Why are you crying? Twelve reasons – one solution.

Why are you crying?                                    

                     Twelve reasons – one solution.



Why are you crying? Is it because:

-      your child has become a prodigal, wondering far from God?

-      you’ve received a terrifying diagnosis for yourself or a loved-one?

-      you’re overwhelmed and exhausted with circumstances of life?

-      you or a loved one is struggling with addiction?

-      the chaos in your home is out of control?

-      frustrations of world events seem unresolvable?

-      of fear that lost loved-ones won’t receive Jesus’ salvation before it’s too late?

-      your child is leaving home and you’re concerned about snares and dangers that lurk in the unknown.

-      your spouse has fallen out of love with you?

-      your financial situation seems hopeless?

-      you’re pregnant, unmarried, and don’t know where to turn?

-      your friend has betrayed you?

—just to name a few reasons.  

Internet Image

You’ve heard about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But, do you remember His first recorded words after being quickened back to life?



Mary Magdalene was the first to encounter the risen Christ. She had found His tomb empty and began to cry, for she didn’t know who had taken Him nor where they had laid Him. Bewildered and with tear filled eyes, she turned to go, when there, standing before her, was Jesus. But she didn’t recognize Him. 


He said, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15).

She still didn’t realize it was beloved teacher and friend.


Then He spoke her name, “Mary.”


Instantly, she knew Him. There He stood, alive and well. Her grief, anxiety, and tears turned to joy, peace, and hope. He was right there and concerned about her tears. And He had a plan. 

Internet Image

What are the things that make you cry? What causes tears to well up in your eyes? What thoughts cause some degree of anxiety to prick your soul?



Easter is approaching. Our celebration of Resurrection Day will soon be here. 


Let’s allow the truth and hope of Christ’s resurrection redeem our emotions from the downward pull of those things which bring us to tears.


He is risen! He has come to set the captives free. He is here and He has a plan.

For His followers, the resurrection of Jesus trumpets authentic truth. The sting of death has been eradicated and the grave will not hold us. And there’s more. In addition to eternal life, joy and hope are resurrected in us as well.


“Women, man, why are you crying? Whom are you seeking?”


When you come face with the risen Christ you have found the One you’re looking for whether you recognize Him or not. Listen. He’s calling your name—my name. He has come to resurrect life and joy. He’s right here.

Tell Him why you’re weeping—why you soul is vexed. He has come that you (we) may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10). 


True story: Just a few days ago, I spoke with a woman who poured out her heart, with tears streaming. Her husband was chronically ill. She feared for the life and well-being of her alcoholic son. Her eight-and-a-half-month pregnant granddaughter, a drug addict, was in jail. My goodness! We can understand her tears. Any one of those situations could provoke weeping. 


This troubled woman was asking for prayer, turning to God for answers. She was seeking the right person. Only God has the answers to all her concerns and she is trusting Him to resurrect life in her loved-ones, as well as hope and peace in her own soul. 


Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV).


God created tears as a means of releasing emotion. But He doesn’t want our tears of sadness and fear to be the end point of our trials. 


Jesus gave His life so we may have life, both now and into Eternity. He’s alive—resurrected from the grave. Abundant life comes when we cast our cares on Him, confident He hears us and, when we do things His way, will work things out for our good (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-9; Romans 8:28).

Internet Image

When we focus on Jesus and God’s Word our worries and fears tend to fade away. Jesus wants us to trust Him.   


As we enter the Easter season, and beyond, let’s remember Jesus’ question, “Why are you weeping?” 


When anxiety of any kind arises, lets tell Him about it because He cares. He loves us with unfailing love; He has the right answers; and He has a plan.


So, Rejoice! And be mindful of these truths during this season and all of your days. 


Thank you for reading my blog post today. Think of a time when God has helped you move from weeping to peace. Feel free to share your experience below if you’d like. Your comments are welcome. 


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

Stop! Don’t Follow Your Heart.

Stop! Don’t Follow Your Heart.                     



We’ve heard it said, “Follow your heart.” We may have even said it ourselves.

I’ve seen people follow their hearts and jump right off cliffs. You probably have too.


I’ve cried with the bewildered husband of a young mother who followed her heart half way across the country to hook up with her on-line boyfriend. Her little girls couldn’t understand why their mommy was gone. 


I witnessed a man enthusiastically put his entire nest egg into a business opportunity that eventually failed. He lost it all, but was following his heart. 


