Mercy Me

When King David’s sin with Bathsheba had been discovered, David repented and sought God’s mercy, saying in Psalm 51:1 NASB, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.”

If you are like me…or like King David…you have probably had more than one occasion in your life in which you have uttered that very same prayer in repentance, seeking God’s compassionate mercy.

Way back on November 26, 2002, while in South Bend, Indiana, preparing for a TV show, I had come into town the day before the show and was attempting to go to sleep…but God had other plans. During the day, I had thought about my friends from the band Mercy Me and had simply begun meditating on what it would mean to have God ‘mercy’ me. What would God ‘mercying’ me look like? What did that even mean, mercy me?

I came to the conclusion that I needed to know and understand the meaning of mercy. When I think of mercy I automatically think of compassion. What is compassion? Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others and that would be a right way of thinking about it…but there is so much more to the meaning of mercy than compassion.

So then, what is mercy? Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish. My mind was flooded with the remembrances of all the times in my past when God had mercy on me…had compassion toward me…when He forgave me.

Reality is I do not deserve His mercy or His love or His grace or His goodness. But because of the blood of Jesus, I have direct access to my Father through my relationship with Jesus Christ. Even when I blow it, He loves me. Even when I am depressed, He loves me. Even when I turn away from Him, He loves me. Even when I do not deserve His goodness, He is always there to bless me. Knowing this makes me want to repent and follow Him…and does not lead me to license as some tend to think.

The other aspect of mercy came to me as I came to realize that I would have to say goodbye to my friend and pastor who had just been called away to help begin a new work of ministry in another state…and that I would not be able to be in attendance on his last day at the church due to my trip to Indiana. Yet I know God’s mercy and I know He knew this would happen…so I trusted Him and His merciful ways.

I began to write a song - it felt more like it was writing itself - due this deluge of truth concerning the mercy of God on my life. This song has so many levels for me as it pertains to my personal life. God is so merciful. So compassionate. His mercies are new every morning. Luke 1:50 NASB says, "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.”

One of my favorite passages on God’s mercy is found in Lamentations 3:19-23 which says…

Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.

Surely my soul remembers

And is bowed down within me.

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses - His mercies - indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

[They] are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Our God is faithful in His mercy toward us. Just think of Roman 5:8 which says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Let’s do this, brothers and sisters. Let’s lean into the faithful mercy of God each and every day. After all, they are literally new every morning of every single day. Get in on that morning dew of mercy.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Mercy Me, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/mercy-me-1616510595/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2021/02/03/16/42/hand-5978545_1280.jpg

See The Lamb

Today I want to tell you how I came to write a song called See The Lamb. It is a very special song for me and it came to me on February 26, 2004…the day after watching the Mel Gibson movie, “The Passion of the Christ”. I had determined from the beginning of the movie I would view it with this mindset: I would consciously place my sin upon Jesus again and realize that all I was seeing was because of my sin…and willingly done out of love for me.

I wept through most of the film. I remember vividly how it made me feel to understand the depth of suffering that Christ had been willing to undergo for me. How could I not give my life passionately back to Him? This song came quickly and is very hymn like in many ways. I love to sing it, yet I hate to sing it…just as I loved the movie but hated the movie. I love the passion of Christ for me…but I hate being reminded of the pain I caused Him…and of my hand in it. Yet this very truth continues to lead me to depths of gratitude where I know I must live. the truth is I want to know Him even more intimately.

Just as John the Baptist said When He saw Jesus in John 1:29 "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ In other words, see the Lamb. He was innocent. Blameless. Holy. Perfect. Yet He took the weight and depravity of the sin of mankind upon His innocent shoulders and paid the debt we could not pay. Isaiah describes the Lamb of God perfectly:

Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no [stately] form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

Isaiah 53:1-7 NASB

Jesus is the Lamb of God Who was slain for the sin of mankind. Let’s not overthink this truth today. Let’s accept if for what it is. The greatest gift ever bestowed upon humanity. Jesus wanted us so much He declared we were worth His own life. That is beautifully simple. You are worth His life. The question becomes is Jesus worth your life?

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song See The Lamb, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/see-the-lamb/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/12/08/00/42/lamb-1081950_1280.jpg

I Cry Holy

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on [the] evil and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous and [the] unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing [than others?] Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 NASB

How can we possibly be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? God has never sinned. We were born into sin. God is perfect in every way. We are human. God’s love is perfect and extended toward every single human on this planet. We find ourselves wanting to hurt those how hurt us. We face thoughts of hatred toward those who disagree with us. How in the world are we supposed to be perfect as our God is perfect? Easy. We believe and receive.

We believe God dealt with every single sin for every single person by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. We believe His shed blood paid our debt - wiped our slate clean - and that He rose again, conquering both sin and death. We were then extended the opportunity to be born again and to become new creations in Christ, all our past wiped away and all our present and future a grand adventure of discovering who we are as new creations in Christ. We then receive these truths as reality in our lives and begin renewing the way we think about ourselves. Simply put, we are our Father’s children and His spiritual DNA runs through our spiritual identities! We are like our Father! The process of renewing our mind is also called the process of sanctification.

"But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for [this] is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” Exodus 31:13 NASB

The actual meaning of that particular phrase ‘I am the LORD who sanctifies you’ is full of rich meaning for us as new creations. It is a name the Lord calls Himself: Jehovah Mekoddishkem. Jehovah literally means ‘The Existing One’. It also implies ‘to become known’. Mekoddishkem literally means ‘sanctify’, ‘holy’, or ‘dedicate’.

What does all that mean? It means that our God sanctifies us - sets us apart and dedicates us as vessels of His holiness. We are simply called into the process of being known…the renewing of our minds…seeing life from His holy perspective. We have been set apart for the service of the most holy God! We are holy - being sanctified and set apart and dedicated - by virtue of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are holy in spite of our past. In spite of our temptations. In spite of our circumstances. In spite of our failures. In spite of how we feel. In spite of what others think of us. We are holy because He says we are!

As new creations in Christ, let us be diligent to call and see ourselves what He calls us and the way He sees us. We do not get to call ourselves anything our Father does not call us. We do not get to see ourselves as anything less than the way He sees us. To do that would be to deny the Lord’s blessing upon our lives! To do that would be to open ourselves up to all manner of stinkin’ thinkin’ - believing the lies of the enemy! Let’s be who Father says we are. Let’s see ourselves the way Father sees us.

