Author: Jemmie Jems

Under the name Francis Lee, I write interracial Christian romantic suspense. My stories are about finding enduring love when hope and redemption seem unattainable as danger lurks around every corner. My characters learn that where there is darkness, "joy will always come in the morning".

Yet To Be #121

we humble our self

A Matter of Praying…Part 3 – Direct Connection to God

Prayer

We have a direct connection to the Creator, to the Holy Father, the God of all flesh, the One who called those things that are not into being. (Romans 4:17)

This relationship is a two-way street, where there is giving and taking.  God gives and we take.  Not one good thing would he withhold to those who walk uprightly. We cannot hoodwink God.  He knows all things, he knows the heart and every motive.  If we ask for things to only consume them in our lust, we will not receive those things. We need to remember who He is. (Psalm 84:11), (James 4:3)  

As we get closer to God, the things we want seem to fall in line with his desires for us.  Sometimes, we call on him not knowing what to ask for, but being sealed with the Holy Spirit, He makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. The Spirit mingles a sweet savor to the Father who accepts our prayers with all joy, because the Father likes to hear the voices of his children.

As we read of Him in the Bible we begin to understand Him more and more.  He reveals Himself in the pages of his Word, because it is there we get a taste of his character.  As we see that He is good, we seek to please him. We want more of Him so we approach him in prayer on our knees, on our face. We humble our self knowing we are nothing before Him.  Like Moses who took off his shoes and King David who washed, shaved, and changed his clothes before coming before the true and living God, we too have this privilege and we should own it with all Reverence; giving  Him the glory, the honor that is due to him. 

We are His children. 

Yet To Be #120

God is not a man that he should lie.

A Matter of Praying…part 2 or 5 Privileges as a Child of God

God has children, children who are adopted into His family.  Every new believer who has accepted Christ as Saviour is grafted into the family of God and has a seat at the table of God. We are joint-heirs with Christ and heirs of God.

Being a Child of God has its privileges; knowing the Creator of this vast universe inclines his ear to hear our prayers and answers every one of them. This is a promise from God.

When He makes a promise they are fulfilled. He is a Father but not an earthly man and therefore he can never tell a lie. Unlike us He is perfect and all His words and ways are right.

To understand Him is to get to know him.

By spending time with him, talking to him, and reading His word we draw near to Him.  As we draw to God, He in turn comes near to us because He cannot deny Himself. 

If He gave the son of His love to save this present evil world, how can he withhold any good thing from us?

He remains faithful because He is faithful.

How awesome is that?

Being a Child of God has 5 of the best privileges.

  1. We are adopted into the family of the True and Living God.  Romans 8:15-17
  2. We are joint heirs with Christ and heirs of God. Everything is ours: life, love, joy, peace.  Psalm 50:10
  3. He hears us at all times. Jeremiah 33:3, 2 Corinthians 1:20
  4. He is not a liar. Numbers 23:19.  What He says, He will do and not disappoint.
  5. He is faithful. James 4:8 and 2 Timothy 2:13

Yet To Be #119

this portion of faith enables us to come with all boldest before His throne of grace.

A Matter of Praying…Part 1

“Prayer is an act that seeks to activate a rapport.  A rapport is a close and harmonious relationship where people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.”

How could we approach this holy and righteous God when even his name is holy and sacred?

We are nothing but as grasshoppers( Numbers 13:33) before this magnificent Being. From the richest to the poorest He is no respecter of persons “from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores (Isaiah 1:6).  His purity sees us like this.  He sees our sinful nature and yet, He still loves us, wants us with Him, and wants to hear our cries.

His compassions fail not and they are renewed each morning (Lamentations 3:22), so much so we can cry and say great is His faithfulness.

This is the Creator, the Holy One who sent His only Son to bridge that gap between Him and his creatures.  Jesus paved the way to God and is our intercessor(1 Timothy 2:5).  We do not have to go to anyone else but him and inquire.

Jesus said, “ask anything in my name,” (John 14:14). It is beautiful to know that nothing will he withhold.  But we must come to Him in faith, believing He is the rewarder of them who trust in Him. Whatever we ask in prayer believing we shall receive. ( Matthew 21:22)

It is this portion of faith that enables us to come with all boldest before His throne of grace.

A place we have no right to be but for only His love and the work at the cross we have that special unction with the Holy One. The unction is the anointing that sets us apart and whereby we can be called Children of God. (1John2:12)

A matter of praying… part 2 continues in the next post Yet To Be #120

Yet To Be #118

God so loved the world

The Invitation From God

“Prayer is an act that seeks to activate a rapport with the One we worship through deliberate communication.”

“God loves us that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Why would God give up the most precious thing he has?
Because of Love.
If God loves us so much we should not be afraid to talk to him. We should be happy knowing he cares for us and therefore be so interested in him, we must speak with him.
God should attract our hearts and we should be drawn by the cords of his love to be in his presence.
So moved with wonderment, we must simply fall on our knees in humble adoration, and submit to His authority, acknowledge who He is.
Remember, when we fall on our knees in His presence we are in one of the eight postures of prayer.

Yet To Be # 117

How should we talk to God?

How do we talk to God when he is holy?
He is great and who can understand him when we are but nothing before him?
How can we get Him to hear us?
Are my problems too great for Him or too silly for him to have compassion?
God said, “Call unto me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you know not.” Jeremiah 33:3.
Here is our invitation.

