Have You Heard The Good News?

In this episode, I read 70 scriptures on our identity in Christ with piano music in the background.  So relax and reflect on your true identity in Christ.  I also share a few minutes first before I start speaking the scriptures so I if you would like to start with the scripture reading with piano music go to the 6-minute mark and about 45 seconds in. Hi, everyone. Welcome to today's episode about our identity in Christ. Today, most of the scriptures I will be reading are in the New American Standard Bible. Some are King James Bible, some are New Living Translation, but there are about 70 verses that I'm going to read. And for me in my life, I read these every day, twice a day. And there was a season about a year ago that I was going through kind of a valley experience. And I was reading all 70 of these three times a day. And what's amazing is they're not even scriptures on healing, per se. They're more on who we are in Christ and our identity in Christ and what's amazing is they brought me out of that valley along with people and prayer and teaming up with people who prayed for me. But, you know, every day, I had to keep feeding myself the scriptures the word, and it was powerful. And you know, even Jesus focused on his identity. In Luke three, it tells us when John baptized Jesus, and then in verse 22, it says, the Holy Spirit descended upon him, in bodily form, like a dove and a voice came out of heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased."  Then in Luke 4 Jesus for 40 days, being tempted by the enemy, and he ate nothing during those days. And when they had ended, he became hungry. The enemy said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. And two things I want to point out that the very first temptation that the enemy gave Jesus was questioning if he was the Son of God, if he knew his identity, and I think if some of you think about it, that you've had that same temptation, wondering, are you really a daughter or a son of God? And the interesting thing is, that the enemy didn't say, Are you the beloved Son of God, which is what God told him before he went into the desert. He just said, Are you the Son of God? And then what did Jesus do? And all three temptations in Luke four that the enemy came at him with, He returned all three with scripture. And so I am such a word girl. I love the word of God. It's powerful. I've been healed by the word of God just reading the Word of God. It's, just alive and it's active. And God always knows what we need it when we need it. And so today I'm going to share these scriptures with you. And like I said, there are 70 verses, but again, I'm not going to read them, the addresses, you know the location of each verse, what I'm going to do is put those in the show notes and you can get a copy of that at my website gotbbb. And that's gotbbb.org. And you'll see all my podcast episodes. And then you'll be able to read the show notes right below the podcast episode. And so I'm going to just go ahead and start and bear with me if you hear some paper rustling because obviously there's a lot of verses and I had to print them out so it'd be easy to read to you. But just sit back and just relax. And just listen to these verses of who you are in Christ because of what Jesus did on the cross. And how God sees us and who we are to God and our relationship to God all because of what Jesus did for us. And because we're in him, and they're in us, all these things are true. And some of these verses I will be saying are just like, really amazing. And almost like, really like, Wow. I mean, like, you could study one verse for a whole week to get the understanding and the full meaning of it. But for right now, I just want to share these scriptures with you because they've been so powerful in my own life. And I know that they can bless you. So we're going to start with Romans three, verse 24. But that'll be the last time I give you the verse therein, from now on, I'll just be reading. Romans 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:21b yet now has He reconciled Colossians 1:22 His body on the cross, to present us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fills you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 And hope makes not ashamed, because the love of God is in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to me. Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also after listening to the truth message, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed you are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise. 1 Corinthians 2:12b But the Holy Spirit who is from God, given to us that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts. I have divine favor and blessing so freely given to us and bestowed on us by God. 2 Corinthians 6:18 I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me says, the Lord Almighty. 1 Corinthians 3:21b-23 For all things belong to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 summary - Through Christ, he made all-new, now all these things are from God, who brought us close to himself through Jesus. We became the righteousness of God in Jesus. 2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you and the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life, through the true knowledge of Him, who called us by his own glory and excellence, for by these he has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you become partakers of the divine nature. Romans 3:24 Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Jesus. John 17:23b You love them, even as you love Me. John 1:1-4 summary - In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, and all things came into being by him. In him was life and the life was the light of men. John 1:14-18 summary - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John said, "This is the one whom I told you. He who comes is a higher rank for he existed before me, for of his fullness we have all received and grace upon grace." Grace and truth were realized through Jesus and Jesus came to explain God to us. Romans 14:17 summary - The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:4b,5,9 In love, he pre-planned us to adoption as sons and daughters, through Jesus Christ to himself according to the kind intentions of his will. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which he purposed in him, Jesus.  Ephesians 1:7-8 In Him, Jesus, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he made known to us the mystery of his will. Ephesians 1:2,3,6 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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.  