I smiled at the cuteness, watching a sweet family adopt a couple of adorable puppies they had neither time nor resources to care for. The pups became dogs and were sadly neglected within a couple years, but those parents had followed their hearts.    


When the extra-marital affair of the father of four teenagers was exposed, he lost his home and family, shattering his wife and the vulnerable youth. Besides that, the husband of his mistress kicked her out, leaving her estranged from her infant and toddler. Six children were broken because the guilty pair were following their hearts.


We’ve watched the bride and groom take their vows and wave goodbye, embarking on an amazing honeymoon. The wedding was lavish and fun but the marriage ended in a train wreck just a couple years later. With starry eyes and intense passion, they were following their hearts. 


You know the stories. You’ve witnessed them too in the lives of friends and family—perhaps even in your own experience. Our human tendency is to jump right into situations that excite our hearts.

Photo by Connie Wohlford

The heart is the seat of our emotions. That fact alone could elicit a red flag if we’re paying attention. Our wiser self knows it’s imprudent to make life-changing decisions based on emotions. 


Jeremiah 17:9 warns us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” This passage should bring pause before we take the J.U.M.P.—Justify Unhealthy Momentary Pleasure. 


So, what are we to do? We’re human beings with human emotions. God made us that way. Yes, He did, but He never intended for us to be dominated by our emotions. His plan is to renew our hearts—giving us a heart that’s pliable in His hands (Ezekiel 36:26) so we can learn to do things His way and follow His lead. That’s not to suggest He will be like a dictator, lording over us. But with a heart captivated by our Savior, Jesus, our desires and passions will line up with what God wants for us. That is abundance of life, unexplainable peace, and unspeakable joy. 


Instead of following our own hearts, we can follow the heart of our Creator who knows what’s best for each of us in every situation. The Bible has much to say about the heart and how to maintain it. 

Here are some passages that will help us learn to follow after the heart of our Heavenly Father:


“Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV).


“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).


“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).


“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV).


Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV).


As we observe life experiences—both ours and those of others—as well as the encouragement of Scripture, like the ones above, we know that our hearts play a major roll in where we go in life. Let’s each endeavor to do as the psalmist and seek God with our whole heart (Psalm 119:2, 10). In doing so we will be blessed and live abundantly.

Next time you yearn to follow your heart—stop! Don’t J.U.M.P. Be careful not to Justify Unhealthy Momentary Pleasure. Check in with the Holy Spirit. Inquire of God’s Word. Pray about it and follow the leading of the Lord. Ultimately, you’ll find peace and joy and not be burdened with regret. 


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage

Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage



Do you see the progression here? Rejoicing in hope -> patient in tribulation ->  continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12).


Hope can save lives. A person without hope is at risk of suicide. A person with hope—even a glimmer—finds reason to want to go on living. 


The Hebrew word for hope is tiqvah (Strong’s 8615*), pronounced teek’-vah. Its literal meaning is cord. Its extended meaning is expectancy—something that’s longed for and eagerly anticipated. 


The scarlet cord that Rahab placed in her window was a tiqvah cord. It literally gave her and her family the hope of being rescued from death when Joshua conquered Jericho (Joshua 2:12-18).


Rahab had recognized that God was with the Jewish people and knew it would be futile, even deadly, to oppose them. Therefore, she protected and helped the Israelite spies who had come to stake out the city of Jericho. When they left her home, which was on the city wall, they instructed her to put a scarlet cord in the window. When the Israelite army approached the city, they would see the scarlet tiqvah and rescue those inside. On that infamous day, when the ancient city of Jericho fell, only Rahab and her household were spared. The walls of Jericho came tumblin down and no one else survived.


Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (NASV). 

Internet photo

Many like to relate this passage to marriage. In a marriage the husband and wife are each represented by a strand of cord and are wrapped together making a stronger two-strand cord. If they are followers of Christ and invite Him into their married life, they have a three-strand cord—Jesus being the third strand. The strength of that marriage is then supernaturally multiplied. 


In my own experience, when Jesus was invited into our marriage, its strength was multiplied. My husband was not a Christian when we got married. Yes, we were unequally yoked together and, no, I don’t recommend that kind of marriage. Our early years were filled with trials, hurt, and discontent. Many marriages would not have survived what we went through. 


