Tag: Death

Today Is a Good Day!

On April 19, 2019

THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY: WHAT DOES GOOD FRIDAY REPRESENT?

Today is a good day! It’s Friday! And it’s not just Friday; it’s Good Friday! Good Friday represents the day Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. Now, it’s not to suggest that this is the actual day He died. It simply represents it!

WHAT WERE JESUS’ FINAL WORDS BEFORE HE DIED?

As was mentioned in the previous article “The Passion of the Christ,” Jesus endured great suffering, more than we could ever fathom, in order for us to be saved from sin and eternal damnation. According to Luke 23:46 (New International Version), His final words were “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” He then breathed His last breath and died.

“Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit!”

While Jesus was on earth, He lived as a man. In other words, although He is divine, He experienced what it’s like to be human. He entered this world by way of a natural birth. He was raised by Mary and her husband Joseph. He ate, slept, cried and got angry. He was lied on, ridiculed, mishandled and abused. Satan even tempted Him, but as Hebrews 4:15 states, Jesus still did not sin.

WHAT HAPPENS TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHEN HE OR SHE DIES?

When an individual dies, there is a separation of the body, soul and spirit. In Genesis 3:19, God told Adam that because he came from the dust, one day he would return to the dust. Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV) also says:

“…the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

Then, the soul, which consists of one’s will, mind and emotions experiences eternal life or eternal death. Matthew 10:28 (New Living Translation) states:

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

I share those scriptures to reiterate what happened to Jesus during His last moments on the cross. He left His human body and committed His Spirit back to God. He let go and died.

Jesus’s crucifixion marked the end of His work on earth, and He did a great work! Everything He did serves as examples of what we as believers are to do today. Jesus taught and preached to many. He healed the blind, deaf, mute, crippled and paralyzed. He healed those with incurable diseases and resurrected the dead. He even embraced the poor and castaways.

Missionaries having Bible study in a small village

HOW EXACTLY DID JESUS DIE?

When Jesus was finally arrested, He didn’t put up a fight. Why? He knew it was His time to die. Therefore, as He hung on the cross, He committed His Spirit back to God the Father. In other words, Jesus CHOSE to die in that moment. Men didn’t kill Him. His enemies didn’t take Him out. Satan couldn’t even destroy Jesus.

Our pastor Apostle Ron Banks often states that if any other human being had been beaten the way Jesus was, he or she would have died before going to the cross. In fact, Jesus wasn’t just beaten, He was flogged. In other words, He was beaten with a whip containing sharp pieces of metal. So, every time the whip hit His body, it ripped His flesh. Nevertheless, despite the severe beating, He still didn’t die. Jesus said in John 10:17-18 (NLT):

“…I sacrifice My life so I may take it back again. ¹⁸No one can take My life from Me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again….”

Just as Jesus gave up His life and committed His Spirit to God, we are to give up our sinful lives and commit our all to God. That is the greatest way in which we can show our appreciation for His sacrifice. Many of us follow rituals during this holiday season. We give up something for Lent. We hold fish frys. We preach “The Seven Last Words of Jesus” on Good Friday. We shop for the perfect Easter outfit. We go to the barber shop and hair salon. We take pictures of our children sitting on the Easter bunny’s lap, give them Easter baskets and let them participate in the annual Easter egg hunt. Finally, we fill up the church pews on Easter Sunday.

Now, I’m not criticizing said rituals. We enjoy them! They bless us! However, what matters most to God is that we surrender our lives to Him and strive daily to please Him. That is THEE greatest way we can say, “Thank You Jesus for sacrificing Your life for mine!”

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (New International Version) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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Mothers, God Says, “I See YOU!”

By Kimberly Joy

On May 11, 2018

In Mothers

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Mothers, God Says, “I See YOU!”)

I SEE YOU!
For this Mother’s Day, as a word of encouragement to all mothers, God says, “I see YOU!” Whether you have biological children or not, if you act as a mother to someone’s child, then you are a mother, and God sees you, too! He sees your love, dedication, and hard work. Not only do you have a full-time job (and in some instances two or three jobs), but you go home and continue to work. You cook, clean, do laundry, help your children with their homework and drive them to their various activities.