Being holy involves knowing God and being known by Him. That is the greatest need of every human heart. To know and to be known. It is called relationship and relationship requires both giving and receiving. Let’s honor the Lord by giving Him our adoration and declaring His holiness. Let’s honor our God by walking in and receiving the holy identity He placed in us when we became new creations. Holiness is not something we do. It is who we are…

Dennis Jernigan

Listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and hear the song I Cry Holy at http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/i-cry-holy/

Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/sacred-inscription-grave-stone-2644537/

I Will Sing

O sing to the LORD a new song,

For He has done wonderful things,

His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

Psalm 98:1 NASB

I say this often, because it’s true: We can either live as victims of our circumstances or we can live as victors over them. We all have our battles in this life. We all are faced with daily temptations to sin. We all go through periods of sorrow and suffering. Sometimes one gets so overwhelmed with the cares of the world…you know what I’m talking about…the little day to day things that nag us for attention but really may not be all that important.

When a lot of little things pile up, they form a dam in the river of our heart which keeps us from receiving the flow of God’s grace. When faced with yet another realization that I have allowed that very thing to happen, I go back and do what I know to do. I began to worship and sing and rejoice in my God in spite of the ‘little things’!

Bottom line: because of sin I deserve death and hell…but because of who and Whose I am, I receive grace and mercy…and this makes me want to sing! When I sing in worship and praise to my God, the light of truth overcomes the darkness of the enemy’s lies and the dammed up places in my mind begin to break away releasing a torrent of healing and rest for my soul.

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;

Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For You have been my stronghold

And a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my strength, I will sing praises to You;

For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

Psalm 59:16-17 NASB

Truth sets us free. Honest confession is the first step truth requires on our part. Honestly confessing our failures and wounds to the Lord opens the floodgates of pain and stagnation in our soul and we find cleansing and refreshment we may not have even known we needed!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NASB

Don’t allow the small annoyances of life to get you down today. Sing to the Lord. Don’t allow the enemy to trick you into thinking from a victim’s point of view. Sing a song of victory to the Lord today. Open up the floodgates of your soul and find joy…and walk in that joy.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan podcast version of this teaching and to hear a song inspired for such a moment as this, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/i-will-sing/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/09/15/17/32/dam-3679900_1280.jpg

Our God Is Mighty

Ascribe strength to God;

His majesty is over Israel

And His strength is in the skies.

O God, [You are] awesome from Your sanctuary.

The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.

Blessed be God!

Psalm 68:34-35 NASB

There was a time in my life when I felt so overwhelmed by the lies of the enemy that I thought I would not be able to continue in ministry. When God called me to share my story of deliverance publicly I honestly thought I would lose everything, especially family and friends. The giant of a lie that told me I would be utterly mocked and rejected was put down by the might of God’s love for me. As of this writing, that was over 33 years ago. Now that I am facing the giant of Parkinson’s, I must ask myself if God’s love is mightier than my disease. All I can say is His love is a foundational rock where I find safety from the overwhelming lies of the enemy as they regard my malady. My God is mightier than any sickness.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 NASB

Sometimes circumstances seem insurmountable. Sometimes problems seem too difficult to overcome. Sometimes relationships collapse and loneliness seems to be the only thing we have left. Sometimes our health fails and our physical bodies are invaded by unforeseen forces beyond our ability to understand. Here’s what I have come to know in all my years of dealing with such issues. God is greater than my circumstances. God is greater than my problems. God is the one relationship that can never be broken. God is greater than my ailments. God is greater than…

Your way, God, is holy;

What god is great like our God?

Psalm 77:13 NASB

For Your righteousness, God, [reaches] to the heavens,

You who have done great things;

God, who is like You?

Psalm 71:19 NASB

I am not able to heal myself of sin. God is able and demonstrated that ability on the cross and in the shedding of His blood fueled by resurrection power. I am not able to heal my physical ailment even though I eat right and exercise and follow my doctor’s orders with precision. God is able and demonstrates that ability in causing my body and mind to work in spite of all the physical strikes against me. God is able to take something we find hurtful and make something beautiful from it. Our God has the ability to waste nothing. Let’s let Him do that for us today.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD anointed me

To bring good news to the humble;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim release to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To grant those who mourn [in] Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:1-3 NASB

Jesus is more than a one time Savior. We often think of His salvation beginning and ending with our being born again - saved by His grace - but reality is that we never stop needing a Savior! I need Jesus to save me from my own stinkin’ thinkin’. I need Jesus to save me from my physical ailments. I need Jesus to save me from my emotional traumas and fear. I need Jesus to save me by showing me His point of view in my life. We have a Savior for all times. Let’s admit we need Him as such and be saved as often as necessary from whatever we need saving from!

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15 NASB

We have talked a lot about Jesus being our Savior, but I think it is vital that we understand that His very name - His very essence - is salvation. If I am being honest (and I am!), the main things I need saving from are my own thoughts. The enemy cannot be everywhere at once. He plants a thought in our mind and walks away…and we have a choice as to what we will do with that thought. We can either accept it or we can reject it. Our trouble comes when we accept it without running it through the filter of God’s love and Word. Having Parkinson’s makes this more real than ever for me. I cannot afford the anxiety believing a lie causes my physical body and mind. I must live, eat, and breathe the Word of God if I am to survive. God’s Word is the Bread of Life…and it will save me from anxious thoughts by providing me with the necessary nutrients of Truth!

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

For in GOD the LORD, [we have] an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4 NASB

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASB

Regardless of what our circumstances are, our God is bigger and mightier than those circumstances. And the extra good news about that truth? God does not leave us to wallow in the place of victimhood but causes us to walk as victors in triumph through the power and might of our relationship with Jesus Christ! Walk in the power and might of our God today…and remember this: Our God is MIGHTY!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast and the song Our God Is Mighty, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/our-god-is-mighty/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/12/16/02/59/directory-229117_1280.jpg

He Shall Arise With Healing

"But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” Malachi 4:2 NASB

In November of 1981, God gave me a song called He Shall Arise With Healing. This song was was born during the time of my deliverance from sin. It is hard to believe it was so long ago, and even more difficult to believe it took me so long to release this song to the Body of Christ. God knows best.

