Living the Abundant Life: Recent Episodes
Alexis Carucci
If you look around the world, you can see how sickness, disease, violence, deception, fear, anxiety, stress, debt, poverty, and despair are all part of humanity’s situation. But Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” Whatever you need, He made a way for you to experience all that He is and has for you. Join me as we discover the keys to unlock the abundant life Jesus came to give us!
As we come to the last month of the year 2021, let's look back over this past year to remember and proclaim the amazing things the Lord has done for us personally as well as in America and the nations of the world. It's a time to rehearse our victories and miracles! We must not become so immersed in the difficulty we have experienced or are currently experiencing that we forget the miracles and victories that the Lord has done.
It is important to recount the many miracles and answers to prayer that we have experienced. We choose to thank God regularly and praise Him for the victories in our lives but especially during this season. It is important to remember and speak as we rehearse our victories as the Scriptures instruct us.
God always has a redemptive plan of help and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). When we rehearse the victories that God has given us in the past, it reminds us that He will help us overcome anything and gives us the courage to face the future. David recounted his victories before he went to confront Goliath (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Likewise, the children of Israel rehearsed their miracles and victories from generation to generation (Psalm 78:1-7).
Listen to this podcast to find out more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Harvest is a time we’ve all been waiting for. It is a time to reap what we have planted, tended, and believed for and a time to rejoice in the fruits of our labor. The Jewish people in the Old Testament celebrated three fall festivals, God’s appointed times celebrating the harvest gathering, times of rejoicing, and thanksgiving to God for His blessings (Leviticus 23:23-43).
As we turn towards the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons before us in the United States, it is a time to remember God’s blessings and thank and praise Him for all He has done during this past year to give Him a harvest of thanksgiving. No matter what we have faced these past months, there is no shortage of blessings. God has given us a harvest of blessings. We can be thankful for salvation, redemption, healing, deliverance, favor, provision, protection, guidance, peace, joy, family, spiritual gifts, talents, etc.
Many scriptures in the Bible remind us about the importance of keeping gratefulness and thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips. Take some time to recount what the Lord has blessed you with this past year, then meditate on those verses and declare them unto the Lord and over your life!
Listen to this podcast for more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Jesus Christ has commissioned every believer to go and make disciples (Mark 16:15). But this means we need to share Jesus Christ with people first! God wants to use every willing disciple in the entire church, which is His body, not just evangelists. So we must be willing to say, “Lord send me.” God is looking for harvesters of souls. People who are hungry and open to do whatever God wants them to do. People who are saying, “Lord, let me share your love with others” and ask the Holy Spirit to lead them.
The gospel of the kingdom of God is good news! So we must show the world our love, joy, peace, and unity as believers in Christ (John 13:35). How we live our lives, treat each other, and other people are the first things people in our sphere of influence will see, and then we can share our testimony and who Jesus Christ is. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). If He did it for me, He could do it for you. So we don’t have to have a perfect life but reveal Christ in us and share how we got to the victory, He has given us.
We must have a love for the lost, even as Jesus did (Matthew 9:36). Jesus will be returning to receive all those who belong to Him to live forever with Him and judge those who don’t know Him (Acts 1:11; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Matthew 24:26-27, 36; 25:31-46; Revelation 1:7). Jesus gave His life for us and said He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:8-10).
Listen to the complete podcast to find out more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Jesus is the Lord of the harvest, and He is calling us to help Him bring in His end-time crops, the biggest harvest of souls the world has ever seen.
So, what must we do to prepare for the harvest? First, we must consider the condition of our hearts and how we are living our lives. An awakening and revival come before the harvest and these start with us. We must allow God to reveal what is in our hearts that is not pleasing in His sight and harmful to us and our relationship with Him. Repentance means changing your mind by turning from following your way and turning to God, asking Him to forgive you, and forsaking your sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine the light on your heart, then, ask the Lord to baptize you again with the Holy Spirit and fire to consume all that is not pleasing to Him.
After we repent by changing our minds and turning from our sin, surrendering to Him is the next step. We make Jesus King of our lives by submitting our hearts, wills, and lives to Him completely. Surrender to His Lordship will allow us to willingly share Christ with others because we love Him and have already counted the cost of being His disciple.