God also sees the sacrifices you make on behalf of your family. You sacrifice money, time, even sleep. For instance, when my brother BJ was only an infant he had to have surgery because his digestive system wouldn’t allow him to keep any milk down. Our mother testifies that one night, my brother was extremely irritable and continued crying. As any mother would, she stayed up all night rocking him and praying for him. She says she actually watched the sun rise. Fortunately, because of our mother’s prayers and constant faith, BJ celebrated his 40th birthday at the start of the new year!

Mothers, with all of your responsibilities God also sees how tired you
are—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some of you are so tired, you feel like running away! But, you don’t! You hang in there because that’s what mothers do!

LET ME REFRESH YOU!
Mothers, God says, “Let Me refresh you!” To refresh is “to give new strength or energy to; revive, restore.” In order for God to refresh you, you have to allow Him to do so. In other words, remember to take care of YOU. As natural caregivers, you’re so busy taking care of everyone else that you neglect to
take time for yourself. However, it’s a requirement of God. Exodus 20:8-10a (New Living Translation) say,

“8 Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God…..”

I believe God implemented the Sabbath Day for two purposes:

1. The Sabbath Day serves as a reminder that we are to make time for God and worship Him. Even as believers in Christ, we can become so busy with our daily routines, that we can forget to give God the honor He deserves. All He’s asking for is that we set aside one day out of the week to serve Him.

2. The Sabbath Day serves as a reminder that we are to make time to rest. We don’t have perfect, glorified bodies that are described in Philippians 3:21. Our human, fleshly bodies get tired and break down, therefore requiring ample time to recuperate.

Mothers, unfortunately, some of you don’t rest and take care of yourselves as you ought to. However, learning to rest can be a matter of life or death! Oh yes, it is just that serious!

Let me tell you a story:

Nine years ago on a Tuesday afternoon, I received a phone call from my parents who were in Georgia running a revival. The call was a request that I immediately pray for my cousin. So, I hung up the phone and began praying for her healing. I didn’t know the details, but I could tell from the tone of my mother’s voice that it was serious. After I prayed, I waited anxiously to receive an update. Although I know God is a healer, I had a bad feeling. Finally, my stepfather called me back to say that my cousin, who was only 52 years old, had passed away.

I won’t go into the details of how she died, but I will say that I believe her unexpected death was a result of not taking care of herself. At the homegoing service, family, friends, and co-workers expressed their love for my cousin. She was a devoted wife for over 25 years and a mother of five children, who were all now adults. In addition to working a full-time job for over 20 years, she held several positions at her church and within the denomination her church belonged to. As I sat and listened to everything my cousin had done, I asked myself, “Well, when did she sleep?” In that moment, I realized that my cousin had overexerted herself, and it took a toll on her health.

TAKE CARE OF YOU!
Mothers, the best thing you can do for your children is to take care of YOU! Here are a few tips:

1. Spend time with the Lord. REALLY spend time with Him in His Word, in prayer, in worship, and let Him minister to you.

2. Exercise, eat right, and SLEEP!

3. Enjoy a spa day, including getting your hair and nails done, a facial, or a massage.

4. Have a weekend getaway without the children.

If you say you can’t afford some of those luxuries…..

5. Find something you can afford like going to the park and reading a good book, going out to eat, and taking yourself to the movies.

According to pediatrician Dr. Kelly Ross, “A mom who is well rested, eats a healthy diet, gets plenty of exercise, maintains close relationships with friends and gets help when she realizes she isn’t coping well, is far more equipped to be the best mother she can be than one who doesn’t do
those things,” (https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/How-Taking-Care-of-Yourself-Makes-you-a-Better-Mom.aspx)

Mothers, this Mother’s Day really enjoy your day and take care of YOU!! You deserve it!!!!!!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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A Praise Report: The Healing and Resurrecting Power of God

By Kimberly Joy

On January 19, 2018

In Faith, Freedom, Healing, Jesus, Prayer

A PRAISE REPORT: THE HEALING AND RESURRECTING POWER OF GOD
By: Melvyne and Benita Florence

Early last week, my husband Melvyne and I received a phone call stating that a family member had just had a severe heart attack. As a result, the doctors concluded there was no brain wave activity noted. The plan was to cool the individual’s body temperature for 24 hours to give the heart a rest and then warm the body to assess brain activity. Of course, the individual had numerous medical tubes in place and was in the intensive care unit (ICU). Throughout the night, Melvyne and I took turns praying intensely. It was decided that we would drive to the hospital the next morning and pray for this individual.

