I Believe God Loves Me. Period.

Thomas had to see the risen Jesus to believe He was alive. His doubt was put to rest when he had the chance to see and touch the risen Savior. Where does that leave us who have never seen Jesus in the flesh? That leaves us with faith…

Jesus said to him [Thomas], "Because you have seen Me, have you [now] believed? Blessed [are] they who did not see, and [yet] believed.” John 20:29 NASB

Why do I seek Jesus? Because He first sought me. I want to pursue Him with the same passion that compelled Him to pursue me. He was relentless in His passion for me. I want to be relentless in my passion for Him. He left the riches of heaven. He endured temptation same as me yet without sin. He suffered rejection and humiliation for me, enduring the punishment I deserved due to my own sin. He gave His own life in exchanged for mine. That is how much He loved me! Why would I not simply believe that and receive it? That is what compels me to love God. He first loved me…

14 For the love of Christ compels us (holds us together, urges and empowers), because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him thus] no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 NASB

My personal belief is that I can overcome or go through anything in this life as long as I believe God loves me. His love never fails. His love wants nothing but my best. His love brings deep and true healing to my soul-ish wounds. His love cannot be defeated. His love champions me. His love conquers all. It is as simple as that. Think about what the love of God means to your life and allow what the Spirit reveals to you to carry you through whatever life brings your way. One way to do this is to apply the Word of God to your now life…personalize it…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as applied to my life…

Love is patient…even when I walked in willful rebellion, Jesus still pursued me. He loved me right where I was but loved me enough to not leave me there. He waited for as long as my repentance took!

Love is kind…even when I was cruel and hurtful and lashed out in anger, Jesus responded with nothing but kindness toward me. Hurt people hurt people…except for Jesus. My utter self-focus and confusion over who I was and what I was worth to others kept me roiling around in a whirlpool of lies and self-reliance that I could never have gotten free of had that whirlpool not been closed by the love of God in my life.

Love is not jealous…even when I gave my love to others He was faithful to reserve His love for me. Even when I allowed envy to lead me to desire the hurt of others to make me feel better about myself, He kept loving me in spite of the filth of my envious heart.

Love does not brag…even when I bragged about myself to make myself more presentable to others, trying to earn their acceptance and affirmation and approval, Jesus loved me boasting to all of heaven that one day I would open my eyes to the truth of His love for me.

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Jesus - Luke 15:7

Love is not arrogant…even when I walked in pride and made ungodly choices that led me further and further away from His love, Jesus humbled Himself and kept pursuing my prideful heart. He humbled Himself to such a degree as to allow Himself to be tempted just as I would be yet not choose to sin. The love expressed in His desire to understand my temptations in such a deep way helped me get to the place of humility and repentance in my own life.

Love does not act unbecomingly…even when I walked in depravity of thinking; even when I walked in an identity that was in direct opposition to His intended will for me. Even when I sought to bring attention to myself, He bore my shame.

Love does not seek its own…even when I willfully sought my own way, He sought the will of the Father for me, choosing the will of the Father. He was tempted as I would be. He endured the pain I could not have borne. He took the punishment I could never have taken. He paid the debt I could never have afforded. He chose me over His own pleasure and peace. He endured hell that I might gain heaven.

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB

Love is not provoked…even when I allowed the smallest of lies of the enemy to provoke me to anger and malice and paranoia and fear and self-focus, Jesus never wavered or took His eyes off of me. He was even there in the midst of my sin - not taking part in that sin - but calling out to me to follow Him as the Way of escape.

Love does not take into account a wrong suffered…even when I allowed the enemy to remind me how much of a failure, how much of a loser, how much of a worthless man I was, Jesus forgot my failure as far as the east is from the west. Such love caused me to be relentless in my own efforts to do the same!

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth…even when I secretly - or not so secretly - rejoiced in the failure of others to make myself feel better about myself, Jesus spoke only truth-based love to me, choosing to see me as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, choosing to see me through the blood shed on the cross for me.

Love bears all things…even when I was overwhelmed by the weight of sin, Jesus took that weight upon Himself and carries it for me to this day, seeing me as clean before Him.

Love believes all things…even when I believed the worst about myself, He saw me as a pure, clean, spotless bride.

Love hopes all things…even when I believed the lies of the enemy and walked in utter despair; even when I gave up on myself, Jesus never lost sight of who I would be.

