Archived Stories ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Rob Stapleton Genesis Revealed September 6, 2024 By Rob Stapleton The Importance of Rest (Genesis 2:2-3) • Scripture: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” • Application: Just as God rested, we too need to take time to rest and rejuvenate. This can help prevent burnout and maintain a healthy balance in life.2. The Value of Obedience (Genesis 2:16-17) • Scripture: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” • Application: Obedience to God’s commands is crucial. It teaches us discipline and helps us avoid the consequences of disobedience.3. The Consequences of Sin (Genesis 3:6-7) • Scripture: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” • Application: Sin has consequences that affect not only ourselves but also those around us. Recognizing this can help us strive to live righteously.4. The Promise of Redemption (Genesis 3:15) • Scripture: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” • Application: Even in the midst of sin, God provides a promise of redemption. This gives us hope and assurance of His grace and mercy.5. Stewardship of Creation (Genesis 1:28) • Scripture: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” • Application: We are called to be good stewards of the earth. This means taking care of the environment and using resources wisely.6. The Power of Unity (Genesis 11:6) • Scripture: “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” • Application: Unity among people can lead to great achievements. Working together harmoniously can help us accomplish more than we could individually. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* The Light of Truth September 5, 2024 1 John 1 King James Version 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. This chapter holds so many important truths I felt compelled to include it in this story, so we can refer back to it as we go. It begins with testimony from John, stating that he is a personal witness, as well as the other apostles and that they are together as one and in total agreement. He says that he and his fellow apostles are followers convinced and true believers in the fact that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, sent from God and manifested as a man through the Virgin Birth. He is testifying that what they have written is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as witnessed with their own eyes, and heard spoken directly by Jesus, with their own ears. In verses 5-6, it tells us God is light, and since we know that God is good, we conclude, that God views light as good. Further proof of that is, Jesus said that he is the light, the truth, and the way. It says that in him is no darkness therefore there is no evil in him. It continues to say if we walk in darkness, and say we walk with him, then we are not being truthful. So, does that mean, that to walk with God means we must be sinless? It may appear so if you were to stop reading there. But let’s move on to the next verse, where it really starts getting good. This verse says, if we walk in the light we have fellowship with other Christians, as well as God himself! But how is that possible if God can’t be in the presence of darkness? We were born into sin and have the righteousness of filthy rags? Oh, I see now, we were overlooking the last part of the verse, where it says; that the blood of Christ, cleanses us of our sins. His sacrifice makes us clean. Not our good works, not our great faith, but by His Grace alone, are we cleansed of sin making us acceptable to approach God. God can now fellowship with us because Jesus removed our darkness (sin). One of the titles Jesus calls himself is, “The truth.” And in verse 8 it says that if we deny that we have sin in our life, there is no truth in us. We can substitute the word truth in that sentence and find yet another nugget of truth. What does the Bible say we must do to get Jesus to enter our lives and save our souls? One of the things we must do is, admit that we are a sinner and repent! Therefore, if we say we have no sin in our lives, we can’t have Jesus, because the truth (Which is Jesus) is not in us. If he is not in us, then his blood will not cleanse us. In these verses, John addresses what many call the A,B,C,s of Salvation. In order to be saved, we must first Admit that we are a sinner. We have to Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and has all power. And then we must Confess that we have given our life over to Him and that he is the Lord of our life. And finally, the greatest part of all this is when he says, that Jesus is FAITHFUL to forgive our sins! This is his promise. It didn’t say, as long as your sins aren’t too great, or if you promise to….., He doesn’t tell us to go fix ourselves and come back, or do this or that and then maybe he will consider saving us. It promises us that no matter how great our sin is, who we did it to, or how long we did it, He is faithful to forgive! I hope you have been able to follow my ramblings so far, but if you are anything like me, all this raised another question. I understand that Jesus cleansed us with his blood when we were saved, and I read how if we say we have not sinned, we are a liar. Well, the truth is, I continue to sin, even though I have been saved. What about that sin? Before Jesus came and died on the cross, man had to offer animal sacrifices to atone for their sins. That wasn’t sufficient. If they were anything like me, every species of animal on earth, would already be extinct, trying to pay for our many sins! That is exactly why God sent his only Son to be the sacrificial lamb. He is the only one worthy enough to pay for all our sins. And when he laid down his life as a Holy Sacrifice, it not only covered all the people, who came before him, but the ones of his day and all that came after him. His blood covered my past sins as well as my present and future ones. If all this weren’t true then we would have to live our lives in fear of committing that last sin, and not having time to repent for it. God does not save you, only for your eternal life to remain hanging in limbo, and the timing of your last sin to be like a coin toss. When God saves us, our names are immediately added to the Lambs’ Book of Life, and we are forever, sealed by the blood of Jesus. No man, principality, or any other creature has the power to remove it! All God expects from us is to live our lives striving to follow his commandments, and when we fail, we are to confess and repent our sins. God understands our human condition. He knows we are weak and unable to make it on our own. Because of his great love for mankind, because he is a compassionate god, and because of his mercy, he made a way for all man to escape their sinful debt, and without that, we would all be lost and dying, and headed for an eternal Hell! There has never been, nor will there ever be a greater love story, than the Gospel of God. Though he goes by many names, and none do him justice, I feel humbled and honored, so greatly, words won’t describe it, for the mere fact that he allows me to call him Father. Scripture of The Day: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Are You Worthy September 3, 2024 Do you ever feel like you are your own worst enemy? Do you feel like you constantly do things, to and for yourself, which you know are not beneficial? Have you asked yourself why you are harder on yourself than anything someone else throws at you? Do you suffer from low self-esteem? Ok, I know this is beginning to sound like a commercial for some new drug out on the market. LOL. If you do consult with your doctor about Self Blaster, the all-new 20 times-a-day medication that will help you with all these problems and many you don’t even know you have yet! Have you ever wondered if doctors are sick of people asking about these new medications and TV diagnosing everyone’s illnesses? Sorry, I digressed, I may have forgotten to take my medicine for my forgetfulness and the many other conditions, that didn’t exist until recently. But back to the point, why is it, that some people have over-inflated egos and are so full of themselves, that they can find no fault in themselves, while others beat themselves up consistently? Going to either extreme is detrimental. While people tend to see confidence as an appealing characteristic, hubris is seldom if ever, appreciated and most often looked down on. An inflated ego usually makes one appear desperate and insecure. It goes hand-in-hand with the old saying, “Me thinks he protesteth too much!” Meaning when someone is lying, they sometimes go way too far trying to prove their innocence. Therefore, if someone is lying about who they truly are, it would stand to reason, that they would overcompensate, trying to sell you on who they are pretending to be. The Bible has much to say about boasting and being prideful, and it is all bad. One scripture may sum it up pretty well though, Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Read Jeremiah 9:23. God warns us throughout the Bible, not to be guilty of pride, that anything we have to be proud of came from him, and we should glorify him for that good. If you were blessed with a beautiful voice, use your talent to honor the Father, not to feather the nest of your vanity. What about the rest of us, who struggle with realizing our self-worth? We need to go back to the first two chapters of Genesis. God created the heavens and the earth. And you would be hard-pressed to find anyone whether they believe God was the creator or not, who won’t agree on how breathtakingly amazing they are. He created the mountains and the seas, and every animal therein. Who won’t expound on how astonishing each and every creature is, in its own right? Who isn’t mesmerized and intoxicated by the wonder and beauty of the seas and mountains? But God’s masterpiece, his Pie`ce de re`sistance, of all his creations is mankind. He created man in his own image. He gave man many of his same attributes. He favored man and created him because he sought to have a relationship with him. And if we can glorify his other creations, how can we not see the greatness of man? How can we think so little of ourselves? But God didn’t stop there. When he saw that Satan had defiled his masterpiece and brought sin into our lives, he wasn’t about to stand for that. He sacrificed his only begotten Son to make a way for You and me to inherit all the wonderful things he