Jesus tells us to pray to Him as Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest because the fields are ripe. So then, evangelism or sharing the gospel is the next step in making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Listen to this podcast or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com for more details.
The fall season is an exciting time of the year. First, the leaves take on beautiful colors and fall to the ground as the trees prepare to rest for the winter. Then, finally, there is a cooling down, and the air becomes cool and crisp, bringing refreshment. Change is happening all around us! The Jewish people celebrated three fall festivals, God’s appointed times celebrating the harvest gathering, times of rejoicing, and thanksgiving to God for His blessings (Leviticus 23:23-43).
The themes of the fall feasts are significant to us as believers in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the feasts and the entire Old Testament (Luke 24:25-26). The feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) teaches repentance, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), redemption, and the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) rejoicing.
The fall season is a great time to set in motion a faith-based examination of our lives. Do we believe in a spiritual and financial harvest, and are we contending for it? Are there things we have allowed to slip that the Holy Spirit has instructed us to do? Remember, disobedience is sin (James 4:17). Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us? We must not allow fading of our passion for growing or letting things sap our energy, for we will reap a harvest in due season if we do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9).
Listen to this podcast to find out more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Our featured verse in Hebrews 3:1 tells us that we are partakers of the heavenly calling as believers. But what exactly does that mean? To answer that question, we must first and always consider and fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession of the faith we profess. We find the explanation of the heavenly calling in the following verses:
And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:9 – 10
Jesus is the Apostle or sent one from God the Father. God, the Father, also is the One who declared Jesus as our High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6). Jesus, our High Priest, became like us and died once for all so that we can come before the throne of grace to receive grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14 – 16; 7:20-28). Because Jesus lives forever, He has an unchangeable priesthood and always lives to make intercession for us.
Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. So also, not only are we kings and priests, but we shall reign with Him in life and for a thousand years (Romans 5:17; Revelation 20:6). We reign over the curse of the law even as Jesus had victory over the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). He has given us authority as kings. We sit on our spiritual throne next to our King Jesus in heavenly places, and it is a heavenly calling (Ephesians 2:6).
Listen to this podcast to find out more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Let’s look at some things that can hinder and keep us from fulfilling our calling. We are running a race and must endure to the end (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7). Our featured verse (Hebrews 12:1) reveals two things that can keep us from finishing our race and must be addressed, i.e., every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.
What might be considered some weights that could keep us from finishing our race? These can be a hindrance when they become more important than following God, e.g., money, security, relationships, etc. Jesus discussed the cost of discipleship in Luke 9:57-62.
Other things will also hinder us from moving forward into the calling that God has for our lives, i.e., not trusting God and not following the leading of the Holy Spirit, not submitting to God’s process, and getting ahead of God to birth things in the flesh.
Listen to this podcast to find out more or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
God created us for a purpose, and we all have a specific, unique vocational or life calling upon our lives (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:16). Only those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can fully step into the calling that God has for their life. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a calling as a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action or vocation, especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence. The call upon our lives is not a career choice but a call from the Holy Spirit. Your call may be to the ministry, the marketplace (business or work arena), education, politics, raising your children, etc. We must find out how to walk in it to live a satisfied and fulfilled life as God intended.
We are the body of Christ. There are many members in the body but one body of Christ and members individually (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). God has appointed and anointed each of us to fulfill the purpose that He created us for and advance His kingdom.
Why did God give us a specific calling? It is to diversify and cover all areas needed to build His kingdom and bring order and kingdom rule wherever we go. It is just like building a house in the natural. First, there is an architect or designer, then a contractor over the project who brings in the specialized workers or subcontractors needed at the proper time. God is the architect and designer, and Jesus is the contractor. We are subcontractors or specialized workers. We are co-laborers with Him in building His house called Zion (Psalm 132:13-14; Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field; you are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9
How do I find out what I’m called to do?
Find out more as you listen to this podcast or read the blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
There is a calling placed upon every person’s life, whether a believer or an unbeliever. God created us on purpose for a purpose. God knew us and wrote a book about us even before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:16). God reveals Himself through creation, the preaching, and teaching of His Word, prophecy, dreams, and visions, etc. It is the Holy Spirit who brings revelation and draws us to Jesus Christ (John 6:44). He calls every person to come into a relationship and reconcile with the Father through His Son Jesus (John 16:8-11).