To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved. 1 Corinthians 2:12b-13 the Holy Spirit given to us from God, that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by man or human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 My message and preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of power that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of man, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 For to us, God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even to the depths of God. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in Jesus name, He will teach you all things and bring back to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 15:9-11 Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that your joy be made full. Ephesians 2:8 By grace, you have been saved through faith and not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give to you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Colossians 2:10 In Jesus, you have been made complete. Psalm1:2-3 But his delight is in the word of the Lord and in his word he does meditate, day and night. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water bringing fruit and whatsoever he does will prosper. Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  Proverbs 4:20-22 Attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to us. Philemon 6 Let the communication of my faith become effectual. Working by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus. Joshua 1:8-9 Keep the Word of God in you by speaking it and meditate daily and do all that is written in it. Then your way will be prosperous and have good success. Be strong and of good courage for the Lord God is with thee wherever you go. Ephesians 2:6 He raised us up together with him and seated us with Him in heavenly places. Ephesians 1:19 AMP So that you will know what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of his active power in us. These are in accordance with the working of his mighty strength. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 2:4,6,7-8 Rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say rejoice. By prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, honorable, pure, worthy of praise, think on these. Romans 1:16 For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Hebrews 4:16 Let us, therefore, draw near to the throne of grace, that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us. Hebrews 10:17 God says He remembers my sin no more.  Jude 20 Keep myself in the love of God. 1 John 4 We love because He first loved us. 1 Corinthians 5 summary  - I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Galatians 2:16-20 summary KJV We are not justified by works, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me. John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." Psalm 12:6 The word of the Lord is pure. 1 John 4:17 As he is, so am I. Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd. He leads me to green pastures and restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. Colossians 3:1-3 We have been raised up with Christ. Keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above for our life is hidden with Christ in God. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 summary - God established us in Christ and anointed us and gave us the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3:11-12 We have boldness and confident access through faith in Jesus. John 14:17 The Spirit of Truth, he abides with you and is in you. John 17:17 Sanctify me in the truth, thy Word is truth. Ephesians 5:26 Sanctify me having cleansed me by the washing of water with the word. John 15:26 When the helper comes whom I will send to you from the Father. That is the Holy Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me. John 16:13 When the Holy Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He speaks what he hears from the Father. John 1:17 Grace and truth are realized through Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:11 You are then washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit of God. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and encouraging one another with psalms and hymns and songs, singing with thankfulness, in your hearts to God. Romans 8:37 And all these things we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us. 1 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us timidity, but power, love, and a sound mind. Galatians 4:6-8 summary - Because we have been adopted as sons and daughters, God has sent forth the Holy Spirit into our hearts crying, "Abba Father." John 8:31-32 If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. John 7:37-38 If anyone thirsty, let them come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the scripture says, from your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives his people strength, the Lord blesses them with peace. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times. Ephesians 5:18-19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:16-17 We have come to know and have believed, the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. By this love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, so also are we in this world. So I thank you for listening to today's episode. I pray that you were blessed. And I'd like to end this with a short prayer. Lord, I thank you for all the people listening to this and listening to your word. I pray that the word penetrates deep into their heart, and they feel encouraged and inspired and have the strength to go through their day with whatever they need to do. I thank you for touching each of them in their hearts to know how much you love them. And to encourage them to stay renewing their mind in the word, and praying the word, hearing the word, studying the Word. And how powerful and alive it is and so connected to you because it is you. I thank you for touching anyone who needs healing in their body to bring complete healing, healing in their soul, emotions. And I thank you for touching each one in their minds and bringing life and encouragement and strength to every part of them and their families. Healing and wholeness in their families, and restoration with any separation of family members. And I thank you, Daddy, that you are such an amazing God and I thank you for your love and sending Jesus. And Jesus, I thank you for all that you did on the cross. And in Hebrews 12:2 it says you did it with the joy to come on the cross because you knew it was going to make all things new. And I thank you Holy Spirit for bringing comfort and bringing wisdom and strength when we need it and imparting all the help that we need in this life and I thank you for all that you do for us in Jesus name, amen. So I pray you all have a blessed day today and enjoy your day knowing how loved by God you are. And I thank you for joining this podcast episode. And if you know anybody that needs to be encouraged, I pray that you'll share this and let others know so that they can be encouraged and I thank you for all your support. Have a great day and remember God loves you!  