has in store for us. If God places such high value on us, who are we, what gives us the right, to think so lowly of ourselves and belittle ourselves? We are children of God, the King of Kings, the Lord of the universe, and the creator of all things. And because of Jesus’s sacrifice and God’s love, we are the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. AMEN! The next time, Self, starts whispering in your ear, (and by the way, you should know, that’s not Self at all, it’s Satan), remind him, just who it is he is talking to. Are we going to allow him or anyone else to bad-mouth and discredit God’s creation? Or with great pride for our Heavenly Father, send him and his bunch of lies packing! We wouldn’t allow anyone to talk about our family that way. Should we respect God any less? The definition of being humble is, “Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance.” It goes hand in hand with self-deprivation, which means, ”Voluntary denial or suppression of one’s own interests or desires.” And one more word worth examining is altruistic, which means, ”the desire to help others without expecting anything in return.” Jesus’s life is the perfect example of all these words. We need only to follow in his footsteps to find the perfect balance between too much and not enough, self-esteem. And we should be very cautious not to allow ourselves to fall into self-abasement, which is when we feel inferior or humiliate and harm ourselves, through our own thought. That type of thinking and actions are almost always a direct result of guilt or fear, and if you are a child of God, you should no longer be carrying that around with you. God has forgiven your sins and transgressions, therefore you should have forgiven yourself as well. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” God does not want us to feel inferior or superior. He created us in his image, he gave us many of his attributes, and the spirit he wants to see in us is found in his Holy Word, Read Galatians 5:22-23. If you feel less than worthy, if you are carrying the shame of your past, if you feel inferior, it’s time to lift your head up, while you’re at it, throw your hands and arms up, and scream within you, Holy, Holy, Holy, is your name. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, the peace and joy that only our Father can offer you. His sacrifice paid your debt, he has freed you from your shame, ask him to help you accept this, and let his joy fill you till there is no more room for the hurt and guilt Satan tries to bind your spirit with. There simply is no greater high than to be high on God! Scripture of The Day: Psalms 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Labor Day September 2, 2024 Labor Day is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday of September. It is a day we honor the American workers who built this great country. Their hard work, ingenuity, and dedication gave the United States the world’s most prosperous, productive, and skilled workforce, the world has ever seen. We often use the GDP or Gross Domestic Product to measure our production capabilities, and in 2022, our GDP was 25.44 trillion dollars, compared to China at 17.96 trillion, and Japan falling in at just over 4 trillion dollars. For these reasons and many more, let us honor every man and woman, who contributes to our economy, allowing us to be considered the greatest nation in the world. I also would like to mention and thank our political leaders for spending our hard-won taxes in such a prudent and responsible way. In the year 2022, they spent 1,375,388,552,955 trillion dollars more than we made as our GDP! You’re probably thinking, that’s not all that bad right (lol). Compared to the national deficit in 2015, which came in at 438,898,858,123 billion dollars. But wait, that’s not the best news. This year the national deficit is projected to be, 1,516,998,592,507 trillion dollars. This number represents a three hundred and forty-five % increase since 2015!!!! I want to reiterate, that this number represents how much money we spent over our budget! Not only are we not paying down our debt, but we are steadily increasing the amount, we go over each year. If your head isn’t already hurting, I need to add one more item we should be sure to give thanks to our leadership. And that is the amount of interest we pay annually on the debt we have already accrued. For the fiscal year of 2024, we owe 763 billion dollars in interest, which is more than we spend on our national defense, and comes in second only to Social Security. I don’t know how you manage your personal finances, but I must be a financial genius because my family not only operates on a balanced budget, but we actually have a small surplus. It could have something to do with old-fashioned horse sense, DON’T SPEND MORE THAN YOU MAKE! I hope I spelled all that out clearly enough that we can all appreciate the genius and hard work our political leaders have given us. I want to mention one more thing, and then I promise to move on. I want to express my deep appreciation for the warmth and professionalism I experience each time, I have dealings with one of our government agencies. I can’t find words to show my gratitude for the way I am treated with respect and honor, just for being a hard-working, tax-paying citizen, and helping pay the salaries and operating expenses, of these government agencies. OK, let me keep my promise and change subjects. I want to talk about a man, who lived some two thousand years ago. He devoted his whole life, towards making our lives better. He certainly was no politician, he wanted little to do with politics. But he was a shining example of being a dedicated and hard-working individual, who rejoiced and prided himself in making this world better. This man had a well-defined idea of his purpose and the role he played in the lives of others. He held a deep respect for his position and mission. From a young age, he was goal-oriented and willing to sacrifice everything to accomplish the task, he had been assigned. He selflessly and tirelessly went about his work, giving no thought to his personal feelings or needs. This man’s character was beyond reproach. He was the literal definition of virtuous. He never made a promise he didn’t keep. He was never unkind to anyone, and he wasn’t interested in what someone could offer or do for him, he wanted to share what he had with them. He never compromised his beliefs even when they were unpopular and caused him extreme difficulties. He devoted his entire life to serving others and in return for all the good he did, he was hated and feared. He was charged as a criminal even though he had done no wrong. He was beaten, whipped, spit on, and ridiculed. He eventually was put to death in one of the most cruel and inhumane methods known to mankind. And even through all of that, it never changed him. He was the same man hanging on that cross he was when he was healing the lame or forgiving a sinner. That man’s name was Jesus Christ. What really puzzles me, what really makes my head and my heart, ache is why are we willing to trust and put our faith in men like our politicians, who tout very questionable records, and then mistrust, avoid, and are apprehensive of a man like Jesus? Where is the sense in that? Scripture of The Day: 2 Timothy 2:11-13 “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Stairway To Heaven August 29, 2024 Many of us spend several years of our lives, climbing that ladder of success. Unless you were born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth, to land a high-paying job or start your own business meant either going to college and acquiring an elite degree, or starting at the bottom and working your way up that ladder, one step at a time. There is nothing shameful about an entry-level job. On the contrary, I think it is admirable and quite possibly the best way to learn the ins and outs of a company. My elders taught me that, all honest work should be respected, whether it is pushing a broom, filing papers and answering phones, or serving a burger. But anyone who has started at the bottom would probably be less than honest if they didn’t admit they would have preferred, not to have had to start there. If there were an honest shortcut or taking a more direct path to success, they would jump on it in a heartbeat. In the days past, companies held strict compliance to respecting and adhering to time on the job preference for hiring and promotion policies. Labor unions still adhere to those practices. But more and more, companies are beginning to see and understand, that time on the job does not always equate with performance, value, and proficiency. Some might argue, it’s not fair, to promote the new guy in the department when you have people who have been faithful to the company and have 10 to 15 years of seniority. I would argue, that those who make that argument, are probably the same ones who do the least work they can get by and keep their jobs. I would also argue, that they have had 10 to 15 years to prove themselves worthy of a promotion. And if they have failed to show their value in that amount of time they never will. No matter what your policies are, there will always be those who view them as being unfair. Read Matthew 20:1-16. I previously mentioned, how God is a progressive thinker, and has proven his words are prophetic in many ways. While some look at him and his ideas as ancient, (and he is) and perceive his thinking as dated and no longer applicable to our modern world. I believe the opposite to be true. We can never catch up to his thinking and ideas, and we are the ones, behind the eight ball. HR- Departments around the world have only recently begun to discover proper ways to treat people to gain their trust and loyalty. God has been doing that since the beginning of time. Companies are finally realizing and accepting, that workers need time to rest and be with their families. They need time to deal with personal crises, and other aspects of their home lives, to be more effective on the job. God knew we needed that before we did. Businesses have come to grips, with what a major role the health of their workers, and even that of their families, play in productivity. Again, God has always known that we should treat our bodies as temples. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and others are in the news almost daily, with new ideas and methods for becoming more productive when the simple truth is, it always comes back to the quality of their employee’s lives. God has always been fully aware of people’s needs. He knows and teaches us how to live a more rounded, full, and happy life. Jesus said,” He came so we could, not only have life, but have it more abundantly.” Companies hire people based on one’s abilities and what they can offer the company. Once hired, they put you through a short training period, then turn you loose and tell you to perform. They have expectations and if you fail to meet those requirements, they will terminate you from the company. Jesus doesn’t just bring you into his fold and expect you to make it alone. He mentors you, teaching you how to navigate this world. He enables you and provides you with the things you need, to do what he asks of you. Read John 14:12. Companies welcome you, and act like they care about you. They tell you how you are now one of their family. But the minute you become ineffective and unable to produce, you are no longer welcome in that family. When God welcomes you into his family it is forever, and He is not looking for what he can glean from you, He wants to give to you instead. He wants to share all that he has with you. 1st John 3:1 says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God:” Some companies offer sign-on bonuses in addition to, generous benefits packages, attempting to seduce prospective candidates to join their company. If you have the right credentials, they are willing to bend over backward and offer the sun or moon, all to get you to commit to joining them. Even our military offers enlistment bonuses, as if the honor and privilege of wearing that uniform and serving our great country isn’t enough enticement. But God has never changed what he offers, and his offer doesn’t vary from person to person. It is an open offer to one and all and remains constant. When I was a boy, there was a huge company near where I lived called The Nickel Plant. I’m not quite sure what they did there, but it had to do with metal fabrication (I assume nickel, from the name). Anyway, it was the highest-paying employer in the area. Some of the people who worked there boasted about where they worked and were envied, and it was considered a prestigious job, due to the salaries they paid. Living for God doesn’t come with a huge paycheck, although he gives riches beyond our imagination. His benefits don’t usually come in the form of cash, but trust me, they will far exceed anything these rich CEOs and Presidents receive. And even though there is no more prestigious title in the world, many Christians act as if they are ashamed of their title and even their benefactor. They cower and nearly faint, at the mere thought of discussing their faith, and act ashamed to acknowledge God in public, or even be seen praying over their meal. God predicted that as well, he wrote in the book of Mathew 10:32-33, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.” Getting back to the point of this story, many people are willing to sacrifice anything and everything to climb that corporate ladder. They dream of becoming rich and successful. And while a few do succeed, many more never make it up that ladder. They waste their lives, depriving themselves of everything good, and end up worse off than when they started, because they have even sacrificed their families, their health, and possibly even their souls. And the ones who are fortunate enough to succeed, usually find out, it’s not as glamorous as it appears. They discover they are not the master of their universe, their careers own them, and dictate their every thought and move. When their eyes open, they find that they are no more than a very well-dressed puppet, living in a beautiful home where they can’t enjoy and driving fine cars that mean nothing to them. They live a hollow mirage of a successful life. Satan lured them into this life with shiny things and promises, and because they have given up everything to get here, they are willing to put up with anything, to keep it. They are enslaved by the very same things they fought so hard to get. God warns us not to heap up treasures in this world, but to instead lay up our treasures in Heaven. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also. You can spend your life worrying about how to get and keep more treasure. Worrying about how to stop someone from stealing it from you, or you can seek treasures with real value. Treasures that will bring you peace and happiness and the promise of eternal happiness. You can spend your life climbing that corporate ladder searching for riches, or you can climb that stairway to Heaven, and know that you are successful beyond your wildest dreams. The choice is yours to make. God’s Intern or Satan’s Flunky. Both positions are available! Scripture of The Day: 1st Corinthians 3:13-15 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Science Proves It Again August 26, 2024 Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” Meaning when one object exerts a force on another, the second object will exert an equal force in the opposite direction. A good example is when you fire a gun, the gunpowder explodes and creates hot gases that expand outward and channel the direction along the length of the barrel propelling the bullet forward. That force is also matched in the opposite direction, thus creating what is referred to as the kick of the weapon. This law could apply in other areas of life as well. Many times, when people want to change someone else’s mind or try to get their point across, they try to force the issue and get results much like Newton’s Law. The harder they push, the harder someone pushes back. A lot of Christians have earned the moniker of Bible Thumpers, by using this approach. Having the desire and wanting to share the Gospel is a great work and should be a priority for all Christians. However, generally speaking, a softer approach is a much better option. Jesus didn’t force himself on anyone. He let his life and works speak for him. He allowed love to guide him, his words and deeds to reaffirm him, and his faith in the Father to legitimize him. That is what we Christians must do to witness to a world that thinks they have either heard this message before, don’t think they need to hear this message, or based on what they know, don’t want to hear it. We must carry ourselves and present ourselves in a way pleasing to God, and let the whole world see how having God in your life has made a positive change in you. That is what is meant by letting your light shine. Read Luke 11:33. Continuing on with our physics lesson, let’s look at Newton’s first Law of Motion, which deals with inertia. It says an object in motion will continue to move forward in a straight line at a constant speed or an object at rest will remain at rest, until an outside force acts upon it. Meaning, with or without gravity, an object will remain motionless unless a force is applied to it. And an object in motion will continue to travel at the same speed and same direction until an outside force interrupts its movement. You might ask, how is he going to tie this law to a Christian lesson? Good question, I’m glad you asked. An object at rest reminds me of an unsaved person. They are living their lives and going about their business each day never doing anything for God and probably never giving him much thought, until,,,,,,,,, an outside force acts upon them. A friend talks to them about God, or maybe they happen to hear the word being preached, or they pick up a bible out of curiosity. Or perhaps the most powerful outside force imaginable begins to act on them, the Holy Spirit. And when that happens, one of two things will take place. They are either attracted to that force and run towards it or will be repelled by it and run away as fast and hard as they can. The one thing that doesn’t happen, is for there to be no reaction. For now, let’s focus on the people who are attracted by this force. When someone meets Jesus, a change occurs. If you remember Science class we learned that substances can experience a physical or chemical change. A physical change is like when water freezes to ice, it’s still water but in a different form. A chemical change is like when you burn wood, it is no longer the same substance. When you allow God to come into your life, it’s not just a physical change, because you are no longer the same person. In fairness, I couldn’t call it a chemical change, because your DNA and physical appearance remain the same. So here, I suppose we must look outside of science and come up with a name and definition for this type of change. And since it is caused by the Holy Ghost, let’s call it a spiritual change. Meaning, the physical body remains the same, while the spirit is completely re-born into a new creature. This rebirth fuels new energy and life into its host and that energy thrusts it into motion. They set out with zealousness to serve God and obey his commandments. But remember that first law, once an object is set in motion, it will remain in motion and headed the same direction and speed, until an outside force acts on it. Well, Satan does not like the direction or speed that person is headed, so he quickly becomes that outside force, trying to either deflect that person away from their target or shut them down completely. He will throw every dart in his arsenal, and put up every roadblock, to accomplish this mission. If we apply our scientific knowledge, we know E = mc2, and if we want to make it harder for Satan to stop us from accomplishing our goals, we must increase our energy, get our mass in gear, and gain enough velocity to make it to Heaven. Right? Are you following me so far? PLEASE DON”T LEAVE YET!!!! Ok, so I’ve been having some fun with you and probably got your head hurting and you thinking this guy has completely lost his marbles. I did all this to make a point. This is exactly what Satan and the world try to do to you! They want you to think that turning your life over to God is too hard, it’s too complicated to learn and follow all his rules. You’ll never have any fun. And you will never be able to live up to His expectations. None of this could be further from the truth. Mathew 11:28-30 says, ”Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God doesn’t ask you to change anything or require you to do anything in order for you to come to him, as a matter of fact, he wants you to come as you are. He knows if you could have