Only those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can step into the calling that God has for their life. As a Christian and believer in Christ Jesus, you have a calling. There are two types of callings the Bible talks about, 1) a general or faith calling that God has placed on every Christian, and 2) a specific or unique vocational or life calling.
Listen to find out more about being called of God.
See written blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com
Do you remember what it was like when you were first in love? I can remember the feeling of butterflies in my stomach, the excitement of thinking about them, looking forward to spending time with them, doing special things for them, and talking to the person I loved. I couldn’t wait to talk or be with them!
That is what God wants in our relationship with Him. He desires to spend time with us and us with Him by worshiping, praying, and reading His Word. But God not only loves us, but He is good and has good things for us (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28).
Love isn’t just a feeling but a choice. God the Father showed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins to reconcile us to Himself and live through Him (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9). Jesus reconciled us and made peace with the Father through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:19-20).
Love fulfills the law or the commandments (Matthew 22:36 – 40; Romans 13:10). Jesus told us the answer about how to love God in John 14:15; “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” We are to love God and walk in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19). Love puts Him first and obeys what He says to do.
We must guard against being distracted by the things of the world that would lead us astray from His presence and love. We are to come out from the world and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17). We must not allow and go back to the things we used to do before Christ that do not glorify Him or things He has told us to let go of. He does not want us to remain or go back into bondage from the enemy.
We are called to holiness and to grow in holiness. (1 Peter 1:16). To be holy means to be set apart or separated unto. Idols need to be removed. The church needs cleansing as well as our own lives. Jesus is preparing us to be His glorious bride without spot or blemish (Revelation 19:7-9; Ephesians 5:25-32). We must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and allow His power to be revealed in and through us. We are the body of Jesus Christ on the earth and are called to release His kingdom wherever we go. Jesus warns us against leaving our first love for Him (Revelation 2:4-5).
When we lose sight of His love and commandments by going our own way, we experience negative consequences. He gives us any commandments to keep us safe in His love. Remember how He wanted to walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to fellowship with them until their disobedience changed their relationship and they experienced separation from Him (Genesis 2:8-3:24). So likewise, our Heavenly Father experiences the pain of love when we walk away from Him and don’t dwell or abide in Him, receiving His love. However, His heart has not changed. That is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to restore our relationship with Him. He doesn’t want to keep good things from us but give us eternal and abundant life (John 3:16; 10:10). Therefore, we must have a correct perspective on who God is so that we can love and trust Him.
God’s heart is yearning for you! He wants a deeper love walk with you. If you have been away from Him, turn your heart back to Him! God wants the restoration of your relationship and to manifest His love! So, ask His forgiveness and repent for anyplace in your life you have turned from your first love of Him. Then, ask the Holy Spirit what you need to do to restore intimacy in your relationship with the Father and obey what He tells you to do. Our love for Him grows as we spend time in His presence through worship, prayer, and meditating on the Word of God and by putting Him first! Then, when you have a revelation of God’s love, you can’t help but love Him and share His love with others!
There are many definitions of true love, but we can only find true love that never fails and is perfect in God because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). New Testament Greek language separates the word love into four different categories: 1) Eros which is erotic, passionate love. 2) Phileo is the love of friends or brotherly love, 3) Storge is the love of parents for children, and 4) Agape, which refers to God’s love for us and our reciprocal love for God and others (1 John 4:19).
God’s love is unselfish, unconditional, unfailing, eternal, and is the highest form of love (Psalm 36:7; 136:26). He wants the best for you. Because of God’s agape love, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to reconcile us and redeem us (John 3:16, 15:13; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10).
There is no greater love than our Heavenly Father has for us, as His children (1 John 3:1). He loves us no matter what! His love transforms our lives and moves the mountains of circumstances that would keep us from knowing Him and receiving all that He has provided for us through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.
Listen to find out more about how much God loves you!