Love endures all things…even when I felt I could not endure, He took the weight of who I thought I was and carried me through until I could see what He sees in me.

Love never fails…even when I walked in complete failure, His love was still there through it all.

How can I not face life without hope when He loves me like that? My hope is not in human love. Human love is enhanced by God-love. My hope is in the One who demonstrated His love toward me in that while I was still a sinner knowing I would reject Him, He still chose to die for me. It was that love that compelled me to seek Jesus…and it is that love that compels me to this day. Why would I ever not follow such love?

Dennis Jernigan

Listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast and hear more about the power of belief at http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/i-believe-1624978333/

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You Are

Last week we learned the reason David took five stones to face Goliath. He knew going to war with one giant meant going to war with all the giants.

One of the giants I have had to face in my life is the repercussions of my testimony. On a ministry trip to Canada many years ago, I had been asked to share my music and to share my story. Just as I was being introduced and preparing to walk onto the platform and share with several thousand people, a man grabbed my arm and pulled me aside and said, “What you’re about to do by sharing your story is going to do more damage than good.” Meaning he thought one’s sexual temptation and orientation defined one’s true identity.

My personal belief is that neither temptation nor orientation define anyone. Orientations can be changed. One can reorient themselves in regard to what they believe. Temptation is simply an opportunity to cry out to God and find intimacy with Him.

My response to the man was first one of fear…that he was threatening me physically. He was very angry and very insistent that I not share my story. After security pulled him away from me, I walked onto that platform and told the audience what had just happened and pointed to the man who had just confronted me. I then asked the question, “Do you feel I am doing more harm than good by sharing my story? Should I share my story? Does that man speak for you and this conference? If you don’t want me to share my story, then I will gladly step down and walk away. I am compelled by the Word of God to share my testimony. That is why I am here…but if it is not wanted, then I will leave.”

The response was immediate and overwhelming. The entire audience stood to their feet and began shouting at me to share my story and to glorify God. I did just that…and many, many people were set free that day from all manner of spiritual captivity. I defeated that giant of fear by believing I am who my Father says I am.

What giants do you face today? What are some obstacles that might keep you from sharing your testimony of faith? God’s Word tells us in Psalm 107:1-2 to let the redeemed of the Lord say so! One of the best ways to overcome fear of sharing your story is to simply share your story with one other person as the opportunity arises.

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life [even] when faced with death.” Revelation 12:11 NASB

Be the overcomer God says you are and do not be afraid to say so. The world has no problem sharing their so-called truths. We should not fear sharing the truth of God’s Word. When we share, we overcome the enemy and His lies. That is THE truth!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this short teaching, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/you-are-1624372955/

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Giant Killer...Why 5 Stones?

As new creations in Christ, we are given weapons of spiritual warfare with which to battle the lies of the enemy. At times, the lies that bombard our minds seem to be too massive and too strong to overcome, making them appear to be invincible giants. But we are overcomers. We essentially become giant killers. I am often asked ‘how do I keep fighting the fight when I feel like giving up?’ We all face constant battles against sin in our lives, but how does one not lose hope?

Consider a young shepherd boy named David. David faced the enemy of God even when those on his own side cowered. He fought the battle even though no one else encouraged him. He fought the battle in the midst of scorn and discouragement. He took up not 1 stone, but 5. Ever wonder why? I did…so I did my own study of the Word.

Goliath literally means ‘exile; to be disgracefully stripped naked; captivity’. How often does our sin leave us feeling naked and ashamed…and held captive? David had to trust God for his own deliverance. No one else could fight David’s battle for David. In fact, David’s testimony of faith and grace caused others to rise up and be giant killers around him! Remember that when you feel like giving up. Anything worth having is worth fighting to keep. Our enemy hates our freedom and wants us to remain in captivity and bondage to sin…and cause us to trip from time to time hoping we will eventually give up.

At times during my life I have felt like I have defeated a giant only to discover there is another one waiting to attack…and another…and another…and another…and another! You get the idea! The enemy is relentless. David new this about the giant he face. He knew that if he faced one giant there would be others ready to take that giant’s place. If you read God’s Word, you discover that Goliath was not the only giant David or one of his mighty men had to face! There are four others mentioned in Scripture…and the reason David took 5 stones to face Goliath!

