Life More Abundantly

The expression "Living Large" is described as, "Living an extravagant lifestyle." Naturally, this refers to a worldly concept that is solely a self-indulgent lifestyle. But for believers, if we were to think of what Jesus did for us through His death, resurrection and glorification, we to would come to realize that in Christ we too are "Living an extravagant lifestyle." This does not insinuate that as the world we are to be self-indulged, but truly thankful that all Christ is and has, is ours. Jesus tells us, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:12-15)

Notice, "All things that the Father has are Mine...He will take of Mine and declare it to you." The Apostle Paul tells us some wonderful things concerning what the Father has given to Christ, Christ has given to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit has given (made all these things available) to believers. "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8:15-17) Paul continues, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) You might ask, "How could this be so?"

One of the things that bears witness to what Paul tells us is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection is the proof of Satan's defeat, man's redemption, which gave the Father the legal right to make the believer a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Ephesians 1:7 also bears witness with this fact, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Christ has made redemption both eternal and available to all who confess Him. The moment one is born again, redemption is immediately ours and Satan's dominion over us ends. Redemption has nothing to do with us, it is according to the riches of His grace. We were crucified with Him, died with Him, were buried with Him, suffered with Him, were justified with Him, were made alive with Him, conquered Satan with Him, were raised together with Him and are now seated with Him. (Romans 6; Ephesians 1-2) Hallelujah!!!

The resurrection of Jesus is proof of our victory over the adversary. It is not theory, but fact that cannot be denied. Every person who confesses Jesus as Lord and takes Him as Savior, in the mind of the Father is a victor over the adversary. Unfortunately, so few of the Father's children have seen this mighty truth, that is, our victory was in the victory of Christ. When Jesus broke the power of death, Satan and sin, His victory became our victory. The Apostle Paul tells us, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1) In the mind of the Father it was our translation, our deliverance, "from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love."  (Colossians 1:13)

I believe that the greatest message of our perfect victory over the adversary is found in Ephesians 1:19-23  "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

The same power that resurrected Christ and united Him with His dead body to reanimate it and fill it with immortality is also in the believer. Look at the wonderful Word from God through Paul to us, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." (Ephesians 3:20) We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) because of the life of God that was imparted to us in the new creation. It is the power of God unveiled in the resurrection that shook the foundations of hell. Today, when believers know that they were raised together with Christ, when they know they are victors in every situation and over every circumstance they may find themselves in, then they know the fact that God has lifted us far above all rule, authority, power and dominion, not only in this age, but in that which is to come.

The Father gave Christ who is the head of the body to be master over all the forces of the universe. Because we are His Body, the church, therefore, God has put all things in subjection under the believer's feet. Jesus gave to the believer a legal right to the use of His Name. (Mark 16:17) He actually gave all believers the power of attorney so that in the Name of Jesus every demon and every power should obey that Name when spoken from the lips of the believer. There isn't anything too hard for God. (Luke 1:37) God's ability is the ability that He gives to us, so His resurrection is the proof of our right to reign over Satan and demons. He was raised because He had conquered Satan in our stead, so that we should no longer live in fear, condemnation, guilt or inferiority of the unseen forces of darkness.

This is great news. This is why we can consider ourselves as "living large." We do this by God's grace and our faith in Jesus Christ. We do this knowing that "we can do all things through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:13) We do this knowing that “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23) And we do this knowing "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) So let us live large. Let us "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10) Let us live large by grace through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.. It is "in Him we live, move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)

Life That Is out Of This World

When you here the phrase "Living the Dream" it is mostly used to describe ones success or personal achievement(s) that has made their life what they had hoped (dreamed) it would be. The Bible reveals two kinds of life and although there are several Greeks words for life, we will look at the two that are used the most to describe the life of mankind . The first word is "psuche" which means "natural human life" and the other word is "zoe" which means "life as God has it; everlasting life or eternal life." Most Christians tend to only see life from the natural perspective. This is very unfortunate, because those who only see life from the natural are robbed of the truth that sets us free.