In 1981, I was grieving my wounds as well as my failures - my sin - and I had just finished reading a book by C. S. Lewis called A Grief Observed. This book deals with the subject of grief and its role in our lives. This was to be one of the first lessons I learned in allowing God to take the hurts and failures of my life and to use them for His glory.

Sin left the world in disarray. The blood of Christ came to redeem us from our sin and restore us to God's order. God, like a surgeon, knows healing almost always involves pain. The sin-sickness causes pain. The realization of one’s own sin brings pain. The surgery to remedy the sickness brings pain. Even recovery brings pain. Yet, healing always brings God glory and reminds us of who is really in control!

This song was a feeble attempt to express that truth. No matter what, He shall arise with healing. He, like a mother hen, spreads His wings and provides shelter and protection – two things needed for healing to take place. Like the sun which breaks through clouds, sending wings of light to the dark earth below, He shines into the wounded places of our hearts and restores life and a deeper intimacy with Himself. No matter what, He shall arise with healing.

[Rev 22:1-5 NASB] 1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [kinds of] fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name [will be] on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be [any] night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

Now that I am growing older and am in the middle of a health battle with Parkinson’s, the words of this song mean more to me than ever. The bottom line truth is this. God is always the Healer and always brings healing. It just may not be the type of healing we would choose and it may not come within the time frame we would desire, but God’s very nature is that of Healer…and He always brings about healing to those who seek Him. Our main issue is that God may choose to heal us through physical death. Ultimately, I am with Him whether I live or whether I die. Death and the onset of eternal life is perfect healing, regardless of my circumstances or my past. He shall arise with healing just as He did on that first resurrection day…and that brings healing - and joy - to my soul.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, He Shall Arise With Healing, simply go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/he-shall-arise-with-healing/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/04/06/00/25/trees-3294681_1280.jpg

As the Deer Thirsts for the Water

In John 4 we find the story of the time Jesus met the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s Well:

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:7-14 NASB

I can remember times of feeling as if I would die unless I got my thirst quenched by Jesus. Have you ever felt as if you were dry spiritually or that you had been in the desert so long that death seemed like the most refreshing answer to the dryness? It was during one of these dry times in my life that I simply cried out to God with the words written by The Sons of Korah in Psalm 42. I didn’t necessarily come out of the dry time. I just came to understand that God was with me – even in those time of pain, suffering, wondering and wandering: Like an animal that has gone without water for days, we must see our need for Jesus Christ and seek Him as if our life depends upon it…because it does!

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So my soul pants for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While [they] say to me all day long, "Where is your God?”

These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go along with the throng [and] lead them in procession to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

Psalm 42:1-4 NASB

We can have our thirst quenched anytime, any place, under any circumstances…because we have THE Living Water - Jesus Christ - living in US! Let’s release the flow of Jesus Christ today and quench our thirst in a dry and weary land where there seems to be no water. Drink deep today…

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching along with the song As The Deer Thirsts For The Water, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/as-the-deer-thirsts-for-the-water/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/12/24/17/23/deer-579198_1280.jpg

The Lord Is My Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15 NASB

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28 NASB

God set me free from sin in 1981. Thus began my incredible journey of getting to know Him and of finding out who I had really been created to be. I was drawn to the Psalms during that time, because I felt a close kinship to the heart of King David, the shepherd boy…and because I considered my sin to be on par with David’s sins of adultery and murder and was still considered to be a man after God’s own heart! Being able to identify with someone like David really did give me grace to keep seeking God.

During those days, it was not uncommon for me to stay up all night in anguish, as God would lead me into the wounded places of my soul and show me the green pastures and deep waters of His presence. Because I knew David had written Psalm 23, I gave it close attention and began to meditate on it. This meditation included me singing the Psalm over and over until I realized I had a very definite melody. This became my heart song! I titled is The Lord Is My Shepherd.

This song came in the early morning hours around one or two. I remember singing it over and over again, because it felt so good to finally be able to quote those verses of Scripture and really understand them, and experience them in a deep and personal way with my God. What follows is a brief summary of what God began to reveal to me from Psalm 23:

When God says He will meet my needs, I want for nothing…because He meets the real needs of my life - to know and to be known.

When I need fresh food for my soul, He leads me to quiet pastures full of life-giving replenishment of His presence.

When I feel thirsty in my soul, He is Living Water that never runs dry. In fact, He restores my soul, taking what was old and dead and replacing it with newness of life.

When I am anxious or need guidance, He reminds me of who and Whose I am.

Even when walking through the valley of the shadow of death concerning the struggle I now face with Parkinson’s, I do not walk in fear…because I am never alone.

When I am sent reeling by the lies of the enemy, the Good Shepherd gently catches me and helps me up by His mighty rod and staff and b rings comfort to the wounded places of my being.

I no longer believe the lies of the enemy that try to tell me I do not deserve anything but the crumbs of life that fall down from the table of the Lord’s presence. I am a servant of the King and my King invites me to sit AT the table of His presence and enjoy the feast of His presence in THIS life!

He has called me His own and calls me to Himself, anointing my head with oil - a soothing balm of the oil of His presence.

When I see my life from the Good Shepherd’s point of view, I do not look upon what I don’t have - I look at what I DO have…and my cup truly does overflow.

God is good and it was His lovingkindness that led me to repentance and salvation in the first place…and guess what? I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever.

Let’s sit boldly at the table of our King in the coming days and let us partake boldly of the feast of His presence…in THIS life!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and to hear the song referred to in the teaching, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/the-lord-is-my-shepherd-1611680283/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/03/26/09/44/sheep-690198_1280.jpg

Delight Yourself In The Lord

Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 NASB

To delight in someone is to simply take great pleasure in their presence. One of the goals of my life is to continue learning to take great pleasure in knowing God in an intimate way and in allowing Him to know me to the darkest recesses of my soul. It is in focusing my eyes and desires on Him that the deepest desires of my heart really do come to pass in Him and in His time. The bottom line is still this: No matter how much delight I find in Jesus, He takes much more delight in me than I could possibly take in Him!

So how do we learn to take pleasure in God’s presence…to delight ourselves in the Lord? John 15:1-11 gives us a very good clue as to what it means to delight yourself in the Lord:

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples. 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and [that] your joy may be made full.”