Episode 9 is a short "paraphrased" story of Gideon out of the Book of Judges. Does God see Gideon as an overcomer? Do you see yourself as an overcomer?  Listen to find out... or read these show notes. How many of us go through our day feeling like overcomers? Today, I'm going to share a short story of Gideon who definitely, in the beginning, did not feel like an overcomer. But I wanted you to hear the story that I paraphrase out of the book of Judges, so you can see that you are an overcomer too. I want to share a story with you about Gideon, and many of you know about Gideon, he's in the Old Testament. And Gideon was young and very afraid and had no confidence in anything that he could do. He was the youngest in his family. And when God came to talk to him, he was actually hiding in a barn, because there was a battle going on. And God came to him and said, "Gideon, my mighty man of valor, I need you to go do blah, blah, blah." And Gideon looked at him and said, "I can't go do that. I'm the youngest in my family. I'm just, I'm just a boy. I can't do that." And what did God say? Now Gideon, get up out of there and stop acting like a fool. And you know, stop being stupid and just get out there and do what I told you to do. Did God say that? No! God came to Gideon again and said, "Gideon, my mighty man of valor." That is how God saw Gideon. Even though in the natural Gideon is hiding and he's feeling little and very little and very small and very afraid. God didn't even acknowledge his fear. He didn't even acknowledge any of the complaints he had about doing whatever God asked him to do. He just reminded him, Gideon, you are my mighty man of valor. That means brave and hero and strength. And God had full confidence that Gideon was going to be able to do what he was asking him to do. But Gideon didn't have that confidence. So that is who our God is. God sees each one of us through His Son Jesus, through the payment that Jesus paid with his body and his blood on the cross, so that we can have full access, intimacy with the Lord, again, everything restored. And he sees us as His sons and daughters. And you see that all through the New Testament. And it says that we are already overcomers, and overcomer means victorious. Many of us, and I did this for years is I prayed from a non-over comer position. I prayed from trying to get to be an overcomer, trying to really exercise my faith muscles, and really trying to do it in my own strength. And now, I pray from knowing who I am in Christ, and all that Jesus did for me. So I just want to encourage you to really spend some time seeking God and renewing your mind to what the Word of God says about you. And I just want to pray right now. Lord, I thank you, I thank you for everyone listening to this video right now. I thank you for touching them in their heart, in their minds, all the love that you have for them, and that they are victorious, amazing women and men of God. They are your sons and daughters. And I thank you, Papa, for touching each one of them with a peace that you love them, that you are love, you are all love. And they can rest in that and pray from that mindset that they are loved. And I thank you, Papa, for just touching each one of them with the desires of their heart. give them direction, wisdom, freedom from any guilt or shame. Give them courage. Let them see that you've already made them courageous. They just need to see it. I thank you that they are so courageous, and so brave, and know that they have that safety net in Jesus. And as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, you will keep us in the right place in strength and overcoming and victorious and safe. And I thank you, Papa, for your love. And I thank you for touching each one of them. In Jesus name, amen. Well, I hope you're blessed. And thank you again for stopping by and have a great day.  

Listen to hear how Jesus helps us be courageous. Here are the show notes: Hi, this is CindySpencer. And today we're going to talk about learning how to be courageous from a big chicken. And who's the big chicken? Me. Most of my life, I've been on the big chicken side versus the courageous side. Now, I have learned a lot about being courageous. And it's completely different than I ever thought it was. And I just want to share how being courageous is not what we think it is. It is possible. I'd like to share a story that I heard another person share that happened in history in the United States down in San Diego, no, San Francisco, they were building during the Depression, during the 30s, they were building that big, huge Golden Gate Bridge that's there by San Francisco. The sad thing was they were losing a lot of men, a lot of men were dying, because as they're building this big bridge, if they fell, they would drown in the ocean. And you know, they were way high up. And that's a big fall. So one of the men came up with a plan to devise this big, huge net. And I'm not sure exactly, but it sounds like it went the full length as a bridge wherever the men were working. And it cost a lot of money, which you know, during the Depression-era they didn't have, but it cost a lot of money for them to build this net. But it was so worth it because it saved so many lives. Men were able to work go to work on the bridge, and they didn't have that fear of am I going to fall today? And how many of us know that when you have something like that it affects your work, or whatever you're doing that you need to be brave for. And so these men were so thankful and so many lives were saved after they put this big netting in. And not only that, they discovered that the work got done in record time. And I don't remember all the details of how fast but it was in record time. And they figured out it was because the men were able to go up with confidence. And know that when they went up to work, they can work and be safe. And how many of us know that part of being courageous is knowing that if we are being courageous, we will be safe. That's a huge factor in every single one of us, through all of mankind. You know, the other day, I looked up the word courage. And do you know, the very first definition of courage was the heart. And then it went on to