Jesus made some incredible remarks pertaining to life (zoe). Here are just a few; John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 10:10 "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The apostle John tells us, John 20:31 "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

Observing these few scriptures we see that the believer is not to muddle through life here on earth struggling in the natural kind of life. Believers are to enjoy the abundant "life as God has it." What does this mean? It means living the dream. One day, before we let Christ enter our life, we were all living in the natural realm of life. We were spiritually dead and did not understand that we were partakers of the fallen nature that was ruled by our flesh. We did not understand that man's fallen nature is the very nature of Satan. (John 8:44) We did not realize that all sin, misery, sickness or as the apostle Paul reveals, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) were working death in us. But the time came when God began to draw us to His Son (John 6:44) and we confessed the Lordship of Jesus and received Him as Savior.

Even though many people have received Christ as Lord and Savior, a serious problem still exists in their life. Today, most Christians still equate sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death and so on as a part of the Christian life. Many Christians blame God when these things come upon themselves, a loved one or someone they know? Many Christians see these things as part of God's sovereign plan for their life? Honestly, does this sound like "life as God has it?" Does this sound anything like what Jesus or John said in the above scriptures? Think about what they both said, "that they may have life (zoe), and that they may have it more abundantly."..."that believing you may have life (zoe) in His name."

When one confesses the Lordship of Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Savior, God immediately gives life as He has it, eternal life. Think about it from another perspective, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Your spirit is made a new creation. This is an actual transformation of your old fallen, fleshly, satanic nature into the nature of God or "life as God has it." Now you can certainly allow the old nature to have place, but in God's eyes, it has been wipe completely out "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (PTL)

As New Creation we are no longer sinners, beggars or even servants, but sons and daughter of the Living God. (John 1:12, Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:1) Look at what Jesus says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) Now let's think about this logically. If you were a parent who had only one child, would you want your child to have a life of sickness and misery? If you were a parent and had two or more children, would you want one of them to enjoy a good life and the others to struggle with sickness or misery? What about if one of your children did something that you did not approve of, would you want sickness or misery to come upon them as a means to correct them or change their character? Absolutely not to all of these questions!!!

Our hearts should break when we hear church leaders talk about our heavenly Father as a loving God (He most certainly is) who allows sickness and misery to be upon His children. That He allows sickness and misery to come upon His children as some mysterious blessings. That He uses sickness and misery as a way to discipline His children. That sickness and misery is one of His ways to either draw His children closer to Him or some sort of training tool to grow their faith. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) So, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are free to live the rest of your life right here on planet earth experiencing "life as God has it", free of sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death, misery and so on beginning now. "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23) This means YOU!!! (Hallelujah)           

Right Standing

Scripture reveals that forty days after His resurrection from the dead that Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God indicating humanities redemption was now eternal, complete and available to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3; Romans 10:9-10) This also indicates that Jesus, after being made sin, sick and a curse as man's Substitute left the dark regions of hell completely righteous, or He would not have been able to enter God's presence in heaven. Therefore, if Jesus was made righteous after being made sin and satisfying the claims of justice that was against man, then every person who confesses Jesus as Lord and accepts Him as Savior, receives eternal life and is instantly made righteous. How can this be? I have been taught in the church my entire life that I am no more than and will always be a sinner saved by grace. Well if this is true, then let us weigh that thinking with following scriptures. 

"It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that God Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26 AMP) "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) "For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]." (Ephesians 4:10 AMP)

As God became the righteousness of Jesus, so He becomes the righteousness of every believer. As He became the life of Jesus, He becomes the life of every believer. Now consider this, "And (God) raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) If believes are not made as righteous as Jesus is righteous, then there is no way that we can be seated together in the heavenly places in Christ, nor would it be possible to come boldly into the presence of God! These truths will revolutionize the church if we take hold of them. However, these truths only become reality by faith. 

Another tremendous key to unlocking these truths has been spoken to us by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, "For sin (Satan) shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14) Two thing that we can take away from this one verse. The first part, "For sin (Satan) shall not have dominion over you..." Why? "...for you are not under law but under grace." It is God's superior favor in Christ, that is, grace, through faith that gives us the freedom to live in the fullness and abundant life of Christ. This means we have been given the mastery over all the works of Satan; It means that we are expected to continue the works that Jesus began during His earthly ministry; It means the end of defeat and failure; It means it is time that we appreciated what God has done for us in Christ; It means it is time that we appreciated being a member of the body of Christ; It means it is time that we appreciate our position in which the Father has placed us and the authority He has given us in the Name of Jesus; It means we are now the righteous victors over sin and Satan; It means Satan cannot lord it over us any longer; It means disease is under our feet because we are new creation sons and daughters!

