There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and
whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18
Leprosy is a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and, in severe cases, disfigurement and deformities. Leprosy is now mainly confined to tropical Africa and Asia.
The word leprosy is mentioned in the Bible 40 times.
You may think what an odd word to study? Not really? When we look at the person and not the disease... It becomes a word that rings a familiar sound. My heart bleeds for the souls that are affected by something that they are not truly in control of but suffer in silence. Some wounds scar deeply at the hands of others. These actions may cause more pain than the disease or issue itself.
Do we look past the pain and truly see the person? Do we look into their eyes? Do we even take the time to understand? Or are we callous and or fearful humans and turn away!!! When we turn away we are labeling them as a “leper”. It’s this action that can wound their heart and can crush their soul! Where did the caring hearts go??
We must take a moment and think less of self and ask ourselves, are we wounding someone’s heart with words or actions? Are these words and actions in our control? Was our behavior towards them unjust? The biggest question becomes did it pass the litmus test through God's teachings?
I do believe we have all had at least one time in our life where we may have turned away from the possibility of making a difference.
In reality, it is a lack of compassion, understanding, and love.
I also believe at some point in this journey of life, someone has made us feel like the “leper’ ... There are times that life circumstances may have placed us in situations beyond our control. Leaving us bewildered and confused and doing the best we can with the situation we are given.
However, we may run into those uncaring hearts that make us feel as if we have a disease that they did not want to catch. I feel it truly is a great loss for all parties. And you may have missed getting one step closer to feeling one of the most incredible loves you could ever experience. It’s a love that goes beyond our own understanding.
When you have been made to feel like a "leper" you will find that there is always a special soul that is ready with an open heart to embrace this love !! This soul will have no hidden agenda. They will look into your eyes, and see who you truly are. And they will stay because they are a gift from God and came to love and cheer you on, as you heal and grow. They will show you love deeper than you can ever imagine.
I think we must do a better job in how we care, communicate, and love... Don’t turn away, be supportive. Try walking just one day in their shoes... Your understanding may grow. Your compassion may grow. Your LOVE may grow. It just takes one text, one phone call, one visit to show you care...
But if you find the need to turn away. Just remember life goes on, the stories change, and the tables turn. And one day you may walk in the “lepers” shoes…
Jesus is the perfect role model!
He never turned away. As a matter of fact, many of His miracles can be witnessed in the life of the leper!He can heal the disease. He can heal the issue. He can heal our souls! He can heal hearts!
Miracles happen when we put our trust in Him.
It’s Him It’s always Him!! Jesus is a friend for LIFE !!!
And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Mark 1:40-42
“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:2-3 KJV
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.- John 8:31-32
Meaning of truth, a fact or belief that is accepted as true. plural noun: truths
The word truth appears only 24 times in the Bible however in my opinion it appears many more times. It is subtle and eye wink when we realize how and or why!
The truth is a very important factual statement. Personally, I know only one human who perhaps always told the truth. We learn this little sin as children. How many of us as children have lied to our parents? How many of us have crafted a story to stay out of trouble? The opposite of truth is a false statement we know this action as a lie... I do believe most lies carry a heavy burden of guilt, sorrow, fear, depression... all negative wounds that can erode peace and lead your soul to the darkness of despair. A place of bondage.
But when we say, hear and see the truth, we are set free, the burden is lifted and we find we no longer need to hide or skirt the issue. We begin to breathe, and our soul begins to heal. Be warned
Our soul may be freed from this bondage but there is always a human price for our actions.
As I flipped through the pages of the Bible, I could hear in my subconscious mind. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God? This is a sworn Oath that varies by country. It is an affirmation and a promise. In the US we place our hand on the Bible and raise our hands. And end our statement with God.
God is present... most people serve and believe there is a higher spiritual leader. I personally know Him as God my Father... The maker of all things. He is loving, kind, and possesses the power to rule all the universe. He is pure noble and stands on His word. Before humans clouded the picture with contracts and such legal rhetoric a person's word had value. It was a solid promise that you could take to the bank.
If we consider this a Bible study, Let’s look at (John 1:1)
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word hmm ... Jesus also says John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Another hmmm…
Both significant! Both are truths. no one has been successful in disputing these facts. Both point us to God the Father and His word. It’s His oath, His promise His truth to His children. I envision Him taking the oath. Where did He place His hand??? It must be on His heart. Because love has always been the driving force of His mission...
It’s Him. It’s always been Him and His amazing Love! He will have the last word and that is a truth, and that we can take to the bank!!
Christ Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.” - Nicholas Sparks.
Meaning of codes, a system of words, letters, figures, or other symbols substituted for other words, letters, etc., especially for the purposes of secrecy.