talking about brave and fearless and going out, even into the face of danger. But it starts with the heart and in the Bible when it mentions the heart, it's actually tying into your whole soul, which is your mind will and emotions. And that's where all this courage takes place because thinking about it, for the dictionary to say that a person going out bravely and fearless, they have to know in their heart, in their mind will and emotions who they are. There are many people out there that don't have a relationship with God or Jesus. And they're very brave. But they're doing it out of their own strength. Somewhere in their life, they built up the confidence that gave them that bravery. In my world that didn't happen. And I was not brave I was a big chicken my whole life. Because I never developed that confidence to be fearless or any of that. None of that happened for me until I found Jesus and realized that he was my net. And I didn't have to look at myself anymore. Even though I found Jesus over 35 years ago, I still was looking at myself and leaning on myself to do everything, which did not help at all in the courageous area. A couple of years ago, when I got totally set free from condemnation, I knew my right standing, I knew that I was righteous and that God saw me as his daughter, and loved and so free from all that nonsense, and all the lies of condemnation and what comes with it, that it was all gone. Then I was able to be more courageous, and go out and do some things that I wouldn't normally be brave enough to do. When I did have moments of weakness. And when I had those moments where I got into fear, I would sit there and remind myself the Word of God that says, I am the righteousness ofGod in Christ Jesus. And even if I had to say that 50 times in a day, I would say it because the word of the God is even how Jesus fought the enemy in the wilderness for 40 days when he went out there fasting, and you can read about it in Matthew four and Luke four, where Jesus went out after he got baptized, and he was out there fasting for 40 days. And Satan came to him and tempted him. Three different things. And the very first one was his identity. Are you really the Son of God? This happens soon after Jesus just got baptized, and the whole heaven opened up. And Papa God comes down and says, "This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased." So Jesus wasn't gonna even bat an eye at that comment from Satan saying, Are you the Son of God? And what did he do? He threw back scripture, all three instances, he threw back scripture. So scripture, if Jesus can do it, we can do it. And it's powerful. And it always brings me comfort and peace. And I have other verses that I do, too, that God can show you those special verses that are just for you. That will bring you peace and comfort. So when we do pray, we need to have the mindset that we're praying from that victorious position in God. Not from our human state, which is weak and frail, and having to strive, to perform and to please God, and to do it in our own strength. But to pray from knowing you are loved, you are already put in right standing, which is what righteousness means. Righteousness, I am the righteousness of God, through Christ Jesus, that's in 2 Corinthians 5:21 I say that all the time, if I have any moments of weakness, which I do, I tell myself and remind myself, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And it brings a renewal of my strength and peace, not of my own, but from him. And so I just want to encourage you that if, if you're praying, pray from that victorious position that you already have. Pray from that, knowing that you are loved and that Jesus already accomplished everything on the cross and gave us the authority to call things into action to call things right to call, healing into our bodies call things into healing and our families. Even if you had a bad day, even if you had a big fight with your husband, and you said something really stupid in and you blew it with him and you feel so bad, I have done that. It could ruin your whole day. God loves us so much that something like that doesn't matter. We're still in right standing. And when we asked the Lord to forgive us for that mess up, we just need to believe that he's forgiven us. In Hebrews 8:12, it says he will not remember our sin anymore. And in Mark 5:36, Jesus says, Do not fear any longer, only believe. Believe, and the word faith is almost the same in the Greek and the Hebrew. You just have to believe. And faith is just trusting God's Word is true and it means what it says. I struggled with that verse that says he remembers my sin no more because I struggled with condemnation for over 30-40 years. But if I had just taken his word, if I had that net, if I could have seen myself in righteousness, I struggled with receiving righteousness. And I could not see myself in that right standing because I kept looking at myself. I kept looking at the mistakes I was making, instead of looking at who my savior was, Jesus, and looking at what he did for me, and got my eyes off myself, and put my eyes back on Jesus. And if you remember that story, in the Bible, where it talks about Peter, who got really brave, really courageous, when he saw Jesus walking on the water, towards the boat. He got really brave, and he wanted to be like Jesus, and he wanted to get out of that boat, and he wanted to walk on water. And he did. And he actually took a few steps and he was walking on water. But then what happened? He saw some waves start billowing up and he saw the storm come. And so he got his eyes off Jesus. And he started to sink. If he had just kept his eyes on Jesus, I know that I know that he would have kept going, because Jesus is our safety net. Jesus is that net, that makes us courageous women and men of God. Jesus and all that He did, is how we can be courageous and brave, and go out and do what he's called us to do. And to walk, knowing you are loved, and you don't have to walk in that condemnation anymore, or guilt or shame. It's gone. You just have to believe that he forgave you. When you ask Him to forgive you, believe. Like Mark 5:36 says, Do not fear any longer, only believe. Remember, God loves you.  