Melinda and I have 9 children and 12 grandchildren. We love them dearly just because they exist. We delight in them! If we, as earthly parents and grandparents can say that and live it, how much more is our heavenly Father able to love us like that and THEN some? He takes more delight in our presence that we could possibly ever take in His!

Zephaniah 3:17

The eternal self-existent God, the God Who is three in one; He Who dwells in the center of your being is a powerful and valiant warrior. He has come to set you free, to keep you safe, and to bring you victory. He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy and takes pleasure in your presence. He has engraved a place for Himself in you and there He quietly rests in His love and affection for you. He cannot contain Himself at the thought of you and with the greatest of joy spins around wildly in anticipation over you…and has placed you above all other creations and in the highest place in His priorities. In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph, joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing! All because of you!

(Translation by Dennis Jernigan)

Let’s delight in Jesus today and remember to allow Him to delight in us. Here’s a tip as to how to do this: Do not call yourself something your heavenly Father does not call you.

Dennis Jernigan

To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear a song inspired by it, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/delight-yourself-in-the-lord-1611003656/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/03/09/09/30/woman-1245817_1280.jpg

Nobody Can Take My Life Away

Now that I am in my sixties, life feels as if it is streaming by at lightning speed, yet I feel as if there is still so much to accomplish for the kingdom. The danger, for me, is when I allow ‘doing’ to define who I am. Reality is that I am but one small part of the body of Christ and can only do what I am called to do. I am no one’s Savior. I constantly remind myself that I am defined by who my Father says I am.

Another facet of what I am dealing with concerning the speed at which life is happening has to do with my health. Parkinson’s brings with it moments of feeling fearful and helpless, but I have learned - and will continue to learn - that God’s love overpowers fear and that His presence with me is constant. The bottom line is that I know one day I will die. I am prepared for that day…but my plan until that day comes? I am going to live my life fully and joyfully…and free from the shackles of fear and worry and doubt and any lies the enemy cares to throw my way. Human life is fleeting in the grand scheme of things, but life with Jesus is massive and forever! Living with that as my foundational bedrock is liberating…freeing.

I have met people in prison who seem freer than people who are not. I have met people suffering great physical handicaps who seem to take more joy in life than those who are not. I have met people who have been so oppressed by life who seem to be more full of hope than those who have not. What makes such freedom, such hope, and such joy possible? Knowing Christ intimately and believing He is with us causing all things to work together for our good…because He loves us that much!

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 NASB

The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD

Are riches, honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4 NASB

On July 11, 1995 I wrote a song called ‘Nobody Can Take My Life Away’. The story behind the song is basic truth directly from God’s Word:

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:7-8 NASB

That passage of scripture brings great encouragement to my soul. Utter reality is that whether I am alive on earth or alive in heaven, I am still with Jesus. Absolutely nothing changes! That is a fear-killer! That is a worry-killer! That is a doubt-killer! That is a lie-killer! There is no reason to live as a victim of Parkinson’s when God intends it for my good. Just read Romans 8:28:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.

We are called to live as victors…as MORE than conquerors! We have been bought with a price! That means Father God saw worth in us even while we were dead in our sin! He wanted us so much that He sent His only Son to take our place on the cross and pay the debt we owed for our sin! Read the end of The Book. We win! That makes me want to live my life victoriously and it makes me want to give my life away for the sake of the King and the kingdom!

Jesus said in John 10:17 and 18, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

What is the bottom line of life? Nobody can take your life away from you if you are a new creation in Christ! Whether we live or whether we die, we are with the Lord! To be absent from the human body is to be present with Christ. That should go a long way in helping us determine how we will live our lives. We can either be ruled by fear or we can be ruled by love and faith. We can either be ruled by circumstances or we can use those circumstances for the kingdom of God. We can have a despairing point of view or we can have a hopeful point of view. We really do have a choice in how we live our lives. Let us renew our mind with this truth from the heart of Jesus in Matthew 16:25 which says, “…whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Let’s live like we believe that today!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and to hear the song, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/nobody-can-take-my-life-away-from-me/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2019/09/18/19/53/piano-4487573_1280.jpg

Nobody Can Take My Life Away

WORDS & MUSIC

Dennis Jernigan

July 11, 1995

Verse

Can somebody take from me

What You alone have given me?

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Can you take what can’t be seen?

Like Jesus Christ alive in me?

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Chorus

Nobody can ever take my life from me!

They may kill my body but they can’t have me!

Take away my sight and still my heart can see,

Nobody can take my life away from me!

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Nobody can ever take my life from me, or

Separate me from His love or liberty!

Take away my physical ability, still

Nobody can take my life away from me!

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Verse

Can someone keep Your hand from me?

Do chains have that ability?

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Chain me down, my heart’s still free!

There is no place Father can’t be!

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Chorus

Nobody can ever take my life from me!

They may kill my body but they can’t have me!

Take away my sight and still my heart can see,

Nobody can take my life away from me!

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Nobody can ever take my life from me, or

Separate me from His love or liberty!

Take away my physical ability, still

Nobody can take my life away from me!

No way!

No-no-no-no-no-no-way!

Holy Is The Lord

Today I would like to share the story behind a song of mine called Holy Is the Lord, from the live worship recording called Celebrate Living. The song came to me on February 8, 1994 and played a major role in helping me seal in my heart the reason I worship God. Honestly, I was going through a time when I questioned everything I believed and why I had come to that place of belief. Was I worshiping God because that is what I told was the right thing to do to be holy or was I doing it because I had a living, breathing relationship with God Almighty? Rather than doing something because that is the way I was raised felt like a very unstable foundation from which to live my life. I needed a ‘come to Jesus’ moment - a personal reckoning with my own conscience. I needed to see the Lord for myself!

Isa 6:1 NASB - In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Isa 6:2 NASB - Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Isa 6:3 NASB - And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Isa 6:4 NASB - And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

Isa 6:5 NASB - Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Isa 6:6 NASB - Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.

Isa 6:7 NASB - He touched my mouth [with it] and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

This song came the day before my birthday…as a special gift from the Lord. I had been going through a very long period of questioning all that I believed about God and why I believed what I believed. Because of various circumstances, I found it necessary to decide for myself what God’s Word truly says about Him. For me, this included worship and praise.