Yet To Be # 116

The name of Jehovah is a strong tower.

What’s in a name continues..

The Bible introduces God and the Son (Elohim) in Genesis. The Father and the Son were together in time past, coequal, coeternal, and coexistent. Studying the names and titles of God gives us a rich understanding of who he is. The more we learn of him the better we can follow him and please him.
Elohei means “God of” as seen in Genesis 31:53 “ the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor…”
Elohei Kedem “eternal God” appearing in Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
Eternity has no time.
It changes not and is forever without ending or beginning. God is not a man. He is and was and will always be. Elohei Kedem is a fact, it is who he is and speaks of him as above all.
“Yes, before the day was I am he, (before time was) and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work and who shall let it? Thus saith the Lord your redeemer.” Isaiah 43:13.

Yet To Be #115

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

What’s in a title continued…

El is translated from Hebrew into English meaning God which is the first name of God as seen in Genesis 1 verse 1.

Elohim is plural for God and Eloah is the singular in Hebrew for God. Even though Elohim is a plural noun it does not mean the Hebrews worshipped many gods. The Hebrews of the Old Testament had only one God who was Yahweh. They believed in monotheism which is the worship of one God. It is also the first commandment given to them by Yahweh.


“Thou shalt have no other gods before me…for I am a jealous God.” Exodus 20 verses 3 and 5.


Why would Elohim be plural? Maybe it is the evidence that the Son was with God the Father in eternity past before the worlds were made.
“Let us make man in our image” Genesis 1 verse 26.Who is He speaking with? In the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”


Historical Fact: After the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE (before the current era) even from the 3rd century BCE onward Hebrews slowly ceased to use the name, Yahweh. The name was too scared and in the synagogue, the Hebrew word Adonai meaning “my Lord” was used vocally. Adonai was translated as Kyros “Lord” in Greek.

Yet To Be # 114

I am the Lord, I change not.

Names of the True and Living God…

El Shaddai
El translated as God (singular) and Shaddai translated as almighty. God Almighty in English or Latin Deus Omnipotens.


In Genesis 17 verse 1 God or Jehovah (YHWH) addressed Abram and called himself “I am the Almighty God: walk before me and be thou perfect.”


Then again in the book of Exodus chapter 6 verse 3, God said to Moses, “I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
He is the same all-powerful God, yesterday, today, and forever. And out of His mouth, He says, “ I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3 verse 6 and Hebrews 13 verse 8.

Yet To Be #113

The names of the true and living God

The God of the Old Testament Bible is strong and powerful.  

The Creator. 

The One true and living God. 

His character is all holy and perfect. 

Omnipotence: God is all-powerful. 

“Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory and the majesty.” 1 Chronicle 29 verse 11. “The Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth faints not.” Isaiah 40 verse 28. “Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever.” Psalm 104 verse 5. 

Omniscience: God is all-knowing. 

“Can anyone teach God knowledge?” Job 21 verse 22. “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11 verse 33. 

Omnipresence: God is everywhere at all times. 

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?” 1 Kings 8 verse 27.

“Am I a God at hand saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” Jeremiah 23 verse 23 and 24. 

Jehovah is the Latinized form of the Hebrew name transliterated four letters YHWH. The proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible. In English is pronounced Yahweh. 

Some of His names:

  1. El
  2. Elohim
  3. Elohei
  4. El Shaddai
  5. Jah
  6. Adonai
  7. Jehovah Nissi (Adonai-Nissi) – the Lord our banner. Exodus 17:8-15
  8. Jehovah -Roi – The Lord My Shepherd Psalms 23:1
  9. Jehovah Jehovah-Rapa – the Lord that health Exodus 15:26
  10. Shalom – the Lord our peace. Judges 6:24
  11. Jehovah – Jireh – The Lord will provide. Genesis 22:13-13
  12. Jehovah – Tsidkenu – the Lord our righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6

Yet To Be #112

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem to be sacrificed.

What’s in a title

The book of Luke often refers to Jesus as the Son of Man. There are a few facts about this book.  

  1. Written in 60s AD.  
  2. Only of the four Gospels written by a Gentile. It is at times called the Gentile Gospel.
  3. Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul. Wrote the book of Acts.
  4. This book opens with a preface and has the style of a letter addressed to Theophilus “friend of God”. Book of Act also mentions Theophilus. 
  5. The longest Gospel with 24 chapters
  6. Only Matthew and Luke provide an account of Jesus’s birth.
  7. Begins with the genealogy of Jesus from Mary, unlike Matthew who traces his lineage from Joseph.  
  8. Contains two of the most known parables in the New Testament: the Prodigal Son in chapter 15 and the Good Samaritan in chapter 10.
  9. The focus is on Jesus offering salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles. 
  10. The Last Supper is mentioned in Matthew chapter 26, Mark chapter 14, and Luke 22 but not in the Gospel of John.
  11. Jesus is seen as the Saviour see chapter 19 verse 10. A Saviour is a person who saves someone or something from danger. (chapter 1 verse 26 to 38)
  12. Jesus journey to Jerusalem to be sacrificed. Luke reminds the reader Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. 
  13. It is the writer’s way of emphasizing the fact that he is about his father’s business to complete the work the father gave him to do. Chapters 9, 13, 17, 18, 19.
  14. Jesus ascension into Heaven is recounted briefly in Luke but it is given in more detail in Acts.