Our church Power and Faith Ministries is a deliverance church. Thus, we are accustomed to people being healed physically and set free spiritually in the name of Jesus! We have also had experiences with praying and calling people back from the dead, one being my very own mother. The doctors had concluded and declared my mother brain dead. They, therefore, asked me to consider pulling the plug to allow her to expire. One doctor even threw his hands up in the air and stated, “There is nothing more we can do! She is brain dead!” However, when you are weak, God is strong (II Corinthians 12:10)!! Melvyne (who was my fiance at the time) came to the hospital and prayed for my mother. He began calling her name and called her spirit back into her body. To the doctor’s amazement, my mother woke up the next morning and lived for many more weeks! After this experience, I knew there was nothing impossible for God, if we believe!!

Believing in the power of God, we drove to the hospital the next morning to pray for our family member. Once we entered the hospital room, our sole purpose was to bombard Heaven in prayer. We weren’t discouraged by all the medical devices in the room. Immediately we started praying and calling the individual back into her body. In addition, my husband anointed the hospital room with oil. Believing God had completed the work, we left and went home.

A couple of days later, we received the news that our family member was now fully awake, disconnected from most of the medical devices and asking questions! To God be the Glory for the wonderful works He has done!!! Jesus declared in John 14:12 that we, the believers, will do greater works!! We praise God for our pastors Apostle Ron and Pastor Gerri Banks and for their faithfulness over the years. Through their ministry, God has healed, saved and delivered many out of the hands of Satan. As a result, we, their spiritual children, are operating in the same power. Hallelujah!! Amen!!!

Melvyne and Benita Florence are the assistant pastors of Power & Faith Ministries in Fairfield, Ohio.

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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Crime…Violence…Death…Presidential Election! What’s the Answer?

By Kimberly Joy

On August 14, 2016

In Prayer

Whenever I turn on the TV or browse the internet, every news story involves crime, violence, death and this year’s Presidential election! Ok…..maybe not EVERY news story, but the media definitely devotes a considerable amount of time to sharing these reports. Although it is necessary to stay informed on what’s going on in the world, constantly hearing such news can become wearisome and discouraging. So in that case, is it better to turn off the television, shut down the internet and escape into oblivion? That may sound good and even work for a minute, but pretending these serious issues don’t exist won’t make them disappear.

So, what do we do? How do we move forward? What is the answer?

PRAYER!!!!!!!!

Now, I know some may not agree with me. They may even say, “Prayer?! That’s so cliche! That’s not the answer! Time out for praying! Time out for talking! It’s time to DO something!” And for anyone who feels that way, I completely understand where you’re coming from. It’s easy to sit back, pray and, even, talk, so long as it keeps us in our comfort zones. However, the Bible says in James 2:26, that “… faith without works is dead…” In other words, our faith that things will change is activated when we ACT!

So again, what do we do? For instance, how do we end the cycle of wrongful deaths at the hands of law enforcement? The answer is indeed PRAYER! Is that the only action that should be taken? No, but it should be the FIRST step! In fact, prayer should always be the first step. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Notice it says to pray to God “in every situation.” Why should we go to God in EVERY situation? Isaiah 55:8-9 states, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'” Not even the most skilled and educated individual can surpass God’s wisdom. How to end police brutality, reduce the crime rate and select the best candidate for President are all serious issues that should be presented to the all-knowing, all-powerful God! When we sincerely and faithfully go to Him with our concerns and LISTEN, He provides us with the answers we need in His timing. In some instances, He tells us to be still, while in others, He gives us knowledge, resources and strategies.

Throughout the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus is recorded spending time in prayer regularly. He never allowed His title or popularity to convince Him that he no longer needed to pray. In fact, in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly to God regarding his assignment of being crucified. While on earth, Jesus was a human who felt pain like you and me. So, one can only imagine that Jesus was not looking forward to an agonizing death. Jesus pleaded with His Father to alter the assignment. However, by the end of the prayer, Jesus knew that God still expected Him to sacrifice His life for all humanity! Rather than taking matters into His own hands, Jesus presented His concern to God the Father, listened and obeyed. Because of His sacrificial death, we all have a chance to be redeemed! I am truly thankful for that prayer in the garden!

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