Why do I worship? Why do I praise? Why do I lift up my voice? Why do I bow down? Why do I stand before Him? Why does my heart love to sing? In other words, I no longer wanted to do all the right things just because someone else had told me I should. I have a need for a real God…one who is intimate and present in my reality. I also wanted to express the fact that my holiness is not derived from my performance, but rather is derived from the fact that Jesus is my righteousness.

We are all like sheep. For us to base our holiness on a comparison with other sheep will always drive us to perform for our holiness. But when the snow of God’s holiness begins to fall around us, the “dirtiness” of even the whitest sheep becomes evident. I am holy and righteous only because He is holy and righteous in me and for me. This song is a very simple, yet profound statement of faith for me.

What I experienced is what those around the throne of God are experiencing all the time in heaven. Here’s a vivid reminder of that reality:

Rev 4:8 NASB - And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY [is] THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

Rev 4:9 NASB - And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,

Rev 4:10 NASB - the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Rev 4:11 NASB - "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Let’s take time every day to remind ourselves to be active participants in the atmosphere of heaven. How do we do that? Simple. Just worship Jesus! And in so doing, let us get to know Jesus for ourselves - and not try and earn anyone’s approval by doing all the right things. My personal goal is to to all the right things because I am loved…not so that I can earn God’s love. Why do I worship God? Because of Who He is. He is God. I am not. He loves me and I love Him.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear the podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Holy Is the Lord, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/holy-is-the-lord-1609258006/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/01/03/07/32/bible-1948778_1280.jpg

Holy is the Lord

WORDS & MUSIC
Dennis Jernigan

February 8, 1994

Verse

Why do I worship?

Why do I sing?

Why do I lift up my voice?

When I see the Savior

Who died in my place

I cannot help but rejoice!

And that’s why I cry

Chorus

Holy! Holy!

Holy is the Lord!

That’s why I cry

Holy! Holy!

Holy is the Lord!

Verse

Why do I bow down?

Why do I stand?

Why does my heart love to sing?

When I call my Father

And He takes my hand

I know I’m a child of the King!

Bridge

He is high and exalted in majesty!

He is holy and worthy and Savior and King to me!

Simple Is The Living

Better is the little of the righteous

Than the abundance of many wicked.

Psalm 37:16 NASB

On September 16, 1994, I wrote a song called Simple Is The Living (read lyrics below). The impetus for this song came while listening to Dudley Hall share about simply living life, as opposed to bowing to the information glut the world subscribes to. Satan’s job is to distract us from keeping our eyes on Jesus. With all the technical gadgets to save us time, we generally wind up wasting quite a bit of our time playing with these toys or spending time going down the endless rabbit holes that social media can become.

With the availability of all types of entertainment and other distractions, we find, at times, we have very little time for other people. With the drudgery of leisure time, we often max out our time with more things to do than we have time for. With the heartache that life invariably has, we can easily be distracted from enjoying our lives ….and from intimate fellowship with the very One who is the Source of our joy – Jesus Christ. When Satan comes to deceive and to distract, we need to remember to bring life back down to its lowest common denominators: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

The LORD preserves the simple;

I was brought low, and He saved me.

Psalm 116:6 NASB

So you want to know a simple plan for living a simple life? Look no further than the sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

"Blessed are you when [people] insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:3-12 NASB

Life is better lived when simplified. Love God and love others. It does not get much simpler than that!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear to the song, Simple Is the Living, listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on the subject at http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/simple-is-the-living/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/07/31/23/45/flowers-2562079_1280.jpg

Simple is the Living

Words & Music

Dennis Jernigan

September 16, 1994


Verse

Joy is born of sorrow

Healing comes through pain

Until a seed can die there is no grain

Joy would have no meaning

Without sorrow and pain

And if we knew no dryness

How could we love the rain?

Chorus

For simple is the living

And simple are the wise

Who know that knowing Jesus satisfies

Simple is the living

And simple are the wise

Who simply live for knowing Jesus Christ

His worth is more than silver

More precious than pure gold

Much more than all the wealth this world could ever hold

Verse

Death gives way to living

Dryness bows to rain

Despair gives way to hope that can sustain

Joy is in the journey

With the One Who leads me home

And whether joy or sorrow

I am not alone

No Other Love

On May 13, 1987, the Lord gave me one of my personal favorite songs of intimate worship. That song is called No Other Love. I think it is very appropriate that this blog came out the week following St. Valentine’s Day. Here’s the story behind this song:

My whole life, it seems, is one of searching for intimacy. When I first realized I could have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I began to use music to communicate my prayers to Him. “No Other Love” came as I simply bared my most honest feelings and impressions about the One I have come to know.

I have known true love and I have known perverse love. One leads to death. The other is to paint a picture of Christ’s love for the church, but both fall short of what I have come to see as the love of God. I always thought I had to jump through so many hoops to please God, yet when I came to realize that the blood of Christ had truly cleansed me and changed my identity, I suddenly came to the realization that my God was pleased with who I am. So I began to relate to Him in a whole new way. One of those first attempts at intimate worship was this song.

As the song was being born, I reflected on one of my favorite scenes from the film, Chariots of Fire, where Eric Liddell is trying out for the 1924 Olympics. Someone asked him why he ran. His response? “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

God made me with a purpose…to worship Him…and when I worship Him, I feel His pleasure. He also created you with a purpose…to worship Him. Let’s worship Him. Let’s lean into Him right now.

The LORD appeared to him from afar, [saying,] "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NASB

There is no other love like the love of God. 1 John 4:7-21 says it like this:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 1 John 4:7-21 NASB

Need to feel God’s pleasure today? Lean into His love. Need to face your fears today? Lean into His love. Need to find rest for your weary soul today? Lean into His love. It is His love that led me to repentance. That is amazing love…and there is no other like it. Lean into God’s love today.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this blog and to hear the song, No Other Love, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/no-other-love/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/03/30/20/33/heart-700141_1280.jpg

Hope In God

LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

They speak falsehood to one another;

With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.

Psalm 12:1-2 NASB

In June of 1994, Melinda and I experienced a breach in a very important relationship and our trust was shattered. There’s no need to share details. We were simply wounded emotionally and felt hurt. To add insult to injury, a month later, in mid-July, our twin baby boys (Asa and Ezra) were born 9 weeks prematurely and my wife (Melinda) was nearly taken from us after the births, when her liver began to bleed profusely. I was emotionally shattered and drained, and I remember by the time September came, we were in need of some hope – and rest.