Cindy Spencer 0:07 Hi, my name is Pastor Cindy, welcome to The Good News podcast. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have all the benefits that Jesus purchased for you on the cross? Guess what you already do? I spent most of my life looking at my performance both good and bad. Instead of looking at what Jesus had done for me, my relationship took a radical turn when my focus went off of me and I put it back on Jesus. My heart's desire is to stir up your faith and passion for Jesus and bring you into new levels of friendship with him. Ready to hear the good news? Let's hop on over to today's episode. Whoo. Hey, everyone. Before we start this episode, today, I just wanted to give a big shout out to my sister Kathy, who 37 years ago on July 17, brought me to the Lord and got me started on my walk with Jesus. Thank you so much, Kathy. I love you lots. Hey, welcome, everyone. This is Pastor Cindy. And today for this episode, I've invited two of my friends. And I have Jeremy Horton and his beautiful wife, Carolina Horton. And they're here today to talk about salvation. On today, July 17, 2019, it is my 37th birthday, as being a Christian. And I decided to share about salvation today and different perspectives, and how Jesus has touched my life in such a different way, compared to how he's touched Jeremy, and how he's touched, Carolina. And so we're going to share our different stories, and encourage you guys that no matter what your path has been like with Jesus, that it's beautiful. And it's so personal. It's so God treats us all with our personalities, and our individual likes and dislikes and who we are and how we learn. So I'm going to go ahead and start with Jeremy, thank you so much for coming today. Jeremy Horton 2:24 Thank you, Cindy, for having us. We really appreciate your presence and God's presence in this room right now. Cindy Spencer 2:30 Thank you. Yeah. And this is Carolina. Carolina Horton 2:34 Yes. Thank you for having us, Cindy, really, such a pleasure to be able to share the love of God and the miracles he's done for us when they can Cindy Spencer 2:42 encourage someone else. Exactly. And I just I have to tell you guys that are listening. You know, I've known Jeremy and Carolina for about a year now. And they just glow. The love of God has touched their heart in such a way that they just glow and they love to help people and they love to serve in the church. And it's just changed their whole family, their three girls. And so we're going to talk a little bit about that. And some of the differences that I experienced in my walk over the 37 years. So why don't we go ahead? And do you want to start Carolina and kind of just share how you found Jesus and what it was like growing up? Yeah. Carolina Horton 3:30 So I was born and raised in Chile, I was part of a very strict religious Catholic school. My whole upbringing, there was no encouragement to really have a relationship with Jesus, where to find it for myself, it was very much rules-based and just staying within those rules. Okay. So when my husband, after being married for 10 years, decided to go on this walk. I was against him. It's something that I did not receive. I didn't think I needed in my life. So when he found Jesus, it was really different for you. It was night and day because I saw such a transformation in him. Wow, that it made me want it. I really Jesus. I saw Jesus in him. When I was being a pest, he would just love me. When I would try to fight with him, he wouldn't respond. He was fathering our children in a very different way. So I reached the point where I said, What's different? What is it? And he said, Is Jesus? I said, Well, no, I've read the Bible. I know, I know. He said You don't? You may have read. But you don't know Jesus. Cindy Spencer 4:53 Wow. How did you feel? Carolina Horton 4:57 I mean, it humbled me in really in a soft end of my heart, and it made me realize that there is something that I don't know. So I said, Okay, sure. Let's try. Okay. And he came in, and, you know, I was asking him to change me. And he went ahead and just change my whole household. Wow, that's so much more than, you know, I'm like, help me with my mess. And he's like, I'm gonna clean a little bit, honey. That's amazing. And he Jesus is so good. Yeah. So good. so kind. And so full of truth and wisdom. I mean, I had so many questions that I didn't know who to go to. And he so kindly has revealed time after time, answered all of my questions. Wow. very logical person. And so if things don't make sense, I can't trust it. Believe it digest it. Yeah, me too. But he Cindy Spencer 5:57 That was part of my problem too. Carolina Horton 6:00 But you know, he's so kindly put people in my life who spoke to me the way that I needed it. He put different people in different seasons who have watered what he's growing, who have thrown new seed, in good soil. It really has shown me You know, I've always thought of myself that I'm independent. And so I got this, I can take care of it. But there is such growth, in fellowship and in family and in contact with people. You know, it has really brought me to the revelation of the body of Christ and how you may be a thumb and I may be a pinky together, make it happen. Yeah, right. Cindy Spencer 6:47 I mean, you can't if you don't have an elbow. Right, right. Arm won't work. Absolutely. Right. So for you, it's been two years. Carolina Horton 6:58 Two years. Yes. Cindy Spencer 7:00 Okay. So, Jeremy, I think you mentioned earlier that you've been saved like three years now. Jeremy Horton 7:06 Yeah, about three years now. It'll be three years in October this year. So, you know, when I started off, I was dealing with a lot of addiction. A lot of just stuff that I dealt with my past because, you know, I never grew up with any church upbringing. You know, I had great parents, but a lot of rules. So and a lot of rules I like to break. So I wasn't really a good citizen, you know. So, I was just tired of my life. I was tired of failing. I was tired of disappointing my wife tired at this point in my kids. I almost lost my job at Boeing. I had to actually go through a rehab program just to save my job at Boeing. And when I came back, and when I passed my rehab program, I met a guy named Kevin, and he introduced me to the Bible. He said, Hey, read the Bible, read the Bible. Well, I wasn't quite ready yet. So I kept I avoided him a lot. So he would find me.   