changed or fixed yourself, you would have already done it, and wouldn’t need him. Read Isaiah 55:1-3. He doesn’t want to bind you down with chains of restrictions, he is a deliverer, He will free you from your slavery to Satan. Read Psalms 32:8-10. Satan tries to keep you enslaved and unbalanced by keeping the truth from you. He tells you lies accusing God of the very things he is already doing to you. It’s time to think for yourself and take a stand. Test the waters and see who is being truthful with you. It’s not hard to see who has your best interest at heart. And it does not require you to be a rocket scientist or a nuclear physicist, to figure this one out! Scripture of The Day: Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Insurance VS Assurance August 22, 2024 With all the uncertainty in the world, it is easy to understand why people are uneasy. There are wars and rumors of wars, biological threats popping up all the time, our food supplies are constantly being recalled for contaminants, and seems like every week, there has been another mass shooting, bombing, or some other type of evil violence. All I hear on the radio anymore is ads about survivalist supplies. They are urging people to stock up on emergency food rations, medications, and generators. The other thing I hear about daily is converting your savings and retirement funds into gold because of all the talk about the U.S. dollar crashing. While I have always seen the benefit of being prepared for emergencies, I feel these companies are promoting their companies and getting rich, by exploiting and playing on peoples’ fear. Case in point, these gold companies are telling you to convert your money into gold because cash is going to be worthless. Well, if I owned a pile of gold and truly believed that was about to take place, I would not trade my precious gold for the currency that would be worth nothing, would you? It reminds me of the mentality of the 50s when everyone was spending their fortunes on bomb shelters, so they could be able to survive a nuclear attack. Why would anyone want to survive and be forced to live in the aftermath of the destruction of society? What kind of life could that possibly be? I wouldn’t want to live in a world where I had to threaten to kill my neighbors, because they were starving and going to break into my bunker and steal my huge supply of emergency rations, and the motto of the day was, “survive at all cost”. Hollywood has painted a grim picture of what things would be like if it all hit the fan. Movies like Mad Max, Apocalypse Now, and others show a world where social order has gone out the window, and only the toughest and cruelest, have any hope of survival. It would be a dog-eat-dog world where meeting your basic needs would consume your entire existence. Many people believe the book of Revelation, found in the Bible, tells almost an identical story, and nothing could be further from the truth. Every word of the Bible is one big love story, full of promises written by God, and given to mankind. While the book of Revelation does in fact predict some gruesome scenarios, it was written as a warning to mankind telling us what would come to be and how we can avoid having to go through the agony it will bring. It is a promise to his children that their pain and suffering will not last forever. It is a reminder of his sovereignty, and how He will take back this world. It is a promise that in the end, good will prevail and will triumph over evil. He like any good father is trying to warn of what is coming and teach us to prepare for it. Read Mathew 25:1-13, where he uses the parable of the ten virgins awaiting their bridegroom to return. The Bible is full of stories and writings that warn all men to ready themselves for Christ’s second coming and or their own mortality coming to an end. Nearly 27% of the entire bible is prophetic. There are approximately 1,817 prophesies in the bible, and half of them have already been fulfilled, and with amazing accuracy, I might add. God isn’t promoting a new movie, nor is he trying to sell more Bibles or any other products. He has a passionate love for mankind and has proven it over and over again. His word from the beginning to end is instructing us, how to join him in Heaven. 1st Timothy 2:3-4 says, ”For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” And of course, there is John 3:16, stating this even stronger,” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God not only wants to save us from the horrible things, that the end of times will bring, but he offers us a better life here and now. John 10:10 says “The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The Devil wants to steal your joy and peace. He wants to kill your spirit and hope. And he definitely wants to destroy all goodness in the world. As I mentioned earlier, I am a true believer in preparedness. I believe everyone should have extra food on hand, medicines, and some extra cash, for any of life’s hiccups. You can follow your own heart whether or not you want to survive a nuclear holocaust. Use your best judgment whether or not you should trade your cash in for gold. But preparing for the end, whether it be the end of the world or the end of your life, is nothing to take lightly, and nothing you can leave to chance. Hebrews 10:35 says, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” In a world of uncertainty, there is nothing that will bring you more peace than to know that all these problems, all these hurts and pains, are temporary, and the reward to him that is faithful, is beyond comparison. Scripture of The Day: 1st Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* The Right Tool August 13, 2024 I’ve worked with my hands most of my life, I’m not a skilled tradesman in any field other than floorcovering. But I’ve worked construction sites enough to watch the various crews work and have a pretty good understanding of what takes place when building a house. One of the things I have observed is how each trade has a set of tools, which are specifically designed for their craft, and how many of these tools have only one specific application they are used for. I have to admit, Like a lot of guys, I have a little Tim The Toolman in me. I have a fascination and love for tools. It’s as though each tool grants you a kind of superpower, enabling you to either do something the average person can’t do or helping you to do it quicker and better. So the more tools you have, the nicer the tools you have, the more power you have. AUGHHHH! AUGHHH! AUGHHHH! (That one was for you, Tim). And this holds true for any kind of work you do. If you clean, you want the best vacuum. If you do office work, you need a nice pen. (Not sure Tim would consider a pen a tool), but nevertheless, you get my (ball)-point.(OK that was cheesy). If you have something that needs to be done, you need to have the right tool for the job. Otherwise, it will take you twice as long, it will be twice as hard, and most likely the finished product will look amateurish. Not only do most projects require the right tools, but you must have at least some basic knowledge about the task at hand, or you will find yourself reinventing the wheel and making a lot of mistakes. That is where hiring a professional comes in over a DIY’er. They have the right tools, the skills, and the knowledge to get the work done in a timely fashion and the end results are desirable. The one catch to that is, you will pay for their expertise. So how great would it be if on your next DIY project, a professional volunteered to loan you his tools and stay by your side throughout the project to guild you step by step? God created and gave each of us life. He also gave us free will to be able to choose what we do with our lives. He has made it very clear what his desires are, but leaves it up to us, if we choose to follow that path. Some choose to follow him, and others decide to navigate this life and the life here-after without him. Believing they can follow the wisdom of the world, or their own intelligence and rely solely on themselves. I look at these people much the same as I would a fellow who had never held a hammer in his hand and doesn’t know what a square is, deciding to build his own home, without any help from anyone. You have sympathy for them, but at the same time, you just want to grab them and shake some sense into them! Everything within you, tell you that he is headed for disaster. And if that person happens to be a friend or maybe even, a family member, it makes it that much worse. Read Luke 6:46-49. Those who choose to follow God’s path will find that God knows a thing or two about tools as well. He will provide us with everything we need to gain in knowledge and wisdom and grow in his grace. Mathew 7:7-8 says, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. It also tells us in Matthew 7:11, If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? These verses are not referring to a new Mercedes or a Rolex, what they are talking about is, God will supply all your needs if you choose to turn your life over to him and serve him. Do you remember earlier talking about a DIY project and how great it would be if a professional loaned you his tools and offered his expertise? Well, think about navigating this life as an apprentice to Christ. Think about life and all its’ problems as one big DIY project. But you’re not doing it by yourself, you have the architect, the creator, and the sovereign ruler of the world working with you. You would not need to worry about all the tools you will need, they are provided for you. You don’t have to worry about being intelligent enough, God has a plan for you to follow. Actually, you need not worry about anything, you can rely on God to take care of all that for you. Given all this information, how much sense does it make to choose to try to go it alone? What would be the point? What would you stand to lose by choosing God? I can tell you what you stand to lose without him, Your Soul! And an eternal home in Heaven. It seems clear to me, there really is only one choice. Scripture of The Day: Mathew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* I Feel Your Pain August 12, 2024 I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never my thorns. It is so easy to be appreciative while being showered with your blessings. It comes naturally to sing your praise while high on the mountain. But today, Father I ask you to help me be mindful, that