, your spiritual eyes are sometimes opened to the unseen battles that are around you. Eyes that see not only the flaws but the beauty that everyone is made in His image. We must see others as He sees them. Also, we can no longer be blind to the evil around us, nor should we be afraid.

Prayer for you today: Dear Lord, open my eyes to see Your glory, power and honor in everything. Help me to see You are in control of the seen and unseen. Thank You for fighting my battles. Thank You for Your angel armies standing guard over me. Remind me daily, of Your beauty in creation in every little thing. Lord, open my eyes to see the needs of others, to see selflessly instead of selfishly. Open my eyes to my heart Lord. Amen ❤

Love, Heather H. Carnley