REVIVE WITH JJ

Do You Not Know? “Do you not know?” This question can be intriguing because, when it is asked without context, our minds immediately begin to wonder what the subject is. We may assume it has something to do with a transaction buying, selling, or rendering a service. But when the Apostle Paul asks this question, he is pointing us to something else: our identity, our bodies, and the One to whom we belong. Paul writes: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 The human body was created by God as the earthly vessel through which we live and interact with the world. For the believer, it is also described as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul emphasized on this when he addressed the Corinthian church concerning sexual immorality. His message to the Corinthians is still relevant to us today. Many at time people live...

In a world where many are eager to turn on their ring lights and speak on different issues, we must understand that not everything that shines is a reflection of the true light. A person may speak eloquently, quote Scriptures accurately, and appear to stand for the truth, yet the motive behind their actions may tell a different story. While our words may reveal what we want people to hear, our motives reveal what is truly in our hearts. It is possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. It is possible to preach Christ without being driven by a genuine love for Christ. The message may be right, but the motive behind delivering that message may be wrong. This was the reality the Apostle Paul addressed in Philippians 1:15–18. While he was in prison, some people preached Christ out of love and goodwill, while others did so out of envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition. They were proclaiming the same Christ, but they were not driven by the same motives. This raises an i...

There are times when we walk into a room in search of something, only to get there and completely forget what we went in for. We just stand there, thinking, What was I looking for again? It happens to me. As I have been studying the book of Galatians, I have come to see the Holy Spirit in a different light the One who lives within me and reminds me that I have been redeemed. Did you forget who you are? Did you forget that what God has prepared for you came with more than enough for you? The Holy Spirit reminds me in this season that He Himself is the One in my heart, reminding me that I have been redeemed. For the things I struggle to believe, accept, or may have simply forgotten, the reminder is right there in Galatians. The Spirit of the Lord within me is a redeeming Spirit. God sent His Spirit into my heart as a reminder of His love for me and His goodness toward me. Galatians 4:3 (ESV) “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of th...

When we look at the lives of Cain and Abel, we see that Cain killed his brother Abel. After this event, God spoke to Cain, He said: Genesis 4:10 "The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.'" From this Scripture, we can see that blood has a voice and the ability to speak. If the blood of a man could cry out to Elohim, the Creator of the universe, then how much more powerful is the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for the remission of our sins? The blood of Jesus was shed for our benefit, our deliverance, and our salvation. We see that through the shedding of Abel's blood, Cain came under a curse because of his actions. This reveals that blood carries spiritual significance. If the blood of a human being could speak and bring judgment, then the blood of a divine being, Jesus Christ can also speak, it has the power to bring freedom, redemption, restoration, and deliverance. When we come into the economy ...

The Holy Spirit is the One who stirred your heart to repentance, and He is the One who will help you remain in it. You cannot continue and complete what you started in the Spirit by works of the flesh. You came to Jesus by faith, and it is your faith in the Lord, that keeps you steady in your walk with God. Faith in God keeps you steady as you continue to trust and expect Him. You must remain conscious of the Holy Spirit in you, allowing Him to direct you in what you must do and what you must not do, how to live with the people around you, and how to remain in the truth. Galatians 3:3–5 “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” Your Faith Your faith is essential in your walk with Christ. It is through faith t...

Galatians 1, Apostle Paul asked this question: What is the foundation of your faith based on? Paul's letter to these believers had stemmed from the controversy the church had concerning sticking to Jewish traditions by the Gentiles and making this judgment a proof of their belief in Jesus. And so, to Paul, who encountered Jesus in his journey to Damascus, it wasn't just a controversy of obeying Jewish traditions; it was a question of the reality of our relationship with Jesus, going beyond works to embracing grace through total faith in Christ and His saving power. Christ has saved you. Do you believe it? Or maybe sometimes you just feel that once there are no religious theatrics, your liberty might not be fully enacted, the idea of a drama whenever something victorious wants to happen. But what if, just like Paul, we would recline after the encounter and not just seek the stage and spotlight, but just a journey with the One who truly matters? A journey of reclining, which birt...