The first brother of Goliath mentioned in God’s Word – the next giant – was named Ishbi-Benob, which means ‘he will return…like a patron; or to retreat’. Doesn’t our sin sometimes keep coming back like a regular customer and cause us to give up or retreat to failure? Ishbi-Benob was defeated by one of David’s men called Abishai. Abishai means ‘available’. Abishai was available to David just as we are to be available to one another in the battle against the giants of our life.

Brother Saph, which means ‘to snatch away; to wait at the threshold; a door-keeper’ was next. The enemy wants us to always walk in fear – wonder when the next opportunity to face temptation might arise. We need to be able to see those times as opportunities to walk in victory as giant killers rather than as times to cower in fear. Saph was defeated by another of David’s men named Sibbecai. Sibbecai means to ‘to fold together; to wrap; copse-like’ as trees surround and enclose a protected pasture. We need to constantly surround ourselves with the protection and truth of the Lord and His Word.

The next brother of Goliath was rather odd in that he had no name…yet he was known because he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. The significance, I believe, is that sin tries to hold us in its grip and that grip so often seems unbreakable – yet it is breakable! Six-fingered guy was defeated by Jonathan. Jonathan means ‘Jehovah-given’. In other words, only the strength of who God is can break the hold of sin in our lives. Humble ourselves by admitting our need and then trust Father God to give us the grace to overcome!

Brother number four was called Lahmi, which means ‘foodful’. I believe you could say lust is a giant in all of our lives in one way or another. This lusty one was defeated by Elhanan, which means ‘God is gracious’. Again, only the grace of God gives us the strength to overcome the lust of the flesh.

Knowing Jesus is worth the fight the enemy puts up against us. Why would the enemy fight so hard for my mind and life? This should say something about your destiny – God’s plan for your life. This should speak volumes about your worth to God. Why else would the enemy fight so hard and so often for our minds unless we were valuable to our God?

But like David, we must take up the armor of our God and place the weapons of warfare at our disposal. Some of my personal stones – ammunition – weapons? Faith. Prayer. Word of God. Friends. Altars – like remembering battles already won; remembering the deliverance of the Lord in the past; remembering our destiny in Christ; praise and worship…because it involves our whole being and incorporates the others stones!

Brothers and sisters, in Christ you are giant killers. Go and be who Father says you are today…and take down some giants in your own life!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/giant-killers/

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Mighty Man of Valor

One of the most asked questions in my life is, “Dennis, I feel God has delivered me from a certain sin…but the battle for my mind continues and I want to give up sometimes. What do I do?” Immediately, I am reminded that David took up five stones when facing Goliath. Ever wonder why five? Goliath had four brothers. David knew that if he messed with one, he would have to face the music of the wrath of the other brothers!

When we take back stolen ground - the territory of our mind the enemy claimed as his own - he does not take that standing still. He tends to intensify the battle by sending in more lies and by attempting to bring greater confusion and chaos…he wants to overwhelm us to the point of giving up to those lies once and for all. It is like slaying one giant only to have that giant replaced with four more!

Those brothers of Goliath were named Ishbi-Benob (2 Sam. 21:16), Saph (2Sam. 21:18), the Giant with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot (2 Sam. 21:20), and Lahmi (1 Chron. 20:5). Just because we defeat a giant in our lives doesn’t mean our battles are over by any means. When giants rise against us, this simply means we have something the enemy deems worth snuffing out…and that we have something worth fighting for!

The other picture God gave me to meditate on for personal spiritual warfare was the story of Gideon found in Judges 6. The children of Israel had sinned and God had allowed the Midianites to ransack their land for 7 years. All crops were devastated. Food was scarce.

One day, Gideon was down in a wine press beating out the wheat in an attempt to salvage some food before the enemy could get to it. The picture was of a man, gripped by fear and cowering below ground in a frantic state of mind…hiding from the enemy. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appears in the scene and speaks down to Gideon in the wine press. “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”

I’m sure Gideon was saying to himself, “Valiant warrior? Where?” The angel was simply reminding Gideon that God was the one who determines his identity. Just as we sometimes do not see or even feel the change God has done in our hearts, we must – by faith – believe who He says we are.

Just as David did, we must take up the stones God has placed at our disposal to dispatch the enemy. What are some of your stones of faith? Mine are His Word. His Spirit. My covenant friends. But my favorite and most cast stones are the stones of worship and praise. God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise engulfs my entire being and focuses my attentions off of me and my circumstances and back on the Lord…who is the Overcomer!

