Friday, March 25, 2016

Beauty of “Chen” Redemption

Dad was late getting home that night.  The kids were washed up and waiting to eat dinner, which was always at 6:00 p.m.   

It was normal to wait for father before starting our evening meals, as it was the only time we had as a family each day.  Seated at the table in the dining room we saw my father backing into the driveway from the side window.  That was rather strange; why wasn’t he parking as usual in front of the big red barn? 

The creaky screen door at the back of the house closed and we could hear my father coming up the back steps into the kitchen.  Grabbing hold of my mom’s arm Dad whisked her out of the house. 
 
Looking over his shoulder as he exited the room he smiled and said, “Come see what’s in the van.”                                             
 
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.

New on DFBKikinda, Serbia; Serowe, Central District , Botswana; Latvia; South Africa; Canada; India; Philippines; Germany; France; Australia; Kenya; United Kingdom; Singapore; Netherlands; Cambodia; Mexico. 

USA Russellville, AR; Chandler, AZ; Culver City, CA; Johnson, FL; Mount Pleasant & Watership Downs, NC; Rosenhayn, NJ; New Kingstown, PA; Patrick, SC; Bridge City & Nederland, TX; #Burbank, WA. 

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to Journey with Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.

You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

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Read Messages, updates on Hubby’s Heart and visit the Q & A or other sections. 

Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder

Wondering what my father brought home was exciting and each of us got up to follow behind him in anticipation.  As I pushed open the screen door I looked around the yard, but didn’t see anything special. 

Dad walked over to the Chevy step-up van and hurriedly placed the ramp at the back of the vehicle.  With the ramp in place he opened the double doors and hopped up in the van. 
 
It was dark inside and we couldn’t see what he was doing.  Suddenly there was a shadow that slowly stepped into the light … it was a pony, a black pony! 

We could hardly believe it as we circled the van to get a better look at our new member of the family.  Taking the lead in his hands, my father guided this shy but gentle, feeble creature slowly down the incline.  “Her name is Beauty … like in Black Beauty.”  He clarified as we gathered around this rather unbecoming looking animal. 

When the pony’s feet finally touched the ground our gladness turned quickly to sadness.  With her paper thin skin and bulging bones sticking out everywhere, the word “beauty” was the last thing that came to mind.  You could see torn flesh and scars on her back, sides and legs. The little black pony was weak and scrawny, hardly anything to brag about to friends. 

Apparently my mother wasn’t clued in on the details of the situation; we could tell by the way she questioned my father about how he acquired Beauty. 

“I found out that she was scheduled to be slaughtered today if someone didn’t save her by 3:00 p.m.  Seeing Beauty I knew I couldn’t let that happen, so I went to the authorities and redeemed her life for $25.00.  I didn’t want to leave her there any longer that’s why I had to bring her home in the van.” 

Dad continued to tell us the story of this sweet animal and that she was terribly mistreated, starved and beaten.  He believed that there was hope for her and with proper care Beauty would soon live up to her name.  Even though she wasn’t much to look at then, our pony’s personality was certainly beautiful. 

It wasn’t easy and took quite a long time for our latest edition to the family to be re-born.  To a kid it seemed like forever before we would be able to ride Beauty.  My Dad did everything for her and wouldn’t let us even brush our new pony until her delicate flesh was healed.  Finally the day came when she was restored, and ready to live a life filled with love among her new family. 

Although I no longer have photos of Black Beauty, the vivid picture of her first steps into our life are forever captured in my memory.  As a child this act of mercy and kindness was the most compassionate thing I remember my father doing. 

The Story Reveals Jesus 

In my prayer time I asked the Lord why He reminded me of this childhood story, and what did it have to do with favor.  Looking back on my notes from a few weeks ago I could see how it tied in with the Easter holiday Christians celebrate. 

The Bible talks about redemption or being redeemed in both the Old and New Testaments almost sixty times.  It also specifies that possessions, man and animal may be redeemed and counted as Holy. (See Leviticus chapter 27) 

When I look back at what happened the day Beauty was redeemed from being destroyed, the details of the event reminded me of the crucifixion of Jesus.  The cost may not be the same, but there was still a price to be paid. 

Worthy of Redemption 

Beauty had been redeemed from the slaughterhouse by my Dad because she found grace and favor in his eyes.  God showed me something by using my pony story as a metaphor in several ways. 

The Holy Spirit led me to various scriptures depicting how Jesus was rejected, despised and how his flesh was torn from beatings (much worse than what happened to Beauty).  Isaiah 53 reveals some of what Christ experienced when He was crucified on the cross at Calvary. 

“Who has believed our report? … He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected by men. A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stirpes we are healed. 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent…  (from Isaiah 53 NJKV) 

Our pony Black Beauty suffered great pain with being tortured the way she was and didn’t look like anything of value, yet my father saw something worth redeeming in her.  The metaphorical “Beauty” resembles us before we turned to Jesus and were re-born through salvation.  While still in the ugliness of sin that covered our bodies, God looked beyond our faults and saw us worth redeeming.   

If a human can love someone that much, how much more does God love us that He would show grace, kindness and mercy through the giving of His Only Begotten Son? 
 
Something was missing; I still needed a connection to God's favor.

Reasons for Redemption 

There was another reason Dad redeemed that little black colt; we had a really small brown pony that was lonely. By rescuing Beauty our family would be more complete.  Now the stories were beginning to gel.
 
Jesus died on the cross so the Heavenly Father’s family would be restored or “complete.”  In order for that to happen, God’s Son had to take or receive all the sins of the world on to His flesh and become that “ugly skin”. 
 
The redemptive process could take place when Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins.  God would take the life of Christ as the redeeming payment in exchange for our lives.  When Jesus died, our sins were transferred to Him and erased from the presence of God. 

“I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22) 

Christ became our Redeemer for sin.  After Jesus died on the cross He took all the sins that were ever committed past, present and future, and left them in Hell never again to be seen.  On the third day He rose from the dead cleansed and ascended into Heaven to be with the His Father.  

That redeeming process hasn’t stopped.  God’s family is continually being restored with every life that is redeemed by the blood of Jesus.  When we accept Jesus as the redeeming Savior that wiped away all our sin, by grace God receives us into His Kingdom as His children.  

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written,) cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (cross).” (Galatians 3:13)   

“[The Redeemer of Israel] But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) 

Grace & Favor – A Gift of the Cross 

I saw how the two “scenarios” could be linked together, after all Beauty found grace through my Dad, and we have done the same through Christ.  They still didn’t connect for me concerning favor, although I knew that grace is also used as “favor” or “mercy” in the Bible. 

We have to journey back to the beginning of the Bible (the Torah) where we learn about the characteristics of God in order to make the connection of favor to the cross.  When you read the word grace in the original context it is “chen” and that word is derived from the root “shoresh.”  Looking at grace as “shoresh” it means favor, mercy and kindness.   

Instead of perceiving grace as a “gift” from God, we need to understand it as an attribute or characteristic of God as well.  Not what He is, but who He is.  If God “is” favor, then when Jesus died for us He sent His favor in place of our sin.   

So when we read in the Bible how people cried out for God to be gracious to them, they were really crying out for His favor (mercy, grace, kindness) to redeem then from whatever was happening at the time. 

This information makes it easy to recognize that there is no greater act of God’s favor than the gift of Jesus for our redemption.  Salvation by faith in Jesus’ work on the cross is a “chen” (grace, favor) gift from God as noted in Ephesians 2:8. 

“For by grace (favor – chen) you have been saved through faith.
 And this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 TLV) 

After my father redeemed our little black pony, he immediately went to work caring for her and she changed totally. We could finally see what Dad saw in her, a rare Beauty. 

When we have been made clean through the redemptive power of Jesus, God sees beauty in us even when others don’t, and from the inside we begin to change.  

The Lord Jesus believed in the power of grace and favor through the Holy Spirit so much that He put His life on the cross to redeem us.  If that’s not favor, I don’t know what is.

This Week’s Challenge:
Believe You are “Chen” Redeemed 

It’s easy for us to grasp God is love, not just God loves.  Why then can’t we believe the same when it comes to God is favor? 

God cannot help but show favor to His children, because it is who He is.  Grace  - chen favor is given to us because of the love God has for His redeemed children.  

After Dad redeemed our pony she wasn’t that broken down, battered and worn out animal any more.  Something changed when he got hold of her. It’s the same with us when Jesus takes away our sins. 

When we have been “favor” (chen - grace) redeemed by Christ, praise the Lord we are no longer what we used to be. God has removed all the chains of sin, set us free to be His children and heirs of Jesus.  

Believe that you are so valuable to God that He is willing to redeem your life by faith through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.  He deemed you worthy to be loved, worthy to be His child and worthy to have by His side forever! 

Why does God see you as worthy?  You have been Chen Redeemed, chosen, FAVORED by God’s overwhelming grace, mercy and lovingkindness. 

Say it now – I am Chen, favored redeemed by God. 
 
If you haven’t accepted this grace and favor gift of the cross, read here on how to become Favor Redeemed!  It’s time you began your Daily Favor journey with Jesus.
 
As we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend, let these words continually flow out of your mouth with thanksgiving. 

“My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul,
which You have (chen) redeemed!” (Psalm 71:23) 
 

One more because we have been Favor Redeemed ...
 
 
If this article has encouraged or helped you please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 
 

Until next time, rejoice you are “chen” (favor) redeemed! 

“Chen redemption was for you.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.
 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

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Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

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Friday, March 18, 2016

It’s Your Time for Favor

Spring is my favorite season of the year.  All week long my interest in new things coming has repeatedly taken me outdoors. 

It’s hard to be cooped up inside knowing that at any time there is going to be an abundance of flowers popping out from the ground or tree blossoms waiting to be cut for a beautiful bouquet. 

More and more people emerge from winter hibernation to see what is happening all around them. Something different is in the air.  

Why does the season change make people want to start over when things around them look glum?  It’s because God has implanted in each of us hope, and springtime means there’s a set time of favor about to burst forth. 

Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFBRaworth, NSW, Australia; Congo (DRC); Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India; Apata Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; Cubao, Metro Manila, Philippines; Kikinda, Serbia; Nakambala, Southern Province, Zambia. 

USA Green Valley, AZ; Mandeville, LA; Rutherford, PA; Grundy, VA.  

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to Journey with Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).
Visit News from Fay, the Q & A or other sections.

Setting of Time 

I think that most people are in the habit of setting their clocks for one reason or another.  My clock is set to go off six times a day, not including special appointments or dates I need to remember. 
Generally I rely on a set time so I can organize my day, year and life.  Without those set times I doubt I’d be in position to be a blessing to anyone. 

Having our time organized for us is actually an act of God; after all it was His idea.  There are some time matters that we benefit from and should be thankful they weren’t left up to us when it comes to “gettin' ‘er done.” 

Those who are familiar with the Old Testament of the Bible are aware that God has always ordained special times of year to be set apart for certain things.  In the book of Genesis an example of this is through season changes, which include dormancy and growing.  

There are other set times that God places in motion, especially when it comes to showering His children with supernatural favor.  This “set time favor” is what I’m going to share with you. 

Ordained Favor 


Celebrations such as the Jewish Spring Feasts of Passover (Christian Crucifixion of Jesus), Unleavened Bread (Christian Burial of Christ), First Fruits (Christian Resurrection of Christ) and Pentecost (Descent of the Holy Spirit), were among designated times where the Lord pre-planned blessings for the Israelites. (Leviticus 23:4)
They couldn’t be changed because they were based on calendar seasons or moon cycles.  Although God was always with the Israelites, He set specific times of favor to bless them above and beyond Daily Favor. 

As children of God, that set time of favor is also ordained for our lives. Before understanding favor, I didn’t realize how much God’s hand was on my life.  Now that I know the difference between favor and blessings I can see how it has been manifested continually over the years. 

Anyone can choose to bless or receive blessings, the same goes for favor.  The difference is not everyone blesses or receives blessings, nor is everyone shown supernatural or natural favor.  I’ve talked about this in great lengths in past posts.  Are you able to recognize the differences yet? 

Favor is a Need 

Those who have followed this particular blog have read that I pray favor into my life.  I’ve gotten some negative feedback on that, but that doesn’t surprise me.  The reason why I pray for favor to surround my life is because it’s totally Biblical.   

I don’t pray for God to rain favor on me because I think I’m better than anyone else or that I deserve it.
Living a life of favor for a believer is a need. Since scripture declares “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV), I know that it is to be a part of my life. 

In order for me to walk with Jesus and carry out His commission, it will require favor to be actively working in my life if I am to be a blessing.  Without the favor of God no one will be saved, healed or blessed.  Tell me, would you believe a person who had nothing going right for them and who is always complaining?  Neither would I, because their words would constantly be sabotaging my faith. 

People want to believe, but Christians who spread the gospel of lack, bust and disgust aren’t exactly driving the unsaved to the altar.  The world wants to see that God does answer prayer and He is real.  Therefore, favor is no longer on a want list, but on a need to have list. 

If we expect God’s promises to work in our lives, we must believe that they are going to happen, and that includes understanding the “need” principle of favor. 

God gave favor to the Israelites because they needed Him to show up in their lives at “set” or “appointed” times along their journey.  During the “Wilderness” days financial favor wasn’t a top priority, but daily food provision and safety was.  The shield of favor was in operation. 

“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor
You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) 

There is a Set Time for Favor 

Have you been waiting for favor to fall on you in a way that it takes you out of the pit and into the palace like it did with Joseph?  He waited over ten years for God to act on his prayers.  Throughout that time Joseph didn’t lose hope, and believed that this would work as God planned and for his good.  

During his time of waiting Joseph experienced portions of favor, but there was that one set time when God propelled him from prisoner to prosperous.  God caused things to fall into place when the time was right.  Favor was ordained into Joseph’s life long before he was ever captured and when things were coming against him.  

Believe your time of favor will come. Things may not have worked out for you before, but this time it will because it’s your time, your season for the set time of favor.  It’s a promise of God and for you, so don’t give up on things working out to your benefit. 

What you couldn’t accomplish before you can do now, because it’s a new season in your life with brand new favor to “spring” forth.  If you continue to journey with Jesus, things that held you back will be removed, doors will open, and people God wanted to cross your path are now lining up in place.  

Why will all this happen? It’s the set time of favor for God’s children during these last days before Jesus comes. 

Hope Brings Favor 

This week I was reading from Psalm 102.  If you’re in a distressed state it wouldn’t be something you’d want to read, because you’d think this man is a mess.  However, the key is to keep reading! 

It wasn’t a particularly blessed time for this author, and practically everything was going wrong in his life.  He was sick, had enemies, was broke, his friends abandoned him, and there was no reason to have hope.  

The psalmist poured out his woes in prayer, but then remembers something that changes everything. Look at what it was: 

“But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion (which is the redeemed church); for the time to favor her, yes the set time, has come!” (Psalm 102:12-13 NKJV) 

Since the Zion of the New Testament is the Body of Christ, this means each of us can insert our names in that slot for the set time of favor to come on us.  
It would be like this if I were praying this: "You will arise and have mercy on Fay; for the time to favor her, yes the set time, has come."   

If we stay in belief in the midst of our difficulty, God will arise and mercy will come because it will be our set time of favor. Jesus will clear the way along our journey with Him, because we believed. 

Keep believing no matter how things look.  Stay in hope.  Don’t get caught up in your circumstance letting them dictate your future.  Forget listening to people who say "It can't happen!"  Stay in faith believing God is still on the Throne, and that you have a set time of favor ordained in your life by the Lord. 

Believe your set time has sprung forth to overcoming obstacles.  Believe that you will receive favor for that promotion, your family will come to Christ, that special someone will suddenly enter your life, debt is canceled and you will accomplish what God wants you to do. 

God will arise and bring forth what He set as favor for you. No weapon formed against you will prosper.  This is the blessing of spring seed time.  Not seeds that you put in the ground and wait for the harvest in the fall, but seed as in you being the seed of Abraham time. 

You need to believe that favor seed was planted in you by God and is about to sprout.  It’s your time to grow in faith and favor.   

Stop thinking it’s not going to happen for you and believe it’s your day for God’s set favor to be released.  It has to happen for the end time church, but most will miss it because of unbelief.  You don’t want to be among those statistics. 

By faith take hold of the favor God has set aside for you.  Keep telling yourself, “It may not have happened yet, but it’s coming … my set time of God’s favor is here."   

If you don’t believe that God has pre-ordained favor in your life, you won’t finish your journey well.  Your walk with Jesus will be short and uneventful.  Our part isn’t to figure out how God is going to make things work out for our good; we’re supposed to believe it will and watch it come to pass. 

This Week’s Challenge:
Believe in Your Set Time 

Last year (2015) I wrote about how supernatural favor is something that can be seen - tangible evidence. It has to be manifested into the visual realm so others will know that the hand of God is on our lives.  When it’s your set time for favor, there will be no doubt that the face of God shined on you. 

Each morning I wake up wondering how God will shine His face on me for that day.  I’m not looking for it by sight, but by faith. Seeing by faith will allow me to experience favor by sight.  

I wait on Him and say, “Thank you Heavenly Father that your mercies, grace, blessings and favor are new each morning.   Lead, guide, direct and show me Your favor that I may be a blessing to You and those I that come in contact with today.” 

Our challenge this week is to believe we have a set time of favor.  If Christians want to take part in the end time soul harvest we have to get in line with what scripture says about blessings and favor.  It will be a tool for leading souls to Christ. 

On the flip side for those who think this is rubbish and don’t believe these passages are for you, have no worries … favor won’t find you. 

Beloved, Jesus is coming at a set time by the Father and we need to be ready.  The Holy Spirit is here and active in the life of those who walk with Jesus. 

This is the church age of grace and favor, a set time by God for the end generation.  In the name of Jesus believe every enemy against you is bound and the Lord is rising up within you now.  Healing is released, families are restored and Your Time of Favor has come. 

BTW – Remember Palm Sunday is this weekend 3/20/16. 

If this article has encouraged or helped you please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, God’s favor is set for life! 

“My favor is set in time.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on book or link.
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1167566&item_no=996606


Not Available At This Time
Prophetic Grace: God's Set Time by Dr. Jonathan Doctor

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1167566&item_no=DLF137369-20

The Set Time Has Come [Music Download] by Maranatha! Singers

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Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Jewish Feast Chart  Philippians 4:19  Psalm 102:13
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Your Time for Favor, Favor of God, Seasons, Spring, Daily Favor Blog, Supernatural Favor, Favored1, Inspiration, Maranatha Singers, Jonathan Doctor, Believe, Messianic Music, Alarm Clocks, Jewish Feasts, Philippians 4:19, Set Time of Favor