So, let us rejoice and thank Him and enjoy the fullness of this marvelous redemption. Let us take hold of the reality of the two-fold oneness that we have with Christ. First, His oneness with our sin on the cross; Second, our oneness with Him in His glory on the throne. He became one with us in death, that we might be one with Him in life. He became as we were, so that we might become as He is. The reality of the wonderful work of redemption that the Father worked in Christ shows us, Jesus became weak to make us strong; He suffered shame to give us glory; He was made sin to make us righteous;
He was made sick in order that healing might be ours; He was made a curse to make us blessed; He was condemned in order to justify us; He died so that we could live; He was cast out from the presence of God in order to make us welcome there; He went to hell in order to take us to heaven; His triumph over Satan, death and hell, is ours to celebrate; His resurrection from the dead gives us newness of life; His seating at the right hand of the Father is our position in Him; He has given us His name in which every knee will bow; His authority is ours over all the works of Satan; He has given us abundance of grace to carry out His will and purpose; He has given us His Word that is as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it; He has given us the Holy Spirit to go forth in His anointing and power!

So, never again confess that you are no more than and will always be a sinner saved by grace. Say goodbye to guilt, unworthiness, shame, condemnation, inferiority and failure and confess the truths that are revealed above. "...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

Abundant Life

There are four Greek words in the New Testament, translated life. One of these means manner of life; another means human life; another behavior; but there is another Greek word for the kind of life that Jesus brought to the world. Jesus tells us, "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) The word "life" here mean, life in the absolute sense; life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, which has been given to all who confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior. That they may have it (life) more abundantly literally means, that they may have abundance, or that which abounds. Therefore, Jesus tells us that in Him believers have, life as God has it, the very life of God, eternal life, and we have it now. 

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19) This shows that this new life, the life of God, can fulfill in us any promise of any requirement in the Bible. This means that the life of God in us, can fulfill all that the Bible requires or promises and it is precisely what the life of God in us was or is to accomplish. The life of God in us, will make us more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) in spirit, soul and body; it transforms us from glory to glory into the image of Christ; it turns belief into knowledge; it is the source of all the divine graces; it gives God's wisdom; it overcomes the world, the flesh and he devil; it works in us that which is well pleasing in his sight. By filling us with His own life, God Himself becomes our life, our peace, our righteousness, our purity, our strength and our health. God wants to do in us, all that he did in Christ for us. The life of God in us should move us to proclaim as King David, "God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26)  

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches..." (John 15:5) The Vine's life is in the branches. The life of the branches is a part of the life of the vine. It is Christ's will that all the branches shall be full of His own life. When one is full of the life of God, they are one with God just as the bay is one with the ocean. Paul tells us, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17) In other words, our recreated spirit and His Spirit are blended into one. Believers need to get this in their heart because the Holy Spirit wants to be unhindered in His wonderful and continuous work of releasing the life of God throughout our whole spirit, soul and body. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) The Apostle Paul tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2) 

All life is due to the direct action of the Holy Spirit. It is His work to impart to us continually the actual Life of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6) Jesus is the true source of life for our spirit, soul and body. His work of increasing the divine life in our spirit, soul and body is hindered or limited when we do not apply faith to these realities. When Jesus said, "that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly," He, in essence was saying, we cannot have His life in the measure that He desires unless we are filled with the Spirit. David says, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word." (Psalm 119:25 KJV)

Notice that the quickening as David said, is, "according to thy (God's) word." The Holy Spirit inspired these words and it is His blueprint from which He works while carrying on His great work of quickening. To be quickened according to God's Word, means to be full of His life in our spirit, soul and body. Paul tells us, "For in Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him..." (Colossians 2:9-10) Therefore, in Christ believers can be full of everything that the Vine contains. The abiding branch not only has life, but is full of life all the time. It is by the
Holy Spirit's fullness, as Paul says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:11) that all believers by faith can enjoy now.