Just as David did, we must take up the stones God has placed at our disposal and use them to dispatch the enemy. The truth is that you, new creation, are a mighty man or a mighty woman of valor. Stand up and be who your Father says you are!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this topic and to hear the song Mighty Man of Valor, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/mighty-man-of-valor-1622644966/

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If I Had...

Ascribe to the LORD, sons of the mighty,

Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;

Worship the LORD in holy attire.

Psalm 29:1-2 NASB

How do we ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name? God is more than worthy of our praise. But how do you really understand that without experiencing the forgiveness and love of Almighty God?

Death and hell were what we deserved yet Christ made a way for us. Anything we face in life, we do not face alone. He does not leave us or forsake us! To give Him the glory due His name – to give Him the praise He truly deserves – we will need more that we’ve got individually!

We need one another and we need eternity to come anywhere near close enough to expressing that depth of praise! But isn’t it fun trying? Hallelujah!

Therefore I urge you, brothers [and sisters,] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 NASB

If I only had a thousand hands to raise…a thousand tongues with which to declare His glory…a thousand eyes to see the evidence of His presence it would still not be enough to give Him the glory due His name!

Let’s worship the Lord with our entire being. It is when we surrender our entire self to the awesome presence of God that we experience true freedom. Use your thoughts to praise Him. Use your emotions to feel Him. Use your body to exalt Him. You can lift your hands in surrender. You can bow before Him in awe. You can dance before Him for the sheer joy of it. You can shout and sing His praises. We have been given many ways to express our love for God and to experience His presence. Let’s step into the realm of His presence and worship Him with our entire being as long as we have breath.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;

Bring an offering and come into His courtyards.

Worship the LORD in holy attire;

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;

Indeed, the world is [firmly] established, it will not be moved;

He will judge the peoples fairly."

May the heavens be joyful, and may the earth rejoice;

May the sea roar, and all it contains;

May the field be jubilant, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the LORD, for He is coming,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness,

And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 96:8-13 NASB

Jesus gave all of Himself to rescue, redeem, and save all that we are. I have been forgiven much and that makes me feel loved much…and that realization of God’s incredibly massive love for me makes me want to bless Him all the more. Let’s worship our God daily with all that we are. There is true freedom in the lifestyle of worship.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, If I Had, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/if-i-had-1622389975/

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I Just Want To Worship You

For the choir director. A [Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, "I love You, O LORD, my strength." The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1-2 NASB

My personal belief is that every single person is born with a very real and deep desire to know God – and to be known by Him. As we think about what it means to be known by the Creator of the universe, we eventually come to the conclusion that He wanted us so much we were worth His own life. We also come to the conclusion that His love is massive and constant and meets us right where we are…and loves us enough to not leave us there!

No matter our age or background, we all have the same need. We need to know we have a purpose and a destiny. To have no purpose – to have no meaning in life – is sheer futility. Our future, our hope, is in knowing Christ and in being known by Him. This realization quite naturally leads to a response that one could only call worship in its most real and intimate sense.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11 NASB

Concerning God’s love for us, we only have two choices. We can either choose to believe He loves us or we can choose to believe He doesn’t. The most amazing thing about God’s nature is that His very essence is love…but it is up to us to believe it and receive it…or to deny that truth and reject it.

Let’s do this in the coming days. Let’s just choose to worship God no matter what…and let’s choose to believe He loves us no matter what. Let’s simply accept the truth hath we need to know and to be known by another and that the best way to do this is to seek God with our entire being. Reality is, that is how He seeks us…with His entire being.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, I Just Want To Worship You, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/i-just-want-to-worship-you/

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'Til The Walls Fall Down

In my own life, there have been so many instances where it seemed my back was up against a wall and there was no other way out. After the Lord set me free, I began to learn how to trust Him during very difficult times. I began to see example after example in Scripture of different people who encouraged themselves in the Lord – by praising the Lord in the midst of those circumstances!

David’s own army wanted to do him bodily harm after the Israelite women and children were captured while David was leading his men elsewhere. The Word says that David encouraged himself in the Lord!

The children of Israel were taking the promised land city by city – and Jericho seemed invincible. Yet they praised their way around…and watched the walls fall down.

Paul and Silas - stuck in jail – chose to praise and glorify God even in the midst of their bondage…and God delivered!

Many times I have felt bound up by sin or circumstances only to choose to praise God – and have seen His deliverance each and every time! Not always in the way or timing I would have chosen, but always delivered!