I could not find a count for this word but, I have fallen into a subject larger than I can understand in my lifetime? God is such a mysterious wonder. His beautifully written word holds so many clues… So many souls and scholars have tried to dig deeper to unravel His hidden treasures…
But where do we start? Who among us has the answer?
I do believe there is a mathematical thread that runs through this literary masterpiece we know as the Bible. But what is He trying to teach His children?
In my search, I discovered something called "Gematria Numerology". There is a way to calculate a Gematria value (Hebrew numerology) for a given birth name or any word by an association of each letter to a value from 1 to 400.
It seems that the Hebrew language is far better suited to find "hidden codes" more than most languages due to the language's characteristics. This is probably why most programs only work with the Hebrew alphabet.
I feel I could spend the rest of my life trying to crack my Father's code. But as these images of Numbers, words, and verses began to swirl in my head faster than I could even begin to decipher… I became overwhelmed with the task at hand…
So I stopped, inhaled, and closed my eyes… and found that if I let the Holy Spirit open my heart to His teachings He will unveil what He wants me to know at that perfect moment in time…
But then I began to question. Do we get so bogged down in the dissecting and the research that we forget to just close our eyes and let Him teach us? Are we so impatient that we need immediate answers? Or do we make the choice to just trust Him with that childlike faith?
Don’t get me wrong I believe part of knowing Him is to study all we can. But it is equally important… to NOT allow ourselves to get buried in our books… that we take our eyes off Him… He is our path, our light to discovering who He truly is… Spending time with Him is better than all the books that have ever been written…
To simplify my life …and to quench my thirsty soul’s curiosity… He gave me these numbers “831234”. And because I had no clue what He was trying to say I googled “831234” ….
Do you know it means "I love you today, tomorrow, forever!."
And that is the most important lesson that we can ever decode…
His mystery, His gentle teaching…His love…
Just spend time with Him… let Him speak to your heart and watch your understanding grow…
Yes, He wows me!!
It’s Him, it will always be Him!
He has asked me to now share this with you!!
“831234”
Then the disciples came and asked him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ He answered, ‘To you, it has been given to know the secrets* of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:“You will indeed listen but never understand,and you will indeed look but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull,and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes: so that they might not look with their eyes,and listen with their ears,and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them.”
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:10-16
Divine love glorifies the heart and shines from within the soul. It is uncontainable.
Spiritual love can refer to a love rooted in a spiritual connection that helps us find meaning and purpose in our lives.
There are 100 verses that speak of love in the spirit.
How can you explain the unexplainable? What is this magnetic pull on the human heart that leads us to our Creator? How and why can we LOVE someone we can not see with our physical eyes...
So many mysteries and questions swirl around our heads as we attempt to understand God with our limited thinking...
I have discovered you can not place such vastness, such wonder such intensity, and love in a descriptive box.
So how do we love something our mind can not comprehend? There are many books where we can read what others have experienced.
I can only speak from my heart...
I believe we must strip all of our human understanding and free our minds much like an unencumbered child. He will gently remove the chains that bind our soul and take refuge in our heart...it’s that intimacy with our Heavenly Father heart that our souls crave...
Have you ever been swept away and wrapped up in a love so intense, so deep, so kind... so moving that it takes your very breath away.
My soul has been to that intimate place with His heart... My soul knows Him... My soul has loved Him even before I was born.. (Psalms 139:13)
This spiritual love will take your heart to places that your mind can never go... He will open your soul and light a passion that you never knew existed!!!
He is such a relentless pursuer. Time is irrelevant to Him. He invented the art of romance and has perfect timing... How could He not be the Father of romance after all the Bible is clear it tells us “God is love” (1 John 4:16)
When this amazing phenomenon happens, You will allow His love to engulf your every pore!!! You will willingly surrender your heart, soul, and mind...
And in an audible voice, you will whisper to His heart, I surrender. And He will become as important as the air you breathe.
Somewhere during this spiritual journey, you will learn to trust Him with your life. And you will recognize that falling in love with Him is part of His master plan. He will remove the veil from your eyes and allow you the privilege of seeing His vulnerability and beauty! You will be so close you will hear the rhythmic beating of His heart, and feel His overwhelming presence
It’s at that very moment in time you will realize that this is your purpose and the reason we were formed in our mother's womb... (Ref Psalm 139:13)
I ask you how could He be the “God of LOVE” without someone to love? Love is meant to be shared. If it is not nurtured and shared will it eventually die?
He is the reason the only reason, we exist!! It’s Him! Find Him and write your own love story with the Father of romance... I will dare to say your life will never be the same!!!
It’s Him. it’s always Him!
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
"In the quiet moments, love whispers memories that echo in the soul.’
It's 8:05 pm, and soon, a new day will be unfolding before me... I can almost hear the pages of the past three years closing softly, marking the end of a remarkable chapter in my journey...