Every single time I avoided him. So he was like, You know what, just read the Bible. And I got tired of him asking me telling me to and so I started reading it at work on my breaks at lunch even. But at work, I was watching a Todd White video. And at the end of the video, he was like, hey, whoever wants Jesus right now in their heart and wants to change and wants to repent, and accept them right now and say this prayer. So I said that prayer, and I just felt something shift. Something shifted, where I just felt so different, like, it had to be supernatural. Because the transformation work to where I used to be at it was It couldn't have been just me. So one by one thing started getting knocked off as far as the old me my addictions, my, my cussing, my, my, my, the hate towards my brothers, the unforgiveness I had towards people. It just started breaking and I just had this hunger to serve my God to serve Jesus. When I, when I found that Bible series on Netflix, I would watch him get crucified continually, I would put that episode on repeat, because I wanted the revelation I wanted to know. And now I know I have this appreciation that what he did on that cross wasn't just for my sin, it was for my true value. Like, he really told me how much he loves me and how much he valued me just for what he did on the cross. So since then, I just been really, really just in a place of serving God, and serving with him Cindy Spencer 9:41 and just wanting to give back just Jeremy Horton 9:43 wanting to because you have to not because I have to, because you want to because I want to and I love him so much because he loved me first. You know, and I love that the book of Ephesians. It was like my favorite book. Because, yeah, because it talks about how he knew us before the foundation of the earth, you know, and he said he set the plans before us. So like, it's crazy, because I was never an accident. You know, I was never an accident. And I am here for a purpose. And I was always searching for a purpose and my purpose here and wow. Now I know my purpose. Wow. Yeah. So that's Cindy Spencer 10:20 amazing. And you know, the Bible says that he puts that in us. Jeremy Horton 10:23 Yeah, exactly. Cindy Spencer 10:24 And we're searching, but sometimes it's can be drugs, sometimes it can be another religion of another god, you know, and we're searching and searching and, and like myself, I didn't grow up with religion. But I did have some time in a Lutheran Church. Yeah. And so I knew God, but I didn't really know Jesus or the Holy Spirit. And by the time I got saved, you know, 37 years ago, I was 20 years old. And it was a long time of still feeling of doing where I had to perform for God. And I just constantly felt like I let him down. I get it. And I dealt with shame and condemnation. And I never heard that. You know, that John 3:19 that says, you know, Jesus came to set the world free and save the world. He didn't come to condemn us. Right, right. Right, you know, but I kept doing this condemnation. And a few years ago, I was in my concordance. And I looked at the word salvation, both in the Greek and the Hebrew. Yeah. And it says that your salvation means saved, made well, delivered, prospered and protected. And I was like, Wow, that is salvation. I mean, I had no idea. And so if you guys listen to Episode Six, I went into more of the Scriptures and all of that. So I'm not going to go into that today. But today is more just building our relationship with Jesus in a, in a new way, no matter where you're at, right? You know, and it doesn't matter if it took me 37 years to get it and Jeremy gets it. You know, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. So the three of us really want to encourage anyone that's listening to this, that, whether you're struggling with anything Jeremy had, or Carolina had, or any experiences I had, that it's never too late. And Jesus is here to help us, no matter where we're at, and he knows the way we need to learn the best. Yeah, like he knew that you needed to hear it from Todd White. He knew how Carolina needed it. And he knew how I needed to hear it. And so it's just, it doesn't matter if you've been saved 50 years, or if you've been saved one week, you need to just really give yourself grace, and just accept what Jesus did on the cross that he loves us so much, and that we are worthy of His love. And that's why he was on the cross. And that was beautiful. Jeremy, when you said that, you know, you watched him in the passion on the cross. You were seeing how he valued you, for him to go through that. He doesn't do that for something that's not valuable. Right? Right. That's his body. It's his blood. And all that was done for us to walk in all these things forgiven, made, well delivered, prospered and protected was right. And so I also want to encourage anybody that maybe you have dealt with condemnation or shame, and you didn't know that all of this stuff happens, the minute you get saved, that it's not too late to walk in that because I could go into regret. And I could say, Man, if I had known that 37 years ago, my whole Christian walk would have been different. Yeah. But I'm not doing that. I learned it a couple years ago, I'm moving forward with that truth. And it's been amazing how my love for Jesus has grown. When I found that out. Yeah. And so um, the other thing I wanted to talk today about in one of the facets of building our relationship with Jesus, is sharing our faith. Would you like to share how sharing your faith has been for you, because we all kind of have things that we're nervous about, or we're not sure about, but what helped you in Carolina Horton 14:32 sharing your faith? Certainly, I mean, my husband, he had something he really enjoys is something that comes natural to him. Ever since I've become saved and come into a new family and relationships, he has really taught me the value of those relationships and our family itself. So I was really shy, didn't have a lot of friends, isolation was a really thing, like a real thing for