Most often, deliverance is being set free from our own mindsets – our own fear and doubt - our own wrong thinking. The walls that block our minds are the ones we most need to have knocked down. How do we do that? Look to the examples from those who have gone before us. Praise Him…no matter what!

So the people shouted when [the priests] blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20 KJV

What walls do you need to see come down in your life today? Praise God until the walls fall down.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. Acts 16:25-26 KJV

What personal bondage or attack of the enemy do you need to seek freedom from today? Praise God until the bonds are broken and the lies are renounced and replaced with the truth!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear the Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song ’Til The Walls Fall Down, got to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/til-the-walls-fall-down/

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Say It Loud

Knowing Jesus Christ is not something we should ever be ashamed of…whether others understand our relationship with Him or not…whether we are mocked or not…whether anyone else believes it or not! Jesus Christ is Lord. Period. The simple truth is that as new creation, we can openly express our relationship with Jesus Christ with an attitude of confidence and joy. Because we know who and Whose we are, we have confidence in our Redeemer’s power and joy in knowing Him intimately…and desire that others might come to know Him through our lives!

Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

Psalm 86:3 NASB

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 NASB

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and [the glory] of the Father and the holy angels.” Luke 9:26 NASB

There are so many ways in which to boast in the Lord God Almighty…to declare the awesome love and power of Jesus Christ. The best way to boast in and declare the power and love of Jesus Christ? To live your life in such a way as to bring glory and honor to His name. To live in such a way that others see what you have and want it for themselves. To be honest, the best sermons are lived, not preached. Think about it.

Let me leave you with this from Matthew 5:14-16 NASB:

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do [people] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Let’s live our faith out loud for all to see today. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in doing so!

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song that inspired it, Say It Loud, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/say-it-loud-1618931332/

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Ev'rybody Get Up!

During the summer of 1999, our Youth Pastor asked me to help teach the young people about worship. As the summer progressed, God began to give songs to help express many of the truths we were learning each week. The song, Everybody Get Up, quickly became one of my favorites even though it came near the end of our time together that summer. The sentiment of the song says it all. Our very lives (what we came here for) are to be expressions of praise to our God. We serve Him and the needs of others and even these acts of service are expressions of praise…and why we are here!

Through Him then, Let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising his name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16 NASB

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Everything that has breath shall praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:1-6 NASB

When are we to praise God? At all times with music. At times with acts of service and kindness to others. At times with speaking the truth in love. At times with the reading of God’s Word. In times of distress and trouble. In times of peace and joy. In the midst of a crowd and in the midst of being alone. Every part of our being is best served when awakened to the need for God in our lives.

Dennis Jernigan

PS - As a side note, there was time when I thought this song would make a great morning alarm to wake up by. Once you hear the song, you may agree…or you may prefer something a bit more calm and relaxing to wake up by. Just thought you might enjoy hearing some of the things I think of when receiving and writing a song!

To hear the song, listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast at http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/evrybody-get-up/

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I Will Magnify

We often hear people talk about magnifying the Lord. The Psalms implore us to magnify the Lord quite often. What does it mean to magnify the Lord? When we hear the word magnify, we automatically think ‘to make something seem bigger than it really is’…like when using a magnifying glass to make small print appear bigger and more easily read.

When we say we are going to magnify the Lord, we are saying we are going to extol and proclaim His goodness and greatness to those around us…to our own soul…to the lies of the enemy. There is nothing bigger than God, so the way we magnify Him is to simply live our love for Him out loud! He is bigger than any circumstance. Bigger than any wound. Bigger than any failure. Bigger than any problem. Magnifying God is really us expressing our thanks for His bigness!

There are times in our lives (more often than we like to admit) when we feel overwhelmed and wonder why God would allow us to go through so much adversity. Often, we fall prey to the unspoken belief in Christendom that tells us that life should be easier for believers. Of course, quite the opposite is true. When we follow Christ, His enemy is enraged. Satan hates Who we stand for and Who we follow. He hates who we are as new creations! He is bound and determined to make our lives miserable. What he does not understand is grace. God uses the circumstances of life and the darts of the enemy to bring glory to His name and refreshing rain to our deserts.

Sometimes is feels as if the onslaught is endless and this can cause me to be tempted to stop being thankful and grateful to God for His presence and blessings in my life. That is why I have chosen to magnify the name of the Lord during such times of distress rather than to allow those distressing things dampen my praise to God. My determination? God is in control and I will praise Him!