Finally, when my husband got born-again, becoming a Christ follower, things changed dramatically. Jesus became the third strand in the cord that held our marriage. He brought hope and renewed love into our relationship and our home. I no longer suffered under the dark cloud of concern that our two sons would become victims of a broken home. 


Though I sincerely thought there was little hope for our marriage, I continued to hope we would make it. I remember thinking, “If something doesn’t change, a year from now we will not be together.” 


Because I knew my God, I found reason to rejoice in the small ray of hope. With God’s help, I was “patient in the tribulation.” When a friend challenged me saying, “How’s your prayer life?” I recognized it was lacking. That’s when I began to continue “steadfastly in prayer.”


It was at about that time I read the chapter titled, “Love Your Husband to Christ,” in Beverly LaHaye’s book, The Spirit-Controlled Woman. I could see that my waning love for my husband needed a boost and that my prayer life needed to intensify. For the sake of our children, I asked God to help me in both of those areas—and He did. 


It was evident to me that my love for him, which began to grow, was beyond my own capacity at that time. And that unconditional love gave me a greater unction to pray for him. In less than a year, it happened—we were no longer unequally yoked. 


If you lack hope in any area of your life, I want to ask you this question: “How’s your prayer life?” If it’s lacking, get it in gear. “The effective prayer of a righteous man (or woman) can accomplish much” (James 5:16b). [Parentheses mine]


Let the tiqvah cord from God—the hope and expectancy of good things—come into your spirit because He is well able to make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).  


With Him, hope gives us the power to look up (Luke 21:28); gives us the strength to go on (Psalm 46:1-3); and makes a way when circumstances are bleak (Hosea 2:15). Follow Paul’s instructions in Romans 12, which includes rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, and continuing in steadfast prayer. 


Honoring God and following godly instructions will always yield good results. I'm not saying everything will then be perfect, but the end result will be for our good. I’m sure glad I took Paul's advice over forty-five years ago. I hope you will too.


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford


* “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., Nashville, TN - 1890, page 126.

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity  

The Apostle Paul deeply loved and had great concern for other followers of Jesus in the fledgling first-century church. He wrote many letters of encouragement and instruction to those who were young in the faith.

In Paul’s letter to the house church in Colossae he reminded the members of their life-changing experience in Christ Jesus when he said, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV).

He then exhorts them to rid themselves of sins and vices unbecoming of Jesus and His character. The next few verses list several “do nots” and then he transitions to point out some Christ-like virtues, we should strive to attain.

Paul had been informed of issues which were causing division among the members. He had addressed some of those matters earlier in his letter. Now in Colossians Chapter 3, he was speaking about personal relationships among the believers.

Have you seen or experienced disagreements or personality clashes within your church fellowship? I dare say that if the congregation was made up of human beings, your answer is, “Yes.”  

Photo by Connie Wohlford

Paul gave some directives to help elevate all the members and to bring the unity desired by God Himself. Paul wrote, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15 NKJV).

In another version, verse 14 states: “And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14 NASV).

God’s command for us to love is paramount in His cosmic plan for Mankind. 

When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31 NKJV).

Why did Paul say that love is above all other things? It’s because love is the bond of perfection. It is the bond of unity.

Bond is a strong word used to describe one thing being fused to another—thus joined securely. To love one another in this way is to be joined together unconditionally. This agap̵é love is spiritual and selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. 

It is through the grace given by the Holy Spirit that a person can have this kind of love and this is why the world (those who are not in Christ) does not understand it.

The word, unity, in Greek, is defined, “perfect, one who reaches a goal. Perfection or perfectness, completeness.”¹

So, can you see how agap̵é love among the members of a church fellowship, and among followers of Jesus in the body of Christ as a whole, can be such a force—a bond—that unifies and perfects?

Let’s ponder this love that is put into our hearts by God and imagine how it really could bring unity in the body of Christ. Would the church represent Christ well? Would the church attract more non-Christians? Would this church accomplish great things in the building up of the body of Christ? I believe we would agree that the answer to each of these questions would be a resounding, “Yes!”

As we grow in Christ-likeness we will grow in His kind of love for others.

Please join with me in prayer:

Lord God, I ask that You help me to love like Jesus loves. Even when I don’t see eye to eye with my brothers and sisters, help me to give way to Your Spirit to override my personal feelings and allow agapé love to spring up out of my heart—love that is genuine and unconditional. In this, I am doing my part to nurture the perfect bond of unity in the body of Christ. Thank You, Father, for the power of Your grace working in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

__________________________________

1. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, 2008, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, page 2290.