even when I am in the deepest valley, even when Satan has thrown everything he has at me. Even then, Lord, you are by my side. When I am too weak to walk, you carry me. And when I am broken and shattered, you comfort me. Give me strength Father, to praise your Holy name, even while life’s thorns are tearing at my very flesh. Help me Father to feel the thorns that you bore for me. Let me realize the cruelty you endured for my sake. Forever engrave in my mind the horrible things you suffered, to satisfy my sin debt. Let me never forget my precious gift of salvation, did not come, without a huge price. Remind me, Father, you were nailed to the cross as a sacrificial lamb. But you arose from the grave, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the son of God Almighty! Father I pray, the next time you ask something of me, that I remember the thorns, and don’t question or hesitate. I pray the next time I must endure pain, I will remember the thorns and know how trivial my pain is. I pray the next time Satan tempts me, I will think of the thorns and not allow your suffering to go in vain. Lord I pray, the next time someone comes up to me and says, “(I feel your pain,” I will boldly answer them by saying, No, but Jesus does and he has been with me from the beginning and he will stay to the end. Father, there are no excuses for the many ways I fail you daily. My mind can not understand the love you have given so freely. Nothing I could ever say or do would be enough to repay your grace. And anything I have, you have given to me. I want to offer you something that you gave to me, something that is more precious than all the treasures of this world., something no one but you could have given. You gave me the gift of Free Will. The power to choose and I choose your will be done in my life, even if it does come with a few thorns. Thank You Father! I found this writing many years ago and it did not tell who the author was. I did edit it and added to it, but I would like to give credit and acknowledge some unknown author for penning such beautiful thoughts. Scripture of The Day: Isaiah 43:2 “ When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle thee.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* How Do You Put Up With Me August 11, 2024 Have you ever known someone who wasn’t satisfied with anything? I think we all know someone we would describe that way, and I believe it is safe to say, they are annoying to say the least. I mean, we all whine occasionally, but when that is all you hear come out of someone’s mouth, it drives you crazy. You surprise them with a bowl of ice cream, and their reply is, “What no cake.” You ask them where they would like to eat and take them to dinner, only to hear them complain about everything imaginable. I do believe if they hit the lottery, you would never hear the end about how much the taxes were. Yes, we all know one, but here is the scary part, are you one of those people? Until recently, if someone had asked me that question, I wouldn’t have had to think about it, I would have answered in a quick and sure, No Way! I’m just not a picky person, nor am I hard to satisfy, or so I thought. But as a shock to me, I discovered that I can be as bad as anyone else. Years back I was the custodian and mowed the grass for the church I was attending, as well as working a full-time job and putting in many hours every evening in a side hustle trying to provide a good life for my family. I remember thinking to myself that even though I was putting in a lot of hours each week, I wasn’t getting much physical exercise and was starting to get overweight and out of shape. One hot Saturday in August, I was at the church mowing, the temperature was quite high and I was hot and exhausted. I remember talking to God and whining about how it would be really nice if we had a riding mower. It would have been so much easier and quicker. Then my very next complaint was about being out of shape and thinking how nice it would be to have the time and the money to get a gym membership. What God said to me next, nearly knocked me to the ground laughing at myself how absurd I was being. He said to me, “Hey silly one, you don’t need a gym membership if you quit complaining and push that mower a little faster, instead of wanting to ride one.” I have told that story to my family and to this day, I bust out laughing every time I think about it. But I thought I had outgrown that kind of thinking and whining. Well, evidently I haven’t. Now I have to tell on myself once more for being a boneheaded spoiled brat. A few months back, my spiritual life was growing and I felt a renewed and powerful closeness with God, that if you’ve ever experienced, you know what I’m talking about. I could feel the Holy Spirit within me, and God was blessing me, in so many different ways. I was still fighting with the Devil, but it seemed like I was being victorious, and my faith grew stronger each day. I began to pray each night for God to use me in whatever function he saw fit. I told him I wanted to be his soldier and I knew that on my own, I was too weak, but with him by my side, I knew all things were possible. Needless to say, I was on top of the mountain. I felt like David and ready to face any giant he might send my way. As any of you who have been Christians for any amount of time, are fully aware of how suddenly life can change. Ole Satan’ didn’t like my newfound power and was determined to show me who’s boss. He attacked me on every front, with full and unmerciful force. He was determined and relentless. I of course took it to God, but once again, as time went by, it seemed like he wasn’t hearing me. I should have known better. because I’ve been in this same spot many times before, but I guess I didn’t. I get on here and warn others of Satan’s tactics. I talk about before how God promises, he will never forsake or abandon us. But I allowed the Ole Deceiver’ to get inside my head and convince me something must be terribly wrong. I never doubted God, but once again I let Satan convince me I had done something to cause this and had brought it on myself. I let the Devil push me beyond what I thought I could stand. I kept pleading with God and telling him, I was at the end of my rope and didn’t think I could hold on much longer. What made all this so bad was, that my wife who is my confidant, my best friend, and spiritual supporter, was getting hit with the same vicious attacks and was in the same shape I was in. I consider myself a protector when it comes to my family. If anyone hurts them, they hurt me and will have to reckon with my fury. But how could I help her fight when I felt I was losing mine? I honestly don’t know how long all this went on, but it felt like an eternity. Then one evening right in the middle of yet another major attack, I started licking my wounds and feeling sorry for myself, when God’s silent voice came to me saying, “How many times must I show you my son that I haven’t forsaken you? You asked me to be my warrior, didn’t you? I was giving you what you asked of me. But like any soldier, you have to train and learn. You will get bruised, you will get knocked down, but I am by your side the whole time making sure you did not get defeated. Remember what Jesus did for you. Remember how he suffered. Are you better than He? Don’t you know by now, the war has already been decided and you are on the winning side. You will still face battles, and there will be times you may feel you are losing, but trust in me. I hold you tightly in my hand and you will be victorious.” Read: Isaiah 40:27-31. So I sit here and wonder how God can put up with me and my whining. How many times will I continue to question and doubt his faithfulness? What is it going to take before I finally accept his promises? And I remind myself to be careful what I pray for, and don’t be so surprised when he gives me what I ask. Once again, I find myself apologizing to God, and thanking him for my blessings. I thank him for his longsuffering, his forgiveness, and his mercies. And I will continue to pray that God will make me into his soldier, and give me the courage of a warrior, that I might fight the Good Fight and glorify his Holy Name. Of course, I will also continue to pray, that he will help me to quit being a whiner because no one likes a whiner! Scripture of The Day: 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* I Meant To August 9, 2024 “The road to hell is paved with good intentions!” A saying we’ve all heard and probably not given much thought. But, when you do stop and think about it, it makes so much sense, it’s almost prophetic. As crazy as this world is, I still believe that most people are good at heart. There are some exceptions, but few people stay awake at night plotting how they can hurt others and make this world worse off than it already is. I believe we tend to live inside our own minds and in that universe, we set ourselves not only as the king but as the judge and jury. Then we govern our little universe by the laws we establish for ourselves, which brings to mind another famous phrase, “Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.” Which has proven correct throughout history. In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers of our great country, meticulously established a series of checks and balances, ensuring no one person or group of persons, possesses absolute power. So how do we go about establishing those same checks and balances for ourselves, and do we really need them? Yes, of course, we need them, as much as we like to think of ourselves as being different, we all are subject to human nature. It starts in infancy and develops throughout life by forming your belief system and creating your morals, scruples, and values. Many things play influential roles in our belief system, but probably at least in our youth, our parents or other caregivers are the most influential. (Thus, my disdain for parents who teach their children they can do no wrong). I want to preface what I’m about to say by saying not all limits are good and sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Nearly every great achievement, resulted in someone pushing the established limits, and testing the rules. However, man does need rules and limits, to live socially. Any relationship has to have rules and boundaries and trust that the other person or persons will respect and abide by them. Trust, being the essential ingredient for all