Therefore, let us pray every day, as David said "Quicken thou me (give me more life) according to thy word." Let this prayer be our first prayer every day. It is God's way of "...fulfilling all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power" (2 Thessalonians 1:11) in and through us. The Holy Spirit wants to release an abundance of the life of God in us to the extent that everything He has revealed concerning us in God's Word shall be fulfilled in us. We must keep in mind, that the measure of the life of God in us, only becomes a reality according to our trust in God's Word.  When we pray, "give me more life according to your Word" we know that we are praying according to His will. The Apostle John tells us, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) We can, therefore, obtain the answer, according to His Will which is His Word. This includes every promise and blessing that we find in God's Word.

What a glorious privilege it is that whenever we feel the greatest lack, we can pray to the Giver of Life, "give me more life according to your Word." Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, (His Word) as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38) The Apostle John tells us, "...Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17) Our Heavenly Father wants to be an inexhaustible fountain of life within us springing up and flowing out in "rivers of living water." So, let us exercise our faith and let these truths "transform us into the image of Christ, from glory to glory by the Holy Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...

All Through Love

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ while He was physically on earth was nothing less the the operation of the surrounding, abounding, infinite love of God. This is clearly revealing throughout scripture. We see the revelation of the God of love more clearly portrayed in the New Testament.  ^"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) These are just a few scriptures among many, but they do express God's great unwavering, incredible  love for sinful man.

We only have to look at verses of scripture like these to realize that everything that God does toward humanity is all through love. Even at the treason committed by Adam in the Garden, did not arouse God's wrath toward Adam or the woman. Yes, judgment was past, but it was the result of Adam's transgression not God's wrath. In other words, Adam made the decision, he made the choice to rebel against the one command that God gave to him. The result was what God said would happen, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The literal translation says, "In dying you will die." In other words, Adam died spiritually the moment he broke God's commandment and then he died physically 930 years later. God did not bring this upon Adam, he chose it for himself. It was not God's will! It was Adam's choice. I labor this because many believers have been trained to believe that things like sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are God's will when they are not.

Not only do scriptures like John 3:16, Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:10 clearly show us God's loves towards fallen man, we must also keep in mind scripture like John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  God's love is to save humanity not condemn or destroy humanity. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc., are God's will for humanity, they why did he set in motion before the foundation of the world the redemption of man?  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." (Ephesians 1:3-4) In fact, His redemption for man began at the fall of man, "So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God did not stop there, He shed innocent blood to cover mans sin, "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) This points to innocent blood that would be shed by God again. This time, His own blood. The ultimate sacrifice that would not cover sin but take it away forever. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. However, prior to the death of Jesus we see the love of God in action through Him. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."  (Acts 10:38)

It should not take much faith to see that love has no part in sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. All of these things are the result of the fall of man, the actions of the devil and the poor choices that people constantly make, not God. In fact, God describes love this way, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Let's be not only honest but logical. If sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. is the will of God, who is love, then we either have no idea how loves works; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a misprint and should not be part of the Bible; or love is hatred in disguise. Because we know in our heart that none of these three ideas are true, we also know that sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, natural disasters, etc. are not the work of God nor are they His Will. He is love and all that He does is through love. 

The life and ministry and life of Jesus is the greatest revelation of the Father's will, nature, character, purposes and plan that the Bible records. "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them..." (Matthew 9:35-36) This again is only one incident of many, revealing the love of Father God operating through the life and ministry of Jesus. God has not limited these things from operating today. It is the faithless doctrines of the so called religious wise who have taken the same position of the Pharisees and Sadducee's as recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. "Jesus answered and said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-8, 13)   

Food for thought: Is there any parent among you that can say it is your will that your child or children should suffer from sickness or disease? That somehow sickness and disease would be a good and loving thing for your child or children because it has a mysterious purpose to teach them something? That if your child is disobedient, you would like sickness or disease to ravage their body or mind to disciple them? Of course you would not. In fact if your children do become sick or injured your heart cries out for relief so they do not have to suffer. Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) "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) Praise the Lord for His surrounding, abounding love for His Children!!!