me. So just interacting with people was difficult. But ever since I've gotten the revelation of His love, and the fact that we're part of a new family, and that we're Jesus friends, I don't see them as strangers that I have to share a big plot with. I just talked to them as friends who are in need of something. Cindy Spencer 15:18 Wow, a truth that you have, Carolina Horton 15:20 right? Because most of the people, the troubles, they go through their complaints that they have about the world themselves, their families, their peers, Jesus is the answer. Mm hmm. They do the only answer, exactly. They just don't know. You know, they don't know what you don't know what you don't know. Right. So it's, it's a way to just start a conversation and to see them as friends. I really see them as I'm going to approach a friend who I know needs something. Cindy Spencer 15:50 Yeah. Because you know how it changed you. Carolina Horton 15:53 And that's, you know, once we do get to sharing, and you open up those conversations, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, which is not me at all. It's all him. In the word of our testimony. I can share the heart places He's brought me out of I can share the changes he's done in me right. In witnessing that. That I mean, that is a witness. That's how you share it. They're like, Wow, really? I didn't know. At some point. I didn't know. Cindy Spencer 16:24 Wow, exactly. We all do that. Carolina Horton 16:26 Yes. So it's about just sharing the good news. really, truly, it is good news. Like when you have good food, you're like you have to try this. Same way. It's you have something good that they have no idea exists, and you Cindy Spencer 16:43 really want them to try it. Yeah. That's really good. I like that. Carolina Horton 16:49 Because aren't we like that? That's great. Please, just if people are like, No, thank you. I'm not hungry. Please just try it, one bite, I know you will. Wow. So and then it also comes with you know, when people say no, you just have to pray for them. You have to bless them on the way out and know that, you know, maybe Lord knows that somebody, it's on somebody else to reach them. Right. Because condemnation, at least with me was a real thing. They said no to me, I failed you today, you know? And he's like, no, that just that wasn't your assignment, Cindy Spencer 17:22 and that you planted a seed, right? And now Holy Spirit will bring them the next seed. Carolina Horton 17:28 And even by me just being obedient and stepping out. Yeah, even though I don't see that fruit. If it builds my relationship with the Father. Exactly. It brings me closer to him. The outcome isn't on me. It isn't. Cindy Spencer 17:43 It's on the Holy Spirit. It's on him. It's on him. And we just all some of us are waters. Yeah, some of us are planters and some of us are harvesters. And some of us, you know, like, you may have experienced all three, Carolina Horton 17:57 we are all right at different times. Yeah, completely agree. Totally. So,   Cindy Spencer 18:02 so don't Yeah, anybody listening, you know, it's just, you don't know where the person to at. And you may just be at the beginning of their even hearing about God. Or you may be right at that time where they've been hearing about it from somebody that's been that greasy wheel you know, just like, like telling them about it and telling you I finally you come along and then Carolina Horton 18:26 boom, there's a nice, when is that divine alignment that you Yeah, answers to somebody's prayers. Maybe their mom has been praying for years. And a stranger comes and tells you the love of God. And it just hits them like a train. And they get wrecked and Holy Spirit shows up in your just changed. Exactly. I can do that. Cindy Spencer 18:48 No, only he can. He can. And that's the beauty of it. Because then it takes a lot of that pressure off of us. Yeah, we're just we're the hands and the feet and the mouthpiece in his heart. And then he does, he brings the increase he does that's right. And how about you Jeremy, how would you explain sharing your faith? And yes, someone that either hasn't done it before or maybe nervous about it? Jeremy Horton 19:12 Right? Well, when I first like I said, when I first got saved, I was listening to Todd White, and he'll go out and pray for people for healing. So I did the same thing. I was like, wow, I want to see this thing too. So I started first started with my family. When if one of our kids got a headache, we pray for them. And then they got healed. So I was like, Okay, I'm gonna take it outside these walls now. So I started praying for people at grocery stores wherever we would go. And I would see healings most of the time, but sometimes I wouldn't see it. So I was left with the awkwardness, you know, in those times. And so I would really look for that thing. I will try to find people to go pray for all the time. But then I came to a place where I was feeling like, okay, I seen the person get healed. I want to see something bigger I want, I want to see them shift their way of thinking, I want to see them say Okay, first, I don't believe in a God, to now they believe in a God from what you've experienced. So I like to use my life as a walking testimony. I use it, I use my testimony. And I've been through so many things. So if he can do it for me, all the mess that I was in, I know that he can do it for anybody that's walking around right now. Exactly. So you know, it wasn't until last year when I was really feeling comfortable. Because you know, anything feels awkward when it's new, ya know? So I was really, it was something like that I really had to force myself to do because I knew that was my calling. So I always wanted to go after it. So even though the awkwardness, I did it, it just grew on me. So did it get more comfortable as Oh, wow? Like, it grew. It grew so much I got so comfortable. I'm comfortable doing it right now, I'm would go out anywhere, anywhere and do it. You know, we do it a lot, actually. So, you know, I'm really I really enjoy doing it. Because like my wife said, you know, we might just be that that person's parents answered prayers. Yeah. You know, really stirred my heart is that I have some family and friends who are