But just what is hope? According to mankind’s way of thinking, hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. God’s definition of hope is similar to a degree. As believers, we put our hope on and in God. This means we wait on God and HIs timing and expect God to be Who He says He is! We expect God to do what is best for us, His children.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 NASB

When we view life - and hope - from the world’s point of view, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the lies of the enemy and to endless disappointment. The opposite off hope is despair - hopelessness - and placing our hope in the strength and wisdom of man always ends in failure and endless fear and worry. Sin and the lies of the enemy see to it that our lives are constantly being tested and our trust in God is continually attacked, but we are not without hope! Why is that? Because our God is Faithful and True and tells us in Matthew 6 that He meets all our needs from food, and clothing, to shelter and safety. His love for us casts out fear and shoulders the burdens we tend to carry…if we let Him. He meets our deepest need: to know and to be known. And on top of all that, He does not waste one single part of the journey of our life. He uses our pain and our sorrow and our suffering and our fear for our good and for His glory. Knowing that helps alleviate worry and crushes fear. Our hope is in knowing Jesus.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NASB

It is in the living out of our faith that God causes all things to work together for our good. It is in seeing life from our God’s perspective that we discover the reality of this truth: that God uses even our tribulations to give us HOPE! That is amazing…and comforting…and healing…and life to our soul.

Psalm 42:1-5 says it like this:

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So my soul pants for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While [they] say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go along with the throng [and] lead them in procession to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And [why] have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

[For] the help of His presence.

Believers, our hope is in God and God does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Let’s simply keep our eyes fixed on our Hope - Jesus - and walk in joy in spite of our circumstances, in spite of wounded hearts and broken trust. Jesus is our Hope!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and to hear the song Hope In God, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/hope-in-god-1607445295/

Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/hope-word-letters-2046018/

Celebrate Living

[I would have despaired] unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14 NASB

There have been many time in my life I remember feeling overwhelmed with all that was happening with my life and ministry. During one such time during the early 1990s, little did I know that in less than six months my life would receive two major blows. In looking back at the way in which the Holy Spirit gave me the truth of a certain song called Celebrate Living as a statement in who I am and in the joy of that truth, I think that it was meant for THIS time in my life.

Invitations to minister in song and testimony were pouring in during those heady days. My wife and I had moved our family back to the farm where I had grown up…and in the midst of all that, we were making plans to record a live worship album at Christ For the Nations in Dallas, Texas. Life was busy, just sayin’!

Those two major blows that impacted my life and the life of my wife and family and ministry? My wife gave birth to our twin sons in July of 1994…and they came 9 weeks early. One son weighed 3 lbs. and 10 ounces while the other weighed in at 2 pounds and 7 ounces…oh yeah, and my wife’s liver hemorrhaged and we almost lost her. I am counting that as one of the major blows. The other came in January of 1995. Melinda and the twins had finally recovered enough for us to take a family ski trip. On the last day of that trip, one of Melinda’s ski’s became lodged in a snow drift and her leg was shattered, requiring 6 hours of surgery and leaving me with 9 children 10 and under to take care of.

Long story made short, God brought Melinda through and we watched Him bring people into our lives who ministered greatly to both Melinda and me and our children. Life had been difficult for a long time yet we were seeing many reasons we had to celebrate life - to celebrate living.

Now that we have faced these two trials and seen God’s protection, provision, and healing we see, now more than ever, that our eternal life has already begun. I long for the day when I see Him, but I agree with the psalmist when he said, “Oh, that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have [it] abundantly.” John 10:10 NASB

Even though that song and the circumstances surrounding it happened over 25 years ago as of this writing, it seems even more relevant to me now in the latter years of my life. Dealing with Parkinson’s is not easy, but I have no reason to complain. I have a wife and a family, 12 grandchildren, and many people who love me no matter what. I have a God Who loves me right where I am but loves me enough to not leave me there. I have a God Who means even my illness for good. I have every reason to celebrate living and to walk in joy.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle [spirit] be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NASB

Take time each day to count your blessings. Focus on what you have and not on what you don’t have. Let go of your burdens and cast aside worry. Our God is with us…will never leave us…will never forsake us…and He provides for our basic everyday needs. We have every reason to celebrate so let’s do that this week. Let’s celebrate living!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and to hear the song Celebrate Living, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/celebrate-living/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/07/20/00/25/winning-1529402_1280.jpg

Devastated By Your Love

Today’s theme is all Melinda’s idea - and I think it’s a great one - a much needed one. In case you didn’t know, two years ago this month - January 28, 2019 - I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Basically, Parkinson’s occurs when the brain stops producing dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter the body produces and uses to send messages between nerve cells.

Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It’s a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps us strive, focus, and find things interesting. Lack of dopamine can affect mood, sleep, attention, the processing of pain, and even movement. It has affected my mood, my sleep, my ability to focus, has caused tremors in my right arm, and has greatly affected my vocal abilities.

We first began noticing changes in my mood after a surgery several years ago. I began to experience panic attacks for seemingly no reason at all. This was very difficult for me to deal with since I had never really had a panic attack before. When those attacks would come, I would simply ask Melinda to speak truth to me and the attack would subside almost immediately.

We really began to notice changes in August and September of 2018 after a knee replacement surgery. I began to lose weight, had trouble focusing, and experienced even greater and longer panic attacks than before…and my right arm began to develop a tremor. After finally getting in to see a neurologist, he confirmed the diagnosis on January 28, 2019.

Enough about that. I want you to hear from my wife the ways in which Parkinson’s has affected her life and the way in which she and I are dealing with it’s effects. Rather than write out her responses to my interview questions, I have placed the following link in this blogpost so you can hear for yourself directly from Melinda’s heart. She is the love of my life…and I think you will understand why as you listen to the following episode of The Dennis Jernigan Podcast:

http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/devastated-by-your-love-an-interview-with-melinda-jernigan-podcast/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2012/03/01/01/31/depression-20195_1280.jpg

Come, Let Us Bow Down

Come, let us worship and bow down,

Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Psalm 95:6-7a NASB

One of my favorite worship songs, Come, Let Us Bow Down, was received on August 5, 1990. There are many reasons I love this song, but I especially love the story behind the song and how the truths expressed in the song still affect my life. Here is what I wrote about the song when I first received it:

I often think about the blood of Christ and its purpose in our lives as believers whenever I approach a worship time. If not for the blood of Christ, life would be futile and void of meaning. The blood of Christ was on my mind when I received this song. The sacrificial blood made a way for me when there was no way. The cleansing blood of Christ washed away the guilt and stains of my selfishness and sin. The life-giving blood of Christ made a way for me to live free from performance, when I was used to trying to please God and men through my service. When faced with the reality and truth of the power of Christ’s blood and sacrifice for me, I cannot help but bow down in worship and gratitude for all He has done, for who He is in my life….and who He has called me to be….this song came through meditation on these truths.