Today – A Special Day for Jesus

Today – A Special Day for Jesus                  

Do you know what today is? <><> Yes, it’s February 3^rd. <><> And there are other things going on much more important than the Super Bowl.

It’s the anniversary of a special day for Jesus, at forty days old; a special day for Joseph and Mary; and THE VERY BEST DAY in the lives of an old man and an old woman.

Let me tell you about it.

If, in fact, Jesus' birthday is December 25th, then February 3rd would have been the day Joseph and Mary took Him to the Temple to be dedicated—forty days after His birth. 

The Gospel writer, Luke, tells of the miraculous event. My book, He Is The ONE, also tells the story along with a parallel donkey story, to help captivate children's attention. It also features full color illustrations by artist, Molly Keller.

I wrote this story because I wanted my grandchildren to know the wonder-filled account of Jesus' dedication. It’s one of my favorite Bible stories and one that is rarely shared. I did not learn it in Sunday School. I learned it as an adult when I simply read through the Book of Luke. 

You might want the children in your life to know this story as well. You can read it in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel. (And you can purchase my book and also enjoy the accompanying illustrations.)

Here is an excerpt from He Is The ONE:

     “As Mary busied herself with preparations for their trip into The Holy City, she imagined what Jesus’ dedication would be like. She thought about the Jewish Law regarding the dedication of a first-born son. Now that Jesus was 40 days old, it was His time. According to the Law, every boy baby, who is the first child born in a family, shall be called holy to the Lord, and is to be dedicated to the Lord in a special way. An offering of two young pigeons or two turtledoves is to be brought to the temple and given to the priest.

 “So the little family made their way to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord, according to the Law of Moses. *”    *Luke 2:22-24

When Joseph, Mary, and Jesus arrived at the Temple amazing and unexpected things happened. 

Many years earlier, God had told a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna that they would live to see their Messiah—the Promised One of Israel. On this special day, it happened. (As far as we know Simeon and Anna did not know one another.) 

When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the Temple court, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon and to Anna that He was the One. There He was, lying in the arms of His mother—this tiny forty-day old baby. To everyone else in the area He was just another infant being dedicated that day.

Here’s another excerpt from He Is The ONE:

     “The gospel writer, Luke, said that Simeon “took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’” *   *Luke 2:28-33

Today in the United States is Super Bowl Sunday and we too will be watching the big game and chowing down on some fun food. But, let’s be mindful that before any sport the most important thing in our lives is our relationship with Jesus. Let’s learn all we can about Him and teach our children the amazing events of His life.

If interested in ordering a copy of He Is The ONE, ($10.50 + shipping + in VA, sales tax), contact me via email: author@conniewohlford.com.  Also, let me know if you want an info sheet about all of my books. Thanks so much and God bless you!

Thanks for reading my blog. Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit – Part 2 of 2

My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit – Part 2 of 2

Again, I ask: What is your great pursuit—that quest that grips you?

You think about it every day. Visions of what it could look like live continuously in the crevices of your mind.

If you’re an exceptional soccer player, maybe it’s your dream to be offered a full-ride college scholarship. If you’re an ROTC college student, perhaps your goal is to become a general someday. If you’re a parent, possibly your greatest desire is that your children walk in the truth of God’s Word (3 John 1:4).

If you’re a serious follower of Jesus—a Christian—maybe your deep desire is to grow more like Him every day and show others the way of Salvation. In The Fire That Never Sleeps, Dr. Michael Brown encourages us to let God Himself be our “great pursuit.”  

Here are the last six of My “Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit.” (The first six were listed in my previous blog post.)

7- Reflect. Consider the two-fold definitions of reflect. It means to deeply think on something—to ponder. As well, it means to be a reflection of or mirror something. Let’s do both.

Ponder the attributes of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God’s three main attributes are omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (ever-present everywhere). My goodness, we could spend a lifetime contemplating these traits.

God’s Word, Paul gives wonderful instruction on what we should reflect on in our thought life. He told the Philippian , “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these thing” (Philippians 4:8 NASV).

The 1980s Christian rock band, Petra, recorded a song focusing on this passage. If you wish, you may check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VxdGfO1ZYKk

Now consider reflecting Jesus in the sense of mirroring Him. Paul suggested that we, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NASV).