relationships is only found, once you have proven that you can and will abide by these rules. It absolutely means nothing to someone, how great your intentions are, until you prove that you can follow through with them. Intentions are no more than a fantasy or a dream of what you want and plan to happen. And while there is nothing wrong with having big dreams and plans, they don’t put food on the table, or money in the bank. It’s only when we act on our good intentions, that we can see any results. This holds true in every area of our lives, whether it comes to our schoolwork, our jobs, or our friends and family. Our lives are measured by results, not our intentions. If you’ve ever known someone who dreamed big, but never attempted to do anything in their life, you know what I mean. They sit and ramble about one big idea after another and all we hear is like in the cartoons; Blah Blah Blah! While some people seem to be amazing when it comes to prioritizing and scheduling their time, many of us lack that skill, and waste a lot of our time thinking about and saying things like; “I should have…. Or I wish I would have….” Again your heart might be in the right place, but it changes nothing. The end result, no matter how much you languish over what could have been, is nothing got done. Therefore, you have absolutely nothing to show for the time spent just thinking about doing something. On the bright side, God does know our hearts, and in some ways and some things, our good intentions do matter. He understands our weaknesses and is willing to help us overcome them if it is truly in our hearts that we want to. However, even with faith, it requires a willingness to take action by putting his gifts to work. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead! You can profess to love God, go to church regularly, and study your bible relentlessly, but until you put your faith to work, it is no more than a good intention. God wants and expects us to be empty willing vessels, ready at any time to receive his gifts and blessings, but also to put them to work for the glorification of his Kingdom. God isn’t looking for freeloaders Read Mathew 25:14-30. I should also remind you, that I warned you good intentions only count on certain things. One of the instances where good intentions won’t buy you the time-of-day, is when it comes to repentance and being born again. God gives everyone the chance to be saved. John 3:16 tells us he sent his only begotten Son so all could be saved. But if you are one of these fence-sitters who claim you will get around to it someday, I want there to be no mistake about what I’m about to say! No man knows the day or the hour the Lord will return, and unless you do something that would prematurely end your life, you don’t know if you will live to see another morning. If your time comes before you accept God’s gift of Salvation, it makes no difference how good your intentions were. It makes no difference how good a person you are. None of those things matter and all the I’m sorry’s, or the I wish I had…. Will not change a thing. There is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ! Read John 14:6. If you have any intentions of going to Heaven, now is the appointed time for salvation. Scripture of The Day: Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, wherby we must be saved.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Who likes to be Criticized August 4, 2024 We can probably agree, that no one likes to be criticized. But what exactly constitutes criticism? The dictionary defines it as, the expression of disapproval of something or someone based on perceived faults or mistakes. Society seems to have broadened the definition to mean any time someone doesn’t wholeheartedly approve of something or someone. It is my opinion, there are two types of criticism, the first being the most popular. Where you deliberately express a negative opinion for the sole purpose of hurting someone or something with malicious intent. Then there is the other type, where you are actually trying to teach or assist someone or something, hoping to help make it better. I have heard people make comments about churches and the bible, along the lines of, that they are too critical of people. Saying things like,” If I want someone to point out my faults, I can get that anywhere.” And that kind of sentiment must be fairly commonplace because if you look at the attendance of churches that still preach the hardcore, un-edited, and unfiltered, word of God, compared to the ones that tickle ears with their God loves you and these feel-good messages. There is a despairing difference. People no longer want to hear the truth, they want to be reaffirmed in their life choices, even if it goes directly against God’s word. Just as God said they would in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 where it says,” For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. If that doesn’t describe what is happening right now, what does? What kind of a father or mother would raise a child and never correct him? And what kind of a child would result from this type of raising? We don’t need to use our imaginations, we need only to look around because we see them everywhere. They grow up believing they can do no wrong and the world owes them because that is exactly what they were taught to believe. Once again, God predicted this with his warning about sparing the rod and spoiling the child. It’s not an easy task and takes a lot of time to teach, and discipline, and set a good examples for our children. But when you become a parent, that responsibility falls squarely on you, and cannot be taken lightly. It’s precisely the same thing when it comes to God. He doesn’t point out our faults just to make us feel bad, that is what Satan does. He is trying to help us grow and become better human beings. John 10:10 says, “The thief (The Devil) cometh not, but to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” God wants to bless our lives, but in order to do that, we must first be in his will. Any good parent knows you do not reward bad behavior. So, what about that preacher, who every time you go to church, makes you feel like he is talking directly towards you when he preaches about sin? Friend, I can only tell you this, if I go to church and don’t feel a little fire under my feet, I think the preacher isn’t doing his job. L.o.L. If that preacher is anointed by God and preaching God’s word, it will convict you and point out the sin in your life. That is his fundamental purpose. If you don’t know what is wrong in your life, how can you fix it? And if all you ever hear is how loved you are and how great you are, than you are going to be spiritually like these brats that grow up thinking the sun sets on them. In 2 Timothy 3:16, the bible says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. And all that is 100% true and wise until we start twisting or changing it by taking scripture out of context or out and out lying and misquoting it. That is the biggest dilemma the churches and preachers are facing today. Do they preach the truth and suffer from empty pews and collection plates, or do they stand on God’s word and rely on faith? Sadly, as a result of their weak faith and greed, many have chosen the wrong path. Rick Warren, who was one of the leading evangelists and top Christian authors, admitted, no he bragged, on a television interview, that the reason for his success was, that he researched what Christians wanted to hear and that is what he gave them. I have trained new people at work. And I live by the creed where I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. I try to show respect and treat them with dignity. But I came across people who did not want to receive any instruction, they acted as if they already knew all there was to know about their job on day one. And if I pointed out something they were doing incorrectly, they were offended, even though they weren’t expected to know their job yet, they hadn’t been trained. I found you can not teach someone if they are unwilling to admit they don’t know everything, and are unwilling to learn. As Christians, we should welcome God’s criticisms and know he only does this because he loves us and is trying to give us a better life. Proverbs 15:31-33 says, “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” Anytime someone deceives themselves into believing they know it all, they close the doors to gaining knowledge and allowing pride and arrogance to hold them in a fool’s prison. I’ll be the first to agree, we must be careful who and what we believe, but if God is trying to teach you something, be wise enough to listen! Scripture of The Day: Hebrews 12:6-7 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons,for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Identity Crisis Rated P.G. (Parental Guidance Strongly Suggested) July 31, 2024 Today’s message may also apply to adults but is directed toward teens and pre-teens. Please spend some quality time and share this message with them. Adolescence is a hard awkward stage in a person’s life. You are no longer considered a child and expected to act more mature, however, every time you attempt to act more grown up, you are reminded you are just a child and to quit trying to be too big for your britches! Adults send mixed messages and expect you to know when they want you to be a child and when you are expected to act like an adult. It is a slow hard process and understandably confusing. Much like a toddler learning to walk, you will fall over and over before mastering the skill. Your bodies are experiencing tremendous growth and change, half your teeth are small which makes the others appear to be humongous. Many people have to get braces for their teeth at this age. Some are wearing eyeglasses for the first time. And people wonder why you appear clumsy. New unpleasant smells are coming from your body. And even your brain seems like it’s turned against you. You are undergoing social and physiological changes that can make you feel like your mind is in a tornado. Suddenly, you and your parents are from two different worlds and no longer speak the same language. You have more energy than you know what to do with, and everything you do gets on someone’s nerves and lands you in trouble. But the troubles don’t stop at home, they follow you to school and are intensified by adding social pressure and issues like trying to fit in. It often seems like you are the only one struggling with these problems. The other kids don’t have a care in the world, they make friends easily, and to top it off, everyone except you understands this new math and has no problems with it. What else could this world possibly throw at you? Or so you thought, actually that’s just the beginning. This world has changed so much in the last several years, you and your peers are being forced to deal with issues people used to didn’t face until High School or college. Now, at very young ages, kids are taught that homosexuality is normal and you should accept it as the right choice, and if you disagree with them, you are labeled as having a problem. I say at your age it shouldn’t even be a choice. They are trying to convince you, that you are different from other people, it’s probably because you were born in the wrong body and you are confused whether you are a boy or a girl. That is nothing but a bunch of Hogwash! I’m fairly certain you knew if you were a boy or a girl by the time you were three. And I am 100% sure God does not make mistakes. Back in the old days, children were taught to think for themselves and how to reason and problem-solve. Thinking outside of the box was encouraged and applauded. Now they want you to conform to what they tell you and don’t ask questions. They claim to be more acceptable and inclusive, but their actions don’t align with their claims. No, they don’t discriminate, as long as you agree with everything you’re told. Yes, they are inclusive as long as you are one of them. The minute you stand against what they preach, they will viciously attack you, using every dirty tactic known to man. They want to catch you early while you are more susceptible to believing their lies. They know you are going through a rough time in your life, and are willing to accept or try almost anything just to get by. Here are some truths that you can hold tightly to, that will help you navigate these rough times, I wish I had known at your age; You are not the only one feeling this way (everyone does, they just hide it, like you are doing). It is not only, OK to be different, but that is how God created us! (No two people are alike, that is why some kids try to get you to follow them because it reassures them that they are not the weirdo. They have the same doubts you have). Don’t let social media be your life guild. It will steer you in the wrong direction every time. (Pick out a responsible person or a few people you look up to and admire, and try to shape your life more like them). You will never have a better friend or role model than God! (Get to know him better). And choose your friends wisely, they can and do influence you. Don’t waste time trying to be popular or fit in with clicks. Spend your time being the best version of the person you are, and you will find people see that as confidence and they want to be around confident people. To have friends, you must first be a friend. Being the kind of friend, you want to have, will attract that type of person to you. Don’t be jealous of what others have, instead, be thankful for what you have and who you are. (The grass always looks greener on the other side of a fence). Trust the people who have always loved and been there for you. (Even if, they don’t seem to understand you lately. They have been there for you all your life and these other people, who are trying to pull you away from them and telling you not to listen to them, don’t have your best interest at heart. P.S. Maybe the reason they don’t understand you anymore, is because you quit talking to them. Trust them! At your age, it is normal for every single problem to seem, like it is too big and bad for anyone to understand or do anything about it. But again, find an adult you trust and confide in them. (Contrary to what you might think, you don’t grow old and not experience most of the things you are going through. And with age, usually comes wisdom. Grandparents can be a great place to find someone you can talk to. Last but not least, put your trust in God, but have a little faith in yourself too. You are smarter than you think and can accomplish anything you truly set your mind to. (Don’t ever give up. If you get knocked down, and you will. Get back up and try something else. Don’t be a quitter. There is a fighter inside each of us, and when the Devil tells you to quit, it’s time to bring that fighter out and show him who’s the boss). I don’t care what age you are, remember, no one can make it on their own. The sooner you get to know God the better. He is a friend like no other. He is with you 24/7, you can tell him anything, and he loves you more than anyone else could. He will never steer you wrong or let you down. And for those times when Satan and the rest of the world is beating you down, remember what I said, God created you, and he doesn’t make mistakes. God sees you for who you are and doesn’t want you to try to be someone else. He loves you just the way you are! Does that mean we can’t improve on ourselves? No, absolutely not. But let him guide you on what changes you need to make, not those kids at school, who are probably more confused than you. Scripture of The Day: Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* What’s it Worth July 30, 2024 In Mark, Chapter 10: 17-31, tells the story of a young man who approached Jesus and asked him, “What must I do to have eternal life?” And Jesus told him to sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor. So, does this imply that if we want to go to Heaven, that is what we must do? No, the bible explicitly tells us, what is required, for God to save us. So, why did Jesus tell this particular man that is what he needed to do? Jesus knew this man’s heart and all there was to know about him. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. He knew the man had studied his word and tried to follow the commandments. But he also knew the one thing that held him back from receiving salvation, was an idol. His love for money and the things of this world, was so great, that he valued them above God. In response to the question, I posed earlier, no, that is not what everyone needs to do to have everlasting life, that was the roadblock for this particular man But, in fairness to this man, we each have idols that separate us from God. And like this man, we need to take that question to the lord and let him reveal what we have allowed to become our idols, and what is holding us back. Even if you have been saved, this is something we should do regularly, you may look at it like maintenance. Jesus told his disciples, “How hardly will they that have riches enter into The Kingdom of God.” He repeated himself by saying “Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God.” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” And that amazed and worried his disciples, so they asked, “Who then, can be saved? And Jesus told them that with man, that is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And this goes to the very heart of the Gospel, where God made a way for all men to be saved. While being rich does not preclude anyone from receiving salvation, I think the message he was trying to teach them, was how wealth exposes you to greater temptations such as; pride, greed, and any possible vise this world has to offer. But being poor doesn’t guarantee you a ticket either. Anyone can be saved. We just have to have our priorities in order. God is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. And in Exodus Chapter 20 he lists the Ten Commandments, the first being; ”Though shall have no gods before me.” When he told the young man to sell all that he had, and come and follow him, that was an example to each of us that nothing should be more important to us than God. It tells us to serve God, we have to be willing to let go of anything and everything. It tells us the rewards we will receive for following him will far exceed anything we may have to sacrifice, and we will receive those rewards both in this life and the hereafter. Another account we find where Jesus knows about us is found in, John Chapter 4. It tells how he purposely traveled out of his way to Samaria which was unfriendly to the Hebrew people to meet a Samarian woman and ask her for a drink of water. The conversation led to him telling her all about her life and her believing him to be the Messiah. While this text isn’t explicit about all the facts, it does lead us to believe, that she was saved and led many others to be saved as well. We also see in John 8: 3-11, the woman who was caught committing adultery where he not only saved her mortal life, but He also told her what she must do to have eternal life. This is what is meant by accepting Jesus as your Personal Savior. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves and can tell us what stands in our way of salvation. He can also tell us what we have allowed to sneak into our lives and is distancing us from God and thus interfering with our blessings. Giving your life to the Lord isn’t about memorizing scriptural sayings, or performing a type of ritual, it’s not about offering a sacrifice or making a pledge. It is about meeting Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit. It is acknowledging that he is the only begotten Son of God Almighty. It is confessing your sins to him and asking him for forgiveness. It is asking him to come into your life and dwell forever within you, and putting him first and above all things. And once you’ve done that, it’s about maintaining a personal relationship with him and allowing him to keep you on the straight and narrow path. John 14:6 says, ”I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. And no man can navigate this world without the help of Jesus. You may be a good upstanding person who is kind and generous, and you may receive much adoration from others. But others aren’t who you will stand before on Judgement Day. And the Bible teaches us that our righteousness is that of filthy rags and that all fall short of the Glory of God. You can read the bible forward and backward, have all the right words, and attend church every time the doors open, but if you don’t have Jesus in your life, you have nothing. You can also have the worst track record of anyone around you, lived a life of debauchery, and never went to church a day in your life, and if you repent and accept Jesus as your personal savior, you will have everything God has to offer. This is what was meant when Jesus said,” But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” It makes no difference who you were or what you did before meeting Jesus, it’s what you do afterward that counts. It seems like many people want to complicate all this and make it harder than it is. They try to add to or take away from what it takes and what it means to be saved. And while I do agree, it sounds too simple to be true, it really is quite that simple. Being a Christian is far more than looking and dressing the part. It’s way more than knowing the right words to say. It’s all about having Jesus in your heart. And if you have that, it changes everything else. It doesn’t make you a perfect person, it makes you want to be one. It doesn’t mean the road ahead will be smooth, you just have someone by your side no matter how bad it gets, to help you get through it. It certainly doesn’t mean giving up everything that is fun or pleasurable, it opens your eyes to the truth of what is fun and things that will make your life more enjoyable. Everything you must sacrifice to be a Christian is nothing but an illusion and leads you into trouble, while what you gain from God will restore you and bring true happiness. Though Satan tries to make his way look great on the outside, it is a trap sucking you into places you don’t want to go. I’m sure you’ve heard, Don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t judge God by the pictures his enemy paints. He says in Psalms 34:8, “ O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him” Scripture of The Day: Romans 8:26 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Just Pick One or The Other July 26, 2024 Have you ever been in a position where all the choices you had available to you were bad? I think we probably all have been there at least one time or another in our lives. Or have we? That’s what I want to address today. We don’t always have the luxury of time when faced with decisions, sometimes an immediate response is required and expected. Those are the times when we must rely on previous experience, our values, and without a doubt, our gut instincts. However, it should only be an extremely rare circumstance, that would require you to make an important decision without first having time to process it thoroughly and come to an informed decision. Anytime I’m placed in a situation like that, a big red flag goes up, and I immediately, become suspicious. That is one of the tactics pushy salespeople use on people. They try to make you believe, that you have to decide right now or lose some form of incentive. I’ve been in and around sales for most of my life, and I can assure you, that if they will not afford you a little time to consider whatever it is they are proposing, if you do miss out on making the deal, you haven’t missed out on anything except headaches and regret! But what about the choices we must face in dealing with life’s problems, you might ask? I’m so glad you asked that. Guess who else employs those types of tactics? OMG, you are very bright, you’re absolutely right! Satan loves to get us backed into a corner where it appears there is no good solution to our problems. He makes it appear there is only a bad or a worse choice, knowing we will always pick the bad choice, and the fallout from that will lead us further off course and create more problems. His tricks and methods are far too extensive for us to scratch the surface, but I will give you an example of one scenario. Your boss confides in you that production has been down lately and the new owners are coming tomorrow to meet with management to see if they can make changes to cut waste or otherwise there could be layoffs soon. He has planned to conceal the truth from them and needs you to play a part in the deception. He justifies his actions by saying, he is trying to save people’s jobs and unless you comply with his request, all that will fall on your shoulders. The way he lays this out, you have only two options; Do what he is asking you to do, and you can justify it by saying, it’s not me, it’s his idea and he is the one doing it. Or I’m only doing it to help my fellow coworkers. Either way, you are justified. You can refuse to play along with him and will be blamed if anyone loses their job. Plus, there is the fact, that by refusing him, you will probably make him mad and he will retaliate, possibly by making sure you are the first to get laid off. When only given these two options, it certainly appears that there is only a bad and a worse choice. Magicians use a similar technique, commonly known as the power of suggestion. Whereby they plant ideas in your mind, that don’t necessarily exist. By simply suggesting something your mind builds walls and places limitations that aren’t there. In this scenario, he plants the idea that you have to choose one or the other option, which is far from the truth. Off the top of my head, I can think of many other possible solutions to this problem and I’m sure you already have. But, what if we had rushed to judgment and accepted what he told us as the only possibility? Who knows what ramifications might have resulted by choosing either of the choices he offered? And who knows what may have resulted if you were wise enough not to allow yourself to be drug into a situation you wanted no part of? Anytime you find yourself in a situation where your options seem to be bad or worse, Stop! Take it to the Lord and let his wisdom guide you. He can take a bad situation or a bad person and use it to make something wonderful happen. If there truly is only two options, he can create a new door where one didn’t exist before. Don’t let Satan or anyone else convince you, that you don’t have choices. Read 1Corinthians 10:13. God gave us free will so that we can make our own choices, and if you don’t want to choose badly, you don’t have to. There is always a way out of any situation, and what is the truth, and what is right, is the direction we need to look. Read Romans 12:21. So many people have gone completely astray, and it always starts with one small compromise, one small indiscretion, or even one small lie. From there it grows expeditiously, by having to tell more lies or commit more egregious actions to cover up that first sin, and it takes on the snowball effect. Before you realize what happened, you are in it up to your neck, and by then, there will not be any easy solutions. Scripture of The Day: 2 Peter 3:17 “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Not Now I’m in a Hurry July 23, 2024 If I could put time in a bottle and save only the moments I wanted to keep and pull them out to relive anytime, that would truly be a treasure. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. Time seems to have a mind of its own, and rarely is it on your side. It usually works against you. When you need more time and would enjoy more time, it speeds up. And if you are doing something you dread, of course, it (g o e s I n s l o w m o t I o n.) One of the things that I never seem to have enough time for is my time with God. Sure, I spend some hours working on these stories, but I’ve noticed my prayer time has been slipping lately. I’ve also noticed my reading of the bible has diminished greatly. So, I always try to pray before I start writing and this time, I caught myself making excuses about all the reasons I’ve been slipping, and just like you might correct someone else, I told myself to quit making excuses because that is all they are. As if God didn’t already know, I reasoned that I still have time to watch TV, and sit around being lazy. I don’t know who I thought I was fooling. So, I had another apology I had to make. I’m about to say something that sounds a little crazy, but I’ve found it to be true. (You are probably saying to yourself, “So what’s new, you say crazy things all the time”). The more time you give to the Lord, the more time you have. I know that sounds ridiculous but it works that way. Read 1 Kings 17, about Elijah and the widow woman, just as her barrel never ran dry, so too will you find more time for what is needed, and God will bless you in ways you never dreamed. Man can’t put time in a bottle but God can, and it will never run dry. And the opposite is true as well. If he has laid something on your heart to do, and you refuse because you don’t have enough time to do it, you will find yourself chasing your tail, and getting nothing accomplished. God doesn’t demand all our time, but he does expect to get his fair share. And the Devil is fully aware of this fact and uses it against us. He knows if he can keep us distracted with the things of this world, we won’t have time for God. If you ever had a sibling, who loved to keep you in trouble all the time, that is how Satan likes to do us. And much the same as you had to deal with your sibling, we have to be wise enough to see that we are getting set up for a fall. Read 1 John 2:15-17. It tells us that temptations try to distract us from what’s important. God’s word teaches us what is and isn’t important. Distractions grow like weeds and try to choke out the good in our lives. So, what good is it doing you to be the busiest person in the world, if no matter how much you do, it never gets done, and you’re left feeling like a failure? You haven’t found happiness, you don’t have peace in your life, you can’t rest when you have the chance, so, where is it getting you? I will tell you, it only gets you further and further, away from the Lord. And if you are tired of feeling like someone’s puppet on a string, then stop what you’re doing Now! Take a hard look at your priorities. Put your focus back on God where it belongs and let him deal with the things of this world. Here are 5 things to concentrate on; Remember God is bigger than your problems. Lean on God, not yourself or others. Focus on what God tells you, not that other voice. Make God your priority, everything else comes second. Release control over to God, you have to realize your limitations! My last words of advice are to start your day off with God, and then pray without ceasing. And in all things give him praise and gratitude. Then last thing at night, after you’ve said your prayers, fall asleep trying to recount all the ways he blessed you that day. Scripture of The Day: Mathew 6:25-27 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they”? ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Sweet Memories Past / Future July 22, 2024 We all have fond memories of