God’s love brings healing because He has a true father’s heart, one full of compassion, understanding, and a desire for our health and wholeness. Therefore, being healed and whole has always been God’s heart for us, His precious children. Furthermore, Jesus understands what life is like for us because He went through these things also, i.e., temptation, disappointment, suffering, weariness, grief and sorrow, rejection, loneliness, etc.
God sent His Son Jesus because of His love for us (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16). Through the fall of humankind in the Garden of Eden, we lost everything. However, Jesus recovered all through His atonement (the reconciliation of humanity to God). Sin, death, disease, and poverty are part of the curse that Christ redeemed us from through His atonement on the cross. Healing is part of God’s redemptive plan. Everything that Jesus obtained for us through the cross is available to us. He took our sins, sicknesses, diseases, and infirmities upon His own body to bring us healing spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, and relationally (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24).
Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). We don’t have to see or understand everything that happens in our lives at the moment, but we can look to Jesus and trust that God is good, He is good at being God, and He will work all things out for good for those who believe and follow Him (Romans 8:28). When we truly know and believe that God loves us, we can trust Him with our lives and in any situation or circumstance that we may find ourselves.
Love originates in God because He is love (1 John 4:7-10). God’s love is unconditional, everlasting, and motivated by His grace. Because God loves us, He wants us to live in peace with Him and to receive eternal life so that we can live with Him forever and experience abundant life now (John 3:16; 10:10). But our sin separates us from God. It entered humankind through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and has been passed on ever since (Romans 3:23; 5:12). However, God had a plan so that we could have peace with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1; 6:23).
Jesus is God the Son, who came in the flesh and revealed God exists (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9). He is God’s love gift to all of us to reunite us to the relationship with God the Father. God created us to have a relationship with Him and wants to be with us so much that He gave His Son to die to restore us to that relationship.
God’s love is victorious because He has redeemed us through His Son Jesus Christ, blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and given us everything we need for life and godliness (Ephesians 1:3, 7; 2 Peter 1:3). Furthermore, Jesus defeated Satan and the power of death that held us in bondage and gave us everlasting life (Hebrews 2:14-15; 2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 1:8).
God speaks prophetically from the calendar. Therefore, the Hebrew calendar moves forward on the first day of Tishrei (the seventh month), also known as the Feast of Trumpets and Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Monday at sundown on September 6, 2021. It continues until sunset on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 (Leviticus 23:23-25). Rosh Hashanah translates from Hebrew to “the head of the year” and marks the start of the Jewish New Year and the High Holy Days that follow, i.e., the 10 Days of Awe of reflection and repentance leading to Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.
Rosh Hashanah is also a joyous celebration reflecting on what God has done and hoping for a happier new year. The feasts are parties. The Feast of Trumpets is one of the holy days that the Israelites were to keep. God revealed to Moses the exact time and how the people should celebrate. During the feast, the people would bring various offerings to the Lord (Numbers 29:1 – 6). All the Old Testament feasts in the Bible point to Christ Jesus. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), He is not just in the New Testament but seen throughout the whole Bible. We can celebrate because we are grafted in (Romans 11:11-36).
The Feast of Trumpets and the shofar blowing represents making Jesus King and announcing His return (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 11:15). He is preparing, equipping, and refining us. Let us hear what the Spirit is saying!
We can see from the Bible that numbers are important to Him. Numbers don’t define or dictate, and there isn’t any power in numbers, but they glorify God. They are prophetic or predictive markers, have layers of revelations, and have both a redeeming and non-redeeming version. They show us where we are to look and see Jesus. Prophecy is not to scare us but to prepare us.
We are entering the Hebrew Year 5782 and currently in the decade of the ’80s, or in Hebrew Pey, which is symbolic of mouth and breath (speech, word, vocalization). We must align our words with God’s mouth, open our mouths, speak out, and proclaim the truth, but there has been resistance (covering our mouths with masks, sheltering in place, social distancing, etc.). Yet, the world must hear our voice.
Beht (2) refers to a tent, house, or place where you live or where God lives. God is the strength of the house, and He is doing something with the house. The house or church belongs to Jesus, which is His body. I believe the Lord wants to cleanse, transform, revive, restore and rearrange His house, preparing and equipping us for new kingdom assignments and dimensions for the harvest of souls.
Listen to this podcast to hear what the Lord is revealing for the Hebrew Year 5782.