Let’s learn Jesus by reading the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When was the last time you read through all these books in the Bible? As we get into this new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the attributes of Jesus Christ so we can reflect Him better. Then go ahead and read the Book of Acts, which follows, and reflect on the amazing attributes of God’s Holy Spirit. 

As we sincerely reflect on our mighty God, in both senses of the word, lets earnestly move forward in our great pursuit of Him.

8- Respond. If we wholeheartedly endeavor to do the previous seven “Rs” we will surely respond in some way. That is to give a reply or a reaction. We must do something.

If you’ve never responded to God’s invitation to receive salvation, now is the time. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and what the Bible says about Him, then pray, (talk to God), and profess your belief to Him and receive Jesus into your heart.

If you’ve already become a follower of Jesus, now how will you respond?

Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27 NASV).

Our Lord also said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32 NASV).

O, hallelujah! When God is our great pursuit and we respond to Him as He intends, then we will have the security like to man who built his house on the rock and we’ll be free like Jesus spoke of, “So if the Son sets you free’ you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV).   

9- Relationship. When we received Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we came into relationship with Him. That means we are interconnected with Him. Not only that—because He and Father God are one, we are in relationship—that is, in fellowship—with God, our Heavenly Father—our Creator.

Our sin separated had us from God and we were on our way to eternal Hell, with no hope. But when Jesus paid our penalty on the cross, He stepped up and took our place. He took the punishment for the sin of each of us. When we accept Jesus, we receive this amazing free gift.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him…” (Psalm 103:11-13 ESV).

As we continue our great pursuit of God, we will bond closer to Him and go deeper in relationship with Him.

10- Responsibility. Yes, Jesus paid it all to redeem us from our sin debt. But we needn’t think that’s the end all. Our born-again experience is just the beginning. It is then our responsibility to do something with this amazing grace and salvation we’ve been given.

God has created each of us with a plan and purpose in mind—His mind. The psalmist says, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; … Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Psalm 139: 13-16 NASB). *

God has done so much for us and as our great pursuit for Him expands, our desire to take on, following His lead, the responsibilities He wants us to endeavor will also expand and we will accomplish much for the Kingdom of God, in Jesus name.

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV).

11- Rise up. I’ve heard it said, “You can’t rise up if you don’t bow down.”

Saul was knocked off his feet by the glory of Jesus. Then the Lord told him to rise up and go … (Acts 9). Ezekiel fell before the Spirit of God and the Spirit lifted him up and gave him his prophetic assignment (Ezekiel 3).

We’ve established that we each have an assignment from God. In order to know why we are to rise up, we need to search God through prayer and praise. When we bow before, acknowledging who He is and our desperate need for Him we put ourselves in a place to hear from Him. Acknowledge what we just read in John 15:5—without Him, we can do nothing.

When we spend quality time with our Creator we set ourselves up for this: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1 NASV).

In our great pursuit let us do as the psalmist, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words (Psalm 119:147 NASV).

12- Revival. When God is our great pursuit and we wholeheartedly do all we know to do, revival will come into our spirit and soul. And it is contagious. Others around us will sense the presence of God on us and in us. Some will want it and some will resist and run away form it.

When temptation to sin comes our way, we’ll see it for what it is and have the power to resist, not because we’re so spiritual, but because we give the Holy Spirit free reign in us. Some people will not understand and even ridicule us for not wanting to go to such and such movie or participate in such and such event.

“When He becomes our great pursuit, by default, anything that does not reflect Him or honor Him will be stripped out of our lives; we simply will not tolerate it.” –Dr. Michael Brown *

We’ll realize that the Spirit of God is the very oxygen we breathe. Here is Michael W. Smith, singing “This is the Air I Breathe.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEDcKZB7r2A

__________________________________________________

So, here are the final six of My Twelve “Rs” of the Great Pursuit. Thank you for reading my posts. I know they’ve been rather lengthy and I appreciate you for bearing with me. I pray you have benefited in some way by reading this. Let’s put God in the forefront of our minds, hearts, and souls and make Him our great pursuit. We’ll never regret it.

Your comments are welcome.

*The Fire That Never Sleeps: Keys to sustaining personal revival; by, Dr. Michael L. Brown and John Kilpatrick, with Larry Sparks; Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.; 2015; page 58.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford