#apollumi

[hycinthrt]

you are laughing, his dying head sunk into his shoulder like a broken flower and you are laughing

#de hyacinth #greek mythology #hyacinthus #apollo #art #illustration #the apollumi tag #apollumi #ovid's metamorphoses #metamorphoses #apollo x hyacinthus

[christophe76460]

O2Vie 346-2023 / 07 : LE VOLEUR ET LE BON BERGER (2)

Jean 10:10 : Le voleur ne vient que pour dérober, égorger et détruire; moi, je suis venu afin que les brebis aient la vie, et qu'elles soient dans l'abondance.

Le voleur qui est notre ennemi, s'est assigné une mission, celle de dérober, d'égorger et de détruire le sujet de joie de Dieu qui n'est autre que les hommes. Une chose est claire, le voleur ne vient pas pour faire du bien car le mot grec utilisé pour détruire (APOLLUMI) veut dire littéralement mettre en ruine ou démolir entièrement. Nous pouvons nous intéresser un peu à la question de savoir pourquoi cette fougue du diable contre les hommes ?

Cette réflexion peut nous conduire à des réponses à deux niveaux :

- Au premier niveau : LE DIABLE A PERDU DÉFINITIVEMENT SA PLACE AU CIEL

La Bible nous informe sur l'avenir du diable qui est déjà scellé dans Apocalypse 20:10 qui dit : Et le diable, qui les séduisait, fut jeté dans l'étang de feu et de soufre, où sont la bête et le faux prophète. Et ils seront tourmentés jour et nuit, aux siècles des siècles.

Satan est furieux contre l'humanité pour l'amour que Dieu lui accorde. Bien que l'homme ait désobéi à Dieu et qu'il ait perdu la gloire de Dieu comme le diable, Dieu l'a racheté en payant le prix par le sacrifice de son fils à la croix de Golgotha (Jean 3:16). L'homme a un privilège de salut, ce que le diable n'aura jamais. Voilà pourquoi, il est devenu jaloux, furieux contre Dieu et contre nous.

- Au deuxième niveau : LES SAUVÉS NE PASSERONT PAS L'ÉTERNITÉ AVEC LUI.

Dans Romains 8:1, la Bible dit: Il n'y a donc maintenant aucune condamnation pour ceux qui sont en Jésus Christ.

Bien que notre ennemi le diable sait que l'avenir des sauvés est scellé, il s'acharne encore à les déstabiliser et à les distraire dans leur marche ici sur terre. Son objectif c'est d'amener plusieurs à marcher d'une manière déplaisante aux yeux du Seigneur afin de perdre leurs couronnes au ciel.

Retenez bien que le voleur ne se fatigue pas, il va encore essayer de retenir les hommes à ne pas s'approcher de la vérité mais à demeurer dans l'aveuglement pour les non-croyants, et pour les croyants à demeurer stérile en bonnes œuvres. Nous avons de l'avantage sur l'ennemi et surtout sur ses plans car Jésus-Christ est vainqueur sur Satan.

1 Jean 4:4 : Vous, petits enfants, vous êtes de Dieu, et vous les avez vaincus, parce que celui qui est en vous est plus grand que celui qui est dans le monde.

Que votre journée soit richement bénie au nom de Jésus-Christ.

Pasteur Eric BODJONA & L’Equipe Eau de Vie

[fablehaven]

🌻 i am once again asking you to perceive me

:’) every time you ask i cant help but :”) a lil more

you stand on an empty stage, looking out at the multiplicity of empty seats before you. the red velvet a little bit darker in the dim light. the guards have not come to check yet, so you have some time to drink in the grandeur of the aged theatre, the heady elixir of the power one holds while all eyes are turned upon you - and only you - filling you with equal parts thrill and fear. you shirk your faux-fur onto the marley floor and step forth, as the phantom forms of future admirers fill the seats. calling your name. your name. it creates more of a buzz than the champagne that sloshes around in the flute you hold in your hand. you crane your head as you look up at the chandelier, eyes slowly closing, turning the crystals into winking stars before dissipating entirely. the stage is yours, and you know it. the stage is yours, and they will all adore you. it’s just a matter of time before you steal their hearts away. 

✨ send me your favorite flower emoji and i will describe the aesthetic that you give off! ✨

#this is...so powerful...and it is how i c u..... #rosey talks #ask meme #apollumi

[scarletarosa]

Apollo

Greek god of music, art, light, prophecy, oracles, knowledge, science, healing, diseases, plague, poetry, dance, herds and flocks, and archery

Apollo has a complex role as a deity for he is both the healer and the destroyer. He is the warmth of the Sun, but he is that light which arises from darkness and brings rebirth. Apollo is also deeply connected with all forms of art for he is a lover of beauty, and in fact, he is so deeply connected with the arts that the Muses are his attendees. The counterpart of Apollo is his twin-sister, Artemis, who is basically his female half and works alongside him in many things. He and Artemis are two sides of the same coin- one female and lunar, the other male and solar. Apollo is a very ancient god whose origins extend beyond the Greek pantheon, being known as Apol in Egypt where he was moreso a god of war. Apollo was among one of the most feared Greek gods, and was terrifying to even the gods themselves.  

As a healer, Apollo is known to visit humans suffering from plagues and epidemics so he can heal them. Though as destroyer, he is given the name “the god who punishes and destroys (oulios) the wicked and overbearing”. All sudden deaths of men, whether they were regarded as a punishment or a reward, were believed to be the effect of the arrows of Apollo; and with the same arrows, he would send out plagues. In mythology, a story tells that four days after his birth, Apollo went to mount Parnassus, and there killed the dragon Python, who had pursued his mother during her wanderings. The circumstance of Apollo being the destroyer of the wicked was believed by some of the ancients to have given rise to his name Apollo, which they connected with apollumi, “to destroy."   

Mythology: Apollo is said to be a son of Zeus, the King of the Gods, and the Titaness Leto. His mother was hounded by Zeus' wife Hera throughout her pregnancy and thus was forced to wander the world in search of safe refuge. In one legend, his twin-sister Artemis was born one day before Apollo. His mother gave birth to Artemis on the island of Ortygia, then, almost immediately after her birth, Artemis helped her mother to cross the straits over to Delos, where she then delivered Apollo with Artemis’ help.  

Apollo had also met with Python during his youth. As described by Apollo, Python is a serpentine-dragon he had met who became a mentor of his, teaching him the wisdom of the dragons. As a final test to have Apollo prove his strength of character, Python had the god fight him. After great struggle and will-power, Apollo overcame the challenge and Python saw him as worthy. 

Along with Artemis, Apollo was also a protector of children and adolescents (Artemis protecting females and Apollo the males). But paradoxically, they could also be the cause for their deaths through shooting them with their arrows and raining disease upon them. In one mythical story, Artemis with her twin brother, Apollo, put to death the children of Niobe. The reason being that Niobe, a mere mortal, had boasted to Leto, the mother of the divine twins, that she had bore more children than her, which must make her superior to Leto. Apollo being outraged at such an insult on his mother, informed Artemis. The twin gods then hunted Niobe’s children down and shot them with their arrows; Apollo killed the male children and Artemis the girls. 

Appearance: a handsome young man with tanned skin, shoulder-length wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and pronounced cheekbones. Sometimes, he appears as pure flame

Personality: Apollo is an elegant, charming, intelligent, refined, wise, courageous, and sophisticated gentleman whose eloquent words reflect his role as a god of the arts. He is deeply compassionate and protective of those he cares for, making his heart golden like the sun itself. Though he does in fact get wrathful towards injustices and is not afraid to seek the destruction of the cruel. He deeply values knowledge and seeks after as much as he can, even by undergoing suffering, which has brought him to great heights as a deity. He also greatly loves to learn and teach, making him an outstanding deity for all sorts of areas of life. 

| Symbolism of Apollo |

Lyres

Bow and arrows

Laurel wreaths

Hyacinth 

Pythons

Ravens

Dolphins

Swans

Wolves

Bees

The Sun

| Some of his epithets |

Loimios (The deliverer from plague)

Epikourios (The helper of warriors)

Aphetor (Archer)

Chrusaôr (The god with the golden sword)

Akestôr (Averter of evil)

Hekatos (He who kills many {with plague})

Hekatebolos (He who strikes from afar)

Eleleus (He who utters a war-cry)

Erasmius (The lovely)

Aegletes (The radiant one)

Stratagios (The general)

Nikephoros (Bringer of victory)

Acesius (Healing)

Boedromios (Savior on battlefield) 

Offerings: white wine, clear gin, chamomile tea, apples, figs, olives, honey, honeycomb, fancy sweets, pastries, chocolate, river fish (like trout), lamb meat, sunflowers, marigolds, hyacinth, yellow roses, bay leaves, musical instruments, bow & arrows, daggers, cologne, hair pomade, round mirrors, music sheets, hand-made crafts, pottery, chamomile, sunstone, citrine, divination tools, yellow or gold candles, raven feathers, swan feathers, bathing salts, white salt, lamb wool, a bowl for lecanomancy, frankincense, lyres (mini or full-scale), images of his sacred animals, classical music, artwork, poetry, and prose.

#apollo #greek deity #hellenic polytheism #deity work #offerings

[melissanovels]

Commission for Paige! Thank you for letting me draw Apollumi !!

Commissions are open 💝 here 💝

#commissions #art #fanart #lingerie #cat #please commission me to draw more cute girls i love. cute girls. #also tumblr's gonna shadowban this so i hope somebody see this

[rp-kat]

Elgibbor - Soterion Apollumi Hamartia

2010

#Elgibbor #soterion #apollumi #hamartia #black metal #unblack metal #god #Christianity #Anti-Satanism #fire #Pozarycki #Sullen Records #wood

[ivanhoe63]

John 17 - Greek word - personal word studies - 622 apollumi - perished

John 17 – Greek word – personal word studies – 622 apollumi – perished

§1 [2] {12 of 119} (1 of 13) What is the original word with Strong’s # and its English equivalent? 622 apollumi, ap-ol’-loo-mee from 575 and the base of 3639; perished §1 [2] {12 of 119} (2 of 13) What is the basic dictionary meaning today? To die in a a violent or untimely manner to pas from existence; to disappear gradually1 §1 [2] {12 of 119} (3 of 13) What is the root meaning in the…

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[kindandhappy]

2 Korinther 4:1-6

1 Darum, weil wir solch ein Amt <#1248 diakonia, Dienst> haben nach der Barmherzigkeit die uns widerfahren ist, werden wir nicht müde,

''Darum'' ist ein Präpositionaladverb weist auf das eben erwähnte in Kapitel 3 von 2 Korinther hin

2 sondern meiden schandbare Wege der Heimlichkeit. Üben keinen Betrug aus, noch verfälschen wir das Wort Gottes. Aber durch Offenbarung der Wahrheit weisen wir uns aus vor aller Menschen Gewissen im Angesicht Gottes.

3 Aber wenn unser Evangelium tatsächlich verdeckt <#2572 kaluptó> ist, dann ist es denen verdeckt die untergehen <#622. apollumi>,

4 denen der gott dieses Zeitalters den Sinn verblendet hat, bei denen die nicht glauben, dass sie nicht das strahlende Licht des Evangeliums von der Herrlichkeit <#1391 doxa> von Christus erkennen können, der das Ebenbild <#1504 eikón Repräsentation,Stellvertretung> Gottes ist.

5 Denn wir predigen <#2784 kérussó> nicht uns selbst, sondern Christus Jesus, das er der Herr ist, wir aber eure Diener <#1401 doulos> um Jesus willen.

6 Denn Gott, der gesagt hat: Licht soll aus der Finsternis hervorleuchten'',  hat uns sein Licht in unsere Herzen gegeben, um uns das Licht der Erkenntnis und Herrlichkeit Gottes im Angesicht von Jesus Christus zu geben.

Vers 6 knüpft an Kapitel 3 von 2 Korinther an über die Herrlichkeit des Alten Bundes, die kein Vergleich ist zu der jetzigen Herrlichkeit des Neuen Bundes. Wir haben jetzt die Gelegenheit, die Herrlichkeit Gottes zu sehen und zu reflektieren, und zwar auf dem Antlitz von Jesus Christus, den Christus in uns, aus uns heraus bringen und widerzuspiegeln.

[achervntia]

get to know (tag)

Rules: tag ten followers you’d like to get to know

Tagged by: @7moods ~ Thank you 🌟

Name: Shaine (Astellise is my pen name ) 

Nicknames: Astel

Gender: Female

Star sign: Taurus

Height: 4′11 1/2″ (151 cm)

Sexuality:🌿

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Favorite Animal (s): moths, spiders, beetles (I’m a bug type of gal since I’m allergic to most furry animals) . I also like goldfish and pandas

Average hours spent sleeping: 4 when there is school 

Dogs or Cats: dogs

Number of blankets: too many to count

Dream Trip: Greece and Rome

Dream Job: Design Engineer + Conservator (for archaeological finds~). 

When I made this account: 2013~

Why I made this account: This used to be my art tumblr until I moved it to a separate blog . Now, this tumblr is where I post things that inspire me to make stories and paintings (the poetry and myth side of tumblr is just amazing). This blog also sorta became the place where I can express a side of me I don’t really show in real life because I am hella shy >.<

Reasons for url: It’s from Genus Archerontia  which has 3 moth species  (atropos, styx and lachesis)  and under it which are known as the “Death Head Moths” because of skull like markings on their backs. I made a story that has something to do with that. It’s about a group of people that are different personifications of death, who debate over their roles.

I tag: @iluminacje , @dcstoevsky , @elusian, @lordansketil , @opehlia , @apollumi , @tartts , @lostwitches , @dystral & @letrangerdoux   

#gtnm #me

[hycinthrt]

flower in the water

#de hyacinth #greek mythology #hyacinthus #greek myth #art #hyacinth #apollo x hyacinthus #greek mythology art #digital painting #ditigal art #apollumi #the apollumi tag #yes this originally had blood coming out of his head

[christophe76460]

O2Vie 346-2023 / 07 : *LE VOLEUR ET LE BON BERGER (2)*

*Jean 10:10 : Le voleur ne vient que pour dérober, égorger et détruire; moi, je suis venu afin que les brebis aient la vie, et qu'elles soient dans l'abondance.*

Le voleur qui est notre ennemi, s'est assigné une mission, celle de dérober, d'égorger et de détruire le sujet de joie de Dieu qui n'est autre que les hommes. Une chose est claire, le voleur ne vient pas pour faire du bien car le mot grec utilisé pour détruire (APOLLUMI) veut dire littéralement mettre en ruine ou démolir entièrement. Nous pouvons nous intéresser un peu à la question de savoir pourquoi cette fougue du diable contre les hommes ?

Cette réflexion peut nous conduire à des réponses à deux niveaux :

- Au premier niveau : *LE DIABLE A PERDU DÉFINITIVEMENT SA PLACE AU CIEL*

La Bible nous informe sur l'avenir du diable qui est déjà scellé dans Apocalypse 20:10 qui dit : _Et le diable, qui les séduisait, fut jeté dans l'étang de feu et de soufre, où sont la bête et le faux prophète. Et ils seront tourmentés jour et nuit, aux siècles des siècles._

Satan est furieux contre l'humanité pour l'amour que Dieu lui accorde. Bien que l'homme ait désobéi à Dieu et qu'il ait perdu la gloire de Dieu comme le diable, Dieu l'a racheté en payant le prix par le sacrifice de son fils à la croix de Golgotha (Jean 3:16). L'homme a un privilège de salut, ce que le diable n'aura jamais. Voilà pourquoi, il est devenu jaloux, furieux contre Dieu et contre nous.

- Au deuxième niveau : *LES SAUVÉS NE PASSERONT PAS L'ÉTERNITÉ AVEC LUI.*

Dans Romains 8:1, la Bible dit: _Il n'y a donc maintenant aucune condamnation pour ceux qui sont en Jésus Christ._

Bien que notre ennemi le diable sait que l'avenir des sauvés est scellé, il s'acharne encore à les déstabiliser et à les distraire dans leur marche ici sur terre. Son objectif c'est d'amener plusieurs à marcher d'une manière déplaisante aux yeux du Seigneur afin de perdre leurs couronnes au ciel.

Retenez bien que le voleur ne se fatigue pas, il va encore essayer de retenir les hommes à ne pas s'approcher de la vérité mais à demeurer dans l'aveuglement pour les non-croyants, et pour les croyants à demeurer stérile en bonnes œuvres. Nous avons de l'avantage sur l'ennemi et surtout sur ses plans car Jésus-Christ est vainqueur sur Satan.

*1 Jean 4:4 : Vous, petits enfants, vous êtes de Dieu, et vous les avez vaincus, parce que celui qui est en vous est plus grand que celui qui est dans le monde.*

Que votre journée soit richement bénie au nom de Jésus-Christ.

Pasteur Eric BODJONA & L’Equipe Eau de Vie...

[live4thelord]

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:23-25). The word translated as “lose” in English does not capture the vigor of the Greek word ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi). Apollumi comes from the root apó, meaning away from, with the intensifier ollymi, “to destroy.” Thus apollumi means to fully destroy, cutting off entirely. It implies permanent or absolute destruction. So when Jesus says we must “lose” our life, it is really far stronger than the English translation captures. Losing our life involves a kind of violent overthrow of our worldly notions and the deep drives of sin. We must lose. That is, we must see utterly destroyed and cut off all things worldly, fleshly, and of the devil. This is war and it is going to involve more than a mumbled, half-hearted prayer on our part. Scripture says, In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood (Heb 12:4). https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ERiRPFdvy/?igshid=4vur2w91wukv

[rhacgal-archived-blog]

@ribbedxgloves sent 💍   for an aesthetic for Apollumi

#meme; v #// hope this is okay c:

[cirugiaoraleimplantologia]

Santa Apolonia es una mártir que murió en Alejandría (Egipto) a mediados del siglo III, antes de la persecución de Decio, durante un levantamiento local contra los cristianos. Antes de morir quemada en la hoguera, fue martirizada con la extracción violenta de todos sus dientes y por ello está considerada la patrona de la odontología. "Apolonia". Procede de las mismas raíces que Apolinar, es decir, de Apolo, divinidad greco-romana polifacética y multiforme, padre del dios de la medicina, Asclepio; dios de la luz del sol y de la claridad, protector de las artes y de la belleza. Se apunta como etimología posible, que sea un compuesto del prefijo apo (apó), lejos, más ollumi (ól.lymi), al parecer, que nos daría como significado global "el que aleja la muerte", apelativo dado a Apolo en agradecimiento por haber salvado a Atenas de una peste. Existen otros intérpretes que lo relacionan con el verbo apollumi, destruir, y también con la voz germánica Apfel, manzana. Es tal la fama de esta divinidad, que su nombre dio lugar a multitud de derivados, entre ellos: Apolíneo, Apolino, Apolodoro, Apolófanes, Apolonio, Apolinar, Apolinarfo y el más difundido de todos, Apolonia, nombre de 18 ciudades de la antigüedad y nombre también de mujer. #santaapolonia #patrona #odontologos #santa #apolonia #dentistas https://www.instagram.com/p/Btql62yn1n2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mbh3mfym2qtr

#santaapolonia #patrona #odontologos #santa #apolonia #dentistas

[dellacruzzin]

Yo, I woke up with depression this morning. And the Universe sets me up to preach #John316? Man! I was at 275 yesterday when I went to bed, and then I see this? Stop it! God is GOOD! John 3 16The entire cosmos is the object of God’s affection! And he is not about to abandon his creation - the gift of his Son is for mankind to realize their origin in him who mirrors their authentic birth - begotten not of flesh but of the Father! [See John 1:13] In this persuasion the life of the ages echoes within the individual and announces that the days of regret and sense of lost-ness are over! (The KJV reads, Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The same word translated in the KJV to perish is translated in Luke 15 to be lost. In order to underline the value of the individual, Jesus tells the famous three parables in Luke 15 of the lost sheep, coin and son; now all found, safe and sound! In everyone he repeats the word lost, apollumi, to lose, to emphasize the fact that you cannot be lost unless you belong - to begin with! The word apollumi, also suggests a sense of uselessness; that which comes to ruin and amounts to nothing! The word didomi, to give, in this case to give something to someone that already belongs to them; thus, to return. The fact that they already are his own, born from above, they have their beginning and their being in him is now confirmed in their realizing it! He is the “only begotten,” monogenes; begotten only by the Father and not of the flesh; in him we recognize our true beginning - as in the authentic original mold. See my commentary note to John 1:12. The word echo, to hold, or embrace, as in echo. The word, kosmos in the NT refers to the entire human family.) Mirror Bible (https://app.mirrorword.net) (at Tucson, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-N6BHQBb-7/?igshid=1ftlddv1qlwbh

#john316

[nolimitsongrace]

August 21: The Experience of a Lifetime!

The Experience of a Lifetime!August 21, 2019

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. — Matthew 10:39

When our family first arrived in the former USSR, we disembarked the airplane to find Soviet soldiers standing all around the landing strip with machine guns in arm — a brand-new sight for our family! Those soldiers tried to rush us along to leave the runway area and get inside the terminal. But I had predetermined that when we landed, the first thing we were going to do was drop to our knees, kiss the ground, and ask God to put a love in our hearts for this new homeland where He had called us.

With soldiers watching very cautiously, I led my family in dropping to our knees. We joined hands and leaned down together to literally kiss the ground! Then I led us in a prayer of committal for protection and provision. And I earnestly asked God to put a love in our hearts for this new part of the world and the people who lived here.

At that time, Denise and I thought we would be living here for a one-year period. Nevertheless, we intended to pour ourselves into the work for that span of time, and we desired to be filled by God in our hearts for these precious souls. So we kissed the ground and prayed.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

When we finally stood to our feet, those soldiers with machine guns had nearly encircled us. I’m sure they had never seen anything like that before. Using their guns to point the way, they directed us toward the terminal, and we understood that it was time for us to get moving. But that moment of bowing to the ground on our knees in prayer was such a divine moment for our family. We were accepting God’s call and asking for His favor to do what He had commissioned us to do with power and grace.

Inside the airport, the luggage belts were broken, so suitcases and boxes were being thrown upward through a hole in the floor into the luggage area. We had brought suitcases plus 32 boxes, many of which were filled with breakable items. So I was running around as quickly as I could to try to catch our items as they were being tossed into the air.

When we were finally allowed to leave the airport, we were escorted to a decrepit van, and a driver drove us over bumpy, broken roads to a grey-looking, neglected little town that would be our first home in the USSR. As we unloaded our luggage and the boxes from the vehicle and carried everything into the house, we discovered the house that had been provided for us had no heat — and this was during a very cold Russian winter. We were freezing in that ice-cold house! We were so cold during those first nights, until the heat finally came on, that all five of us crammed into one tiny bed to try to stay warm.

As I look back on it, I realize that if we had not dropped to our knees immediately and surrendered our lives to this new place, we could have become quickly discouraged. But instead, we found each challenge invigorating and fun. When we discovered the grocery stores were void of food and that finding basic necessities would be a serious challenge, we didn’t let it discourage us. Instead, every day turned into an adventurous scavenger hunt! God amazingly filled our hearts with rejoicing, and every difficulty became an opportunity for another joy-filled experience.

Our sons didn’t groan or complain that life was difficult, and Denise and I were not sorry that we had led our family to this part of the world. Although we faced serious challenges, we decided to make each one a fun learning experience. As a result, we fell in love with all of it — with the people, the land, and even the problems and the challenges. That moment of kissing the ground and consecrating this new season of our lives to the Father on the runway had really done something in our hearts. Regardless of how broken and neglected everything around us seemed to be, we fell in love with that country and the people who lived there.

Within two months, we realized that God had given us a life commitment to this part of the world, not a simple one-year engagement. At the time of this writing, we have lived in the former Soviet Union multiple decades and have seen the Holy Spirit’s supernatural fruit as thousands have received Christ, grown in the Spirit, and found their places in local churches — many of which we helped start. It has been the experience of a lifetime! And our sons — now full-grown men with families of their own — grew up experiencing a book of Acts kind of childhood by living in this spiritual environment.

Especially at the beginning, we could have tucked our tails and run back home to the United States because even just basic living in the former USSR was extremely challenging. But because we had surrendered to God — and had given Him our all to do what He wanted with our lives in that part of the world — what would have been hard and burdensome became a daily adventure that continues to enrich our lives today.

I want to ask you today: Have you surrendered to what God has called you to do?

Let me remind you of the words of Jesus in the second half of Matthew 10:39: “…he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Pay close attention to these words, for they are so very important if you really want to experience God’s fullness during your life journey.

The word “loseth” was translated from the Greek word apollumi, which literally means to release — as to release one’s rights to something. It is the picture of the full surrender of one’s life. But the key is not just forfeiting your own dreams and desires, but rather doing it “for Jesus’ sake.”

At the time God called my family to the Soviet Union, I had personal dreams of what I wanted to accomplish through our ministry in the United States. But God called me to lay that down — that is, to release it. He beckoned me to surrender my dream for His greater dream for my life — and to do it for His sake.

To be honest, I couldn’t begin to imagine how great a dream and life God had planned for me. I didn’t understand it. All I knew was that the Spirit of God was asking me to release my own preconceived dream and to follow Him into the unknown plan He had for my life.

Now I understand that if I had refused to release my own dream and had rejected God’s call to fulfill His dream, I would have missed the amazing adventure He had not only for me, but also for our whole family and the millions of lives He has touched as a result of our obedience. But because I released my plans for Jesus’ sake and for His purposes, we found something far greater than anything we had ever dreamed or imagined.

Jesus promised, “…he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” The word “find” is the Greek word eurisko, which means to find or to discover, and it is where we get the word eureka! This word pictures the euphoric feeling a person experiences when he discovers something magnificent. His heart and soul, and perhaps even his mouth, exclaim, “Eureka!” It is the jubilant expression of one who shouts out, “I found it!”

For multiple decades, my heart has been exclaiming, “Eureka!” regarding this treasured call God has placed on our lives to reach the Russian-speaking peoples of this part of the world. When I think of what life would be like if we had rejected the Lord’s call and simply stayed with our ministry in the U.S., it nearly breaks my heart. We would have missed the amazing adventure that God had planned for our lives.

By asking us to release or surrender — apollumi — our dreams to Him, He was never trying to take something from us; He wanted to give us something wonderful. But to receive what He desired to give, we first had to release what we were holding on to and surrender to what He wanted to do in and through us. As a result of trusting Him and doing what He asked — instead of stubbornly holding on to what we wanted to do — God has gloriously allowed us to be part of one of the greatest missions epochs in the history of the Church.

When this all started, I didn’t understand what exactly Jesus had in mind for us. All I knew was that He wanted me to release my own plans and surrender to His plan for our lives. Ever since we yielded and obeyed, we’ve been rejoicing, even in hard times! What a grand and glorious adventure God had in store for us, and I’m so thankful we didn’t miss it!

What about you? What is God asking you to release so He can give you something far greater? I assure you that God is not trying to deprive you of anything. He wants to give you something bigger and better than your imagination could ever conceive. He simply needs your agreement to release your own ideas and to surrender to what He has waiting for you. Jesus Himself said, “… he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.” When you step out of your own realm into Jesus’ realm of possibilities, you’ll find yourself forever grateful that He gave you the courage to say yes when His call to “lose,” or surrender your life came to you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I don’t want to hold on to my life and, as a result, miss the great adventure You have planned for me and my family. Forgive me for not trusting You — and help me put all fear and doubt aside as I “kiss the ground” of my calling. Help me allow Your power and love to sink deep into my heart for what You are asking me to do. I repent for hesitating and holding back out of a sense of self-preservation and a fear of the unknown. Today I fully surrender my life and my future to You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will not hold back on the Lord any longer. Whatever He wants me to do, that is what I will do. In the past, fear of an uncertain future has hindered me, but now I know that God has only a wonderful adventure in store for me and my family. I rebuke the spirit of fear that has restrained me, and I put my trust fully in the Lord as I step forward by faith to kiss the ground of God’s calling on my life. I declare that God will put a deep-seated love in my heart for what He has called me to do. I’ll never look back in regret but will only rejoice that I finally and fully surrendered to the call with which He has entrusted to me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Denise and I made a deliberate choice to fully surrender to the call of God on our lives in the former USSR. It was a big decision and a huge step of surrender, but it was essential in order for us to begin the exciting journey God had planned for us and our family. Have you fully yielded to the call of God on your life, or is there something holding you back? If there is something hindering your full surrender, what are you going to do about it?

Have you been honest with God about your feelings — your fears, your concerns, and your questions — regarding this step of faith He is asking you to take? If you’ll open your heart and cast your cares on Him, the Father promises to lift that burden and give you peace. Why don’t you stop right now, and for the next few minutes, cast all of your cares and concerns onto Jesus? Let Him give you His peace that surpasses all natural understanding (see Philippians 4:7)!

Do you actually think Jesus would lead you where He wouldn’t provide for you? If you’re worried about provision, put that worry away once and for all — for where God calls, He also provides!