I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30 NKJV

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul will make its boast in the LORD;

The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Exalt the LORD with me,

And let's exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD and He answered me,

And rescued me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:1-4 NASB

My physical struggle with Parkinson’s makes the words of this Psalm very real to me. No matter what, I will continue to magnify the Lord. Much like Job when his life was being torn apart and the enemy continuously bombarding his mind with fiery darts trying to cause Job to doubt and reject God, Job said this:

"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.” Job 13:15 NASB

Job’s faith was such that he believed God was good even when bad things happened to Him. Job’s belief was that God would use even the tremendous loss and suffering for his good. Job continued to magnify the name of the Lord. God has not changed regardless of my circumstances. The only thing that has changed are my circumstances. Jesus remains the same…and I will continue to magnify the name of Jesus Christ until the day I die.

If you’re feeling bombarded by the lies of the enemy today, magnify the Lord. If you are feeling less than the new creation God says you are, magnify the Lord today. Whatever your circumstances, do this…magnify the name of Jesus.

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song I Will Magnify, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/i-will-magnify/

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Beautiful

Today I am going to tell you the brief story behind one of my favorite worship songs called I Cry Holy. The song came to me on March 26, 2000. For as long as I have been writing songs (receiving songs), I have tried to document the story behind each song as a sort of legacy I ;eave my children and grandchildren for generations to come. This song was no different. Way back in March of 2000, the first words I wrote about the way this song was birthed are as follows:

“When feeling wounded, disappointed, and physically drained after surgery…” I’ll share a bit more about that surgery in a few moments, but need to share more of the background that led to this particular heart cry.

This song came after an intense spiritual battle. Spiritual battles, when coupled with physical fatigue, can lead us to the point of despair rather quickly. The context of that battle for me came in the form of sharing my testimony in the state of Vermont immediately after the Vermont State House of Representatives had approved a same-sex union bill. I came away from that time in Vermont deeply affected at the intense loneliness and anxiety I felt when facing those who mock and belittle God’s Word and people.

In the area of personal relationships, I was facing conflict with some dear friends…knowing there was a need for restored intimacy but dreading the pain that process might require. Coming home from Vermont with that heaviness on my heart then immediately the following morning heading into surgery to remove a lump (benign) from my back, I was overwhelmed with vain imaginations. By the following Sunday, I had felt deep disappointment and went to church hoping for relief. I didn’t last long, though. People, glad to see me, kept slapping me on the back….so I was an emotional and physical wreck simply from avoiding these boisterous greetings!

I went home alone and did the only thing I knew to do. I worshiped my God in spite of all these circumstances. This song is the result of that worship time…and it is one of my favorite songs Father has ever given me! I am also glad to say that my time in Vermont left me even more convinced that my life is worth sharing with others. My back quickly got back to normal! And my relationship turmoil was settled and intimacy was restored! God’s presence, love, and grace are indeed “Beautiful!”

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD

And to meditate in His temple.

Psalm 27:4 NASB

Now this song means even more to me than the first day I wrote over 21 years ago! Battling Parkinson’s - I know I bring it up a lot - is a real battle. Not only do I have to struggle with the physical strain upon my body and my physical brain, but I have to struggle with the lies of the enemy in a whole new way.

Parkinson’s wears on my thought-life on the physical level which only magnifies the grace required to battle the lies of the enemy which are normal to every human being on a spiritual level. Some days I feel like I have been through literal war both physically and mentally. During such moments, my identity becomes more difficult to hang on to. The big temptation? To allow Parkinson’s to define me…as something less than a man…less than a husband…less than a conqueror…less than a dad…less than a granddad…less than who my heavenly Father says I am. What do I do? I focus on something - and Someone - other than myself.

Worship tends to be my go-to response during such intense warfare. God’s presence tends to be the Shelter for my mind. The ugliness of a debilitating illness is replaced with the beauty of God’s holy, perfect love for me. Worship reminds me like nothing else of who and of Whose I am. I CHOOSE to see God’s beauty in each situation of my life…look for every unseen facet I have overlooked before…worship Him for the beauty of His holy, perfect love for me.

Finally, brothers [and sisters,] whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB

Dennis Jernigan

To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast of this story and to hear the song, Beautiful, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/beautiful-1617120158/

Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/morning-sip-wood-anemone-flower-4284120/

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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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