dealing with some addiction and some stuff that I feel that the world and the enemy is snatching away from me. So I almost use that as a motivation, not just me operating out of love, like I always operate out of love. And that's what God wants me to do. I'm working with God, but then I'm, I love just taking away what the enemy thought was his, and bringing it back to where it rightfully belongs, right. And so that's where I operate it. I'm thinking like, wow, like, I want somebody to go do this from family, my friends who are going through this stuff. So, you know, I see this world so messed up. I like this road, like crazy is getting crazy. But the good news is we are the life like Jesus is the life. And we're the answer like, so that's what that's my motivation. I just want to be able to be part of the solution. Yeah, I want to be a part of the solution I want. I want to see this world transformed. You know, and if Jesus can transform me, at one at a time, then that person in front of me, can be transformed to and imagine what that can do for that person's all the people in his life. He could go transform those people. And those people can transform more people. So like, it's all Jesus, you know, I mean, it is Cindy Spencer 22:51 a gift that keeps going on. Jeremy Horton 22:52 Yeah, yeah. So why complain about the world? I don't want to I want to go be a part of the solution. Yeah, that's my goal. Cindy Spencer 23:00 Yeah. And that's that light that I seeing you guys? Yeah. It's love. Yeah. You just have that love. And it's his love, that's right? in you because you received his love, right? And until we receive His love, which is another thing I struggled with the first 20 years in my faith, and was believing that he could love me. Yeah. But we operate in loving others through the love that we receive from him. That's right. Right, right. And that's what you guys did. Now, obviously, I have it now. And I got that revelation over the last 20 years, you know, 17 years, but it took me a long time. It wasn't instantaneous. And so, um, that's the thing I think that I picked up on you two so much is that love. And I knew you're young in the Lord. And I'm like, wow, yeah. They're just like little power balls, you know, and they're so full of light and love you just when you guys, minister to people, yeah. And like, you know, I watch you when you pray for people at church and stuff. Yeah. You guys just are pouring out Jesus' love. That's right. It's just so evident. And people know it, people feel it, people see it. And so that's what we all can have, you know, just by receiving, yeah, it's just receiving, because he's already done it. And he just wants us to believe that's right. And then be at rest in that. But like you, I'm very analytical. I spent a lot of years analyzing everything instead of just receiving it now. I'm all about like, let's receive, you know, I mean, that's why I named my ministry. The ministry that I run for the last couple of years is called The Joy of Receiving Love, just because that's where the joy comes in. Yeah. You know, is when you receive His love. Yes. Right. And and then you pour it back out. And that does a whole nother thing inside of you. Yeah. When when you receive His love, there's like, wow, you know, there's so much excitement. And then when you give it out to another person, yeah. And you see their light come on, and their heart touched. Yeah, there's nothing like it. Yes,   Jeremy Horton 25:18 for sure. Cindy Spencer 25:19 There's nothing like it. So, um, the other thing I would like to have you share with is, if there's anybody listening that maybe doesn't know Jesus, and Jeremy, if you would like to Jeremy Horton 25:33 Yeah. You know, if there's anybody listening right now, who would like to have Jesus in their life or even wants to rededicate their life to Jesus right now, I just want you to, like, just genuinely believe and repeat after me. We're going to pray for Jesus to come into our lives and enter our hearts right now. Okay, so, right now, just repeat after me. Dear Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart. I say sorry for my sin. I choose to follow you and make you the Lord of my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen, man. Yes, yes.   Cindy Spencer 26:18 And so if anybody answered that call and prayed with Jeremy, we would love it if you would contact me at my email address is joyofreceivinglove@gmail.com. And let us know that you just received Jesus so we can celebrate with you. And if you have a Bible, Luke 15 shares three parables that Jesus tells about how heaven celebrates heaven last to celebrate with a new salvation. So we'd like to join heaven and you and celebrating your note new birth experience and just to answer any questions. And, you know, I just want to thank you guys so much for coming today. And that was powerful just for people to get to see that there are so many different ways that your salvation looks. And these are just three ways there's way more because God is so about us and who we are and our personality. And just, it doesn't matter what we struggled with, or what we knew right away. Doesn't matter. His love is always pursuing us. And in Philippians 1:6, it says, the work that God starts he always finishes right. Yeah, so we are all a work in progress, no matter if you started off, you know, right from the get go or not. Right? We are all a work in progress our whole life. And we're always growing, there's always things to grow in. And like they're being able to grow their kids and, and be able to impart to their kids these truths at a young age, right? So just imagine what their kids are going to be like as adults compared to what you know, they had to go through as adults. So there's just so many amazing things. And truly, my favorite word to say about salvation is it's the greatest miracle, there is. It's greater than even healing because, without salvation, all of that is I mean, it's nothing, nothing, right? Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. So we just thank you for coming today and being a part of our podcast today, and we just hope you all have a great day. Bye. Have a good day. Remember God loves you. Transcribed by https://otter.ai