Remember the events that took place on Sunday after the crucifixion of Christ?

Mat 28:1 NASB - Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

Mat 28:2 NASB - And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

Mat 28:3 NASB - And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

Mat 28:4 NASB - The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

Mat 28:5 NASB - The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

Mat 28:6 NASB - "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

Mat 28:7 NASB - "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."

Mat 28:8 NASB - And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

Mat 28:9 NASB - And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

They bowed down at the feet of the risen Savior and did what? They worshipped Him.

Let us never lose sight of the wonder-working power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. After all, Hebrews 9:22 in the NASB says, “…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Jesus shed His blood to seal the covenant between man and God, extending to us the possibility of redemption and eternal life.

Let us never lose sight of the cross of Christ where every single sin we would ever commit was nailed there with Him. Let us bow before the cross of Christ and remember the redeeming work of love and salvation performed there by our Redeemer.

And finally, let us never lose sight of the fact that we are never ever alone, regardless of our circumstances. Regardless of our feelings. Regardless of our suffering. Regardless of our temptations. Regardless of the wisdom of man. We have been granted the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the lies and darkness of the enemy…and that, through Jesus, we have direct access to the Father and can come before Him boldly no matter what.

Let us bow before the Lord our Maker in all we say, think, and do as we seek first the kingdom by seeking first the King!

Dennis Jernigan

To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Come, Let Us Bow Down, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/come-let-us-bow-down/

Unshakable

“There is nothing we could do of greater importance than to have fortified in our individual lives an unshakable conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of the living God.” Gordon B. Hinckley


“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” William Barclay

Here is a song I think is appropriate for the times in which we find ourselves living:

Unshakable

WORDS & MUSIC

Dennis Jernigan

February 12, 2016

Verse

Once more the time has come

For lies to be undone

Real hope stands on Solid Ground

All other hopes come crashing down!

Kingdoms built on strength of man

Such kingdoms cannot stand

Built on sand not Solid Ground

Such kingdoms all come crashing down!

Everything that can be will be shaken!

Everything that can be is coming down!

Everything that can be will be shaken!

Except the Kingdom built on Solid Ground!

Chorus

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! This King!

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! The redeemed!

Unshakable! Kingdom come!

Unshakable! Will be done!

Unshakable! Kingdom come in me!

Verse

This present darkness may

Bring fear to cloud the way

Calling evil what is good

Making idols where a cross once stood!

Hearts of stone that will not turn

Melt away like grass when burned

Make sure of your heart's desire!

Our God is the All-Consuming Fire!

Everything that can be will be shaken!

Everything that can be is coming down!

Everything that can be will be shaken!

Except the Kingdom built on Solid Ground!

Chorus

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! This King!

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! The redeemed!

Unshakable! Kingdom come!

Unshakable! Will be done!

Unshakable! Kingdom come in me!

Bridge

One day every knee will bow!

One day every tongue will shout!

Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is King!

This very day my knee I bow!

This very day my tongue will shout!

Kingdom come! Kingdom come in me!

Come in me!

Chorus

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! This King!

Unshakable! This Kingdom!

Unshakable! The redeemed!

Unshakable! Kingdom come!

Unshakable! Will be done!

Unshakable! Kingdom come in me!

This song had been brewing in my heart since hearing my spiritual mentor, Jack Taylor, speak on the kingdom of God, specifically from Hebrews 12. God truly is in control regardless of the cultural state of our world…regardless of who is the leader of the political world…regardless of any circumstance I may encounter. What helped bring the song to fruition was coupling what Jack’s words had stirred in my heart with a very real circumstance facing one of my sons.

That very week, he had found out his company was downsizing drastically…and he was part of those being cut…being shaken. This song came out with several components. Boasting in God. Warning the church to be ready for the shaking that is certainly coming. Proclaiming Jesus Christ as King over all. Encouragement to the body that our King and His kingdom cannot be shaken. That is wonderful news! 


See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:25-29 NASB

Reality is that life is a marathon and marathons require endurance. Reality is that life is full of moments of great shaking - tremors of pain and suffering and lack and betrayals and temptations and all manner of things the enemy will try to use to cause us to lose heart and give up the running of the race. Reality is life is full of troubles and disappointments and sorrows…but reality is also that we have been given grace to run the entire race and finish well…with joy in our hearts.

One night several years ago, Melinda and I were sitting in our chairs (Yes, we have grandpa and grandma chairs) watching a favorite TV show when the entire atmosphere began to vibrate without warning. My first thought was that a military helicopter was flying - hovering - much too close to our rooftop. Expecting the aircraft to move on, it only felt as if it was getting closer and closer. Soon, the entire room began to vibrate. The entire house began to shudder violently. Walls and floors began to creak and moan. Melinda and I were looking at one another, frozen in fear as we shook in our chairs. It felt as if the house was swaying slightly back and forth and felt as if waves of power were surging through both house and the air we were gasping for.

After about 40 seconds, the shaking, trembling, shuddering, thunderous sounding ‘whatever the heck that was’ stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Melinda and I sat there looking at one another with bewilderment. We were in shock. As we sat there gripping the arms of our chairs, we spoke in unison, “Earthquake!” The local news noted us the quake had registered 4.8 on the Richter Scale! As soon as we felt safe to do so, we went around the house looking for signs of damage.

Pictures were crooked. Some had fallen from the walls. A crack developed in the ceiling of our bedroom along the wall - a gap where the wall and ceiling met. The floor tiles in our bedroom had cracked and some had even warped upward, looking like cracks of ice forced upward from an ice floe in an once-packed river. As we ventured outside to survey the damage to our home, we noticed that the faces of many of the bricks on the two brick chimneys had shattered and fallen like some weird snow all over the back deck and yard. For 40 seconds, we experienced a physical picture of what a spiritual earthquake looks like!

The shaking trials of my life may be different than yours, but reality is that we all must go through them. Even our earthly house received minor damage, it held firm because its foundation was on solid ground. Whatever could be shaken had been shaken, but what could not be shaken was left standing.

God allows and sometimes causes the shaking times in our lives in order to help us see our need for placing our faith - building our spiritual houses - on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ. This is why a kingdom point of view is vital to living an abundant life even while enduring the violent shaking times of upheaval life brings our way. The kingdom of God is unshakable…and we are to seek that kingdom first and foremost if we are to walk in our true identities in Christ. And just how do we seek first the kingdom of God? We seek first the King!

My life was shaken by the temptation of same sex attraction. On November 7, 1981, Jesus stopped that shaking when He rescued me from the lies concerning my identity while simultaneously planting my feet on Solid Ground

My life was shaken by persecution and times when people have tried to silence me. My life has been shaken by hurt and vile words of insult and offensive threats. What was left after these times of shaking were the ability to identify more with Christ…the ability to bless those who curse me…the grace to forgive those who would do me harm…the ability to love those who hate me. The kingdom point of view, in a sense, is that I am commanded to love even if I don’t agree with those who would silence me.

My life has been shaken by grief and loss, but what was left after the loss of my grandmother and the loss of my dad was the eternal truth that I will see them again someday soon.

My life has been shaken by the ravages of Parkinson’s…by the loss of a major portion of my ability to sing…by the loss of physical strength in my right hand to the point my three right-most fingers seldom work anymore (you should see the remaining thumb and forefinger of my right hand as they try to compensate for the loss of their companions when I am playing the piano, LOL!)…by the constant ‘what-if’s having such an illness brings to one’s mind.

What cannot be shaken is the fact that I can still worship God with my voice. It may be a whisper of its former self, but it is even more passionate and precious than before.

What cannot be shaken is the fact that I still have the use of 2 fingers on my right hand and the reality that, should I lose all physical ability someday, I will still be able to praise God with my entire being.

What cannot be shaken when fear and thoughts of ‘what-if’ arise is the fact that God is my consent Companion and that He loves me with all He is.

Let’s review the last portion of that passage from Hebrews I quoted earlier. Hebrews 12:28 NASB, says, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe…” May I suggest that we walk in gratitude for what we DO have and not focus on what we don’t have. The latter always leads to despair and constant sorrow.

Hebrews 12:29 NASB, gives us all we need to know about how to deal with the shaking times of life. It simply says, “…for our God is a consuming fire.” I believe that fire is the power of His love to burn through the things of this earth in whatever way He chooses. After all He is God and He can do and use whatever He likes to get our attention. The jealousy He has for us - to know us intimately - burns with the fire of passion He has for each of us. Let us proclaim the fact that our God is unshakable and that we are anchored to the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ during shaking times…

His love, like a fire, burned away the shackles of my sin. His love, like a fire, burned through the times or persecution, betrayal, and wounding leaving me wonderfully able to forgive and bless even those who hate me, leaving my conscience clear and my mind willfully dependent upon Him and His love. His love, like a fire, burned away my grief over the diagnosis of Parkinson’s and the subsequent loss of my voice and the loss of the use of three fingers, and left me at a place of recognizing my need to rest from my labors and to cherish the things most dear to me and my life: my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my family, and my friends.

Who I am is an unshakable child of Almighty God whose only goal in life, at this point, is to leave as large a legacy - roadmap - of how to live an abundant life as possible for generations to come. I am more determined than ever to use whatever comes into my life for the King and for the Kingdom of God. Let the physical pain come. Let the loss of memory come. Let the loss of stamina come. I will use them all for the King and kingdom because who I am…is unshakable…

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Unshakable, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/unshakable-1606236531/

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/12/21/57/earthquake-1665878_1280.jpg

A Proclamation For 2021

Receive this blessing from the Lord’s Word – from His heart – for you during the coming year…and be quick to bless others with these same gifts. Speak these truths often and loudly to your soul, to the enemy, and to

the Lord…

I am…

…Dead to sin

…Born again

…Cleansed by the blood

…Alive to God

…A victorious runner of the race

…A child of destiny and purpose

…Eternally His

…Found

…Free

…Holy and righteous because He is holy and righteous

…An overcomer

…Redeemed

…Crowned with victory

…Restored

…Resurrected to new life

…A new creation

…A servant of the Most High God

…A mighty warrior

…Royalty

…A receiver of visions and dreams

…Chosen

…A trophy of grace

…A delight to my God

…Accepted

…A part of the Bride of Christ

…A Kingdom Seeker!!!!!!!

Seek the Kingdom first in the coming year…by seeking first the King. And walk in the identity He has formed you to be. Walk in your identity as a child of the King – a Kingdom Seeker.

Dennis Jernigan

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God’s} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…1 Peter 2:9 NASB

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/06/18/19/55/man-3483205_1280.jpg

Questions?

The world is full of questions in need of solid, foundational answers.

The world is in political chaos. How do we find peace?

The world is in a cultural crisis. How do we genuinely value one another?

The world is gripped by fear in the face of COVID-19. How do we defeat fear?

The world seems to be falling further and further into an existential panic as insufficiently-tested vaccines are rushed into use even as new strains of the virus are beginning to pop up around the planet. Where will true healing come from?

The world is being swept around in a constant whirlpool of man-centric answers that never fully meet the truest and deepest of mankind’s need: to know and to be known. How does one find real relationship without fear of being betrayed?

The world walks in darkness while declaring the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ archaic - a thing of the past. How does one navigate the darkness when there are so many conflicting sources of ‘light’?

The world speaks fear and division while calling it love and compassion. What is real love? What is real compassion?

The world declares the need for love and tolerance as long as you believe the current man-centered worldview. How does one navigate a world hostile to those who follow the Light of Jesus Christ?

The world is in need of real truth and real answers…and there is only One I know of.

The Answer…Jesus Christ.

No matter what is going in the world around us, Jesus Christ has risen from the grave and has granted us eternal life through faith in Him and in the power of His resurrection! No matter what is going on in the world around us, Jesus is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is in control even when the world around us is falling apart! Let us stand on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ today!

This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER [stone,]” 1 Peter 2:7 NASB