"You Will Deny Me..."

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Mark 14:27-31 NIV

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

27 "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
30"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.


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This was the second time in the same evening that Jesus predicted the disciples' denial and desertion; we will gain more insight on this encounter later in the Gospels of Luke and John.

Now, I bet some of  you think you know where this topic is going to go today.  If you think I'm going to have you take a look at your life and determine where you find yourself denying Jesus... sorry you're wrong today.  Of course the Spirit wants to take us into another direction; so lets flow with Him into the direction of... forgiveness.   I believe there is a huge call not only to forgive others, but to actually FORGIVE OURSELVES.

Check it out, in this moment Jesus told Peter and His disciples that they were going to abandon Him.  He wasn't condemning them, He just told them a matter of fact and truth(:27). Now once they fulfilled this, the disciples could have given up, felt shame forever, hated themselves, denied their purposes and gone down the wrong road... But no, they got up, came back to submit their lives to Jesus and pressed real hard in spreading His ministry.
Sweethearts, we all fall short.  We have all done things that we swore we wouldn't do.  We have all sinned and compromised.  Now I'm about to share TMI for some of you; but I just want to be real in how God forgives when we come to Him and how He changes His children and leads them to live a glorious life.  To serve His purposes.
When I was young, I never thought about losing my virginity.  I was real adamant that it wasn't going anywhere before I got married.  I was active and pre-occupied with friends, activities, NSYNC (LOL) and school.  Sex was absolutely the last thing on my mind (for the most part).  If Jesus would have told me, "You will sin and have sex before marriage," I would have been just like Peter and the disciples "OH NO!  You've gots to be joking Jesus!" Now, fast forward to June 11, 2010, am I married today?  NOPE.  Have I ever been married?  Nope.  Am I a virgin.  Nope.  BOOOOOO!

Yes, boo on that; but thankfully God didn't let me go.  Each and every time I came to Him, He rebuilt my self-esteem and worth, He reminded me of Who truly loves me, He forgave me and loved me with open arms.  You've read my year in review - He is doing exceedingly and abundantly more than I can ever ask, think or imagine.  I would not be where I am today if I didn't believe God's Word, compassion, and salvation.  I'm not locked in a box of unforgiveness.  I've accepted that I've made mistakes, and "thank You Jesus," I AM FREE.  I've submitted it all to Jesus on the altar and I can move on.  I can expect growth and the many good things coming my way; because this is the God I serve.  Through good times and bad, I've come to a point where I'm not playing around with my life anymore.  I'm making the right decisions more often than less.  And NO, it's not always easy - but you know what?  It's worth it.

You know what else?  YOU ARE WORTH IT.  "THANK YOU JESUS!"  This right here, is a Word for You (reader).  Do you hear it?  Do you receive it?  You are FREE.  Stop allowing satan, and sometimes hurtful people, stop you from hearing the truth.  Yes, you did it - BUT THAT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE ANYMORE!!!! I don't care if you did it yesterday, Go to God, lay it before Him, ask and receive your forgiveness, forgive yourself and allow yourself, and your life to change - step by step on this wonderful journey with Christ.

If others won't allow you to walk in the freedom God has already given you.  Rebuke them and move on.  They are not your God and they have their own issues to deal with.  They too, need to read this message.  But right now, I'm thinking about YOU my dear darling; You can say it, "I AM FREE."
Move Forward, my family in Christ.  Thank You LORD for this message!  Your awesome sons and daughters needed to read this, this morning.  Hallelujah!


PRAYER: Father, your Word says in 1 John 3:20: "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things."  I know who I am, merciful Father, and I find myself unworthy of You.  Judge and jury would agree with my own self-condemnation.  I sin, then I sin again; if You kept a list of my sins, it would be as long as Your mighty arm.  Yet still I have hope for myself, because You forgive all my sins.  Your unending compassion is beyond my understanding, but I trust in Your love each and every day...

- All prayers provided by TGN are just starters; please allow your heart and the Holy Spirit direct your words to God; and pray in the Name of Jesus.  There is power in that Name!  Amen!