As I sit here in the darkness of my room, surrounded by moving boxes, I am filled with gratitude as I replay the incredible moments my Heavenly Father orchestrated for me in this charming old house. It is within these walls that I have written two books, launched a podcast, created a blog that has over 109k worldwide views, and touched Jesus’s face through painted canvas…
He has inspired me to achieve things that are beyond my imagination…
It was here in Triune, TN, that He poured His boundless love into my soul… He ignited a once-dimming ember into a radiant flame… He awakened within me a profound sense of curiosity, restoring a childlike excitement for such an extraordinary journey.
However, I must admit my seasoned soul struggles within these earthly constraints. Because I yearn for a world far beyond the stars. It's a world that I crave deeply within the core of my human existence. I yearn to discover more about this faraway place because my beautiful Savior has made it His home.
I'm always in a state of one foot in the past and one in the future. Is there a word to describe such a transitional state of being? When I close my eyes, my mind can travel to a blissful place where my worlds collide. It's where my past, present, and future become my life’s story.
This intimate and soulful state holds the power to reveal clarity and insight, empowering us to move forward and embrace new opportunities and adventures with bold confidence.
It's Him. It is His presence in our lives that motivates us to grow in His amazing wonder and grace. He is such a powerful gift! I appreciate and love Him more each day!!
The memories we weave are our life's tapestry, filled with vibrant colors. But our future is filled with blank pages waiting to be written. Those pages are filled with infinite hope, eternal love, and thoughts of the most captivating soul we could ever encounter!!!
So, as I gather my earthly belongings, and memories, and wipe away my tears, I vow to take my Father's hand and put all my love and trust in Him, for my future rests with the greatest love I have ever known.
And as I dip my pen and press down on a new crisp page, I will continue my quest to share my “Triune” story with anyone with ears to hear…
No matter where life takes me, He has made it clear that "Wherever I go, There He will always be."
It’s Him! It will always be Him!!
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged".Deuteronomy 31:8
“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” — Saint Augustine.
THANK YOU TO MY TRIUNE AND TO ALL WHO HAVE LISTENED TO MY PODCAST.
GOD GAVE ME A STORY TO SHARE... BUT WITHOUT YOU MY LISTENERS MY STORY COULD HAVE BEEN SQUELCHED. SOMETHING THE DARKER SIDE WOULD HAVE LOVED.
YOU !!!! HELPED IN MAKING IT POSSIBLE. THE BLOG HAS REACHED 34K VIEWS' AND NOW THE PODCAST HAS HIT 3K. FOR A TOTAL OF 37K PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO SHARE LIFE AND HIS LIGHT.
AGAIN THANK YOU! MAY GOD KEEP YOU FOREVER IN HIS CARE.
Every second of every day is the opportunity for a new beautiful beginning. Embrace it, Love it! Own it! (LG)
The word "beginning" occurs 107 times in the King James Version of the Bible.
Meaning of beginning a point in time or space at which something starts: Sometimes the most empowering thing is the beginning. The possibilities. The opportunities. The unknown? It can bring a surge of emotions - excitement, joy, anticipation, and eagerness - just to name a few?
Somehow, we all have faced the beginning of something new ... New locations, new friends, new jobs, new schools, newfound loves, new passions, and the list goes on. There are times when we feel we are in control and then there are the times we are on a journey that seems to have a life of its own. Are we on autopilot ? or is there a Godly presence that has our destiny in His control?
As I pondered this and looked at the scriptures for answers? I found a scripture that states “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Hmm crazy as this sounds, I love thinking about this verse as we feel about life... Knowing God was there at the beginning of life, and He has held us in his loving hands and loved us through this fantastic journey. He makes me smile.
This verse also gives us comfort knowing He will be there at the end of this life as we know it... But wait!! He has also promised us life for eternity in exchange for loving Him above all else.
So, let’s put the two together and see this as an amazing LOVE Story! His love for us started at the beginning of life and He has loved us through our entire journey. He has loved us through all of life's trials. The happy..the sad..the wins.. the losses..and all the victories small and large. The beauty of His promise of love is it will continue until we take our last breath.
But if we believe Him and His word it’s not the end, it is a beautiful new beginning with God for eternity... He chose each of us before the world began ...It's what we do with this gift of life that will determine how and with whom we will spend eternity. What type of impact and memories we leave and intrust with others on this earth will determine our soul's future residence.
I would pray that when that time comes we can raise our hands and say I am present God count me in! I am ready for the beginning of this new adventure. Let's do it!
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."John 3:16
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27 NIV
“A long time ago, the Lord had me. He had me before he created anything. The Lord chose me in the beginning before the world began.”Proverbs 8:22-23 EASY
Photography, Design & Written by Lori Garner Bible Verses From KJV, NIV, Easy / Sinner's Prayer
Inspiring Music: YouTube Video
A Special Performance of "Rainbow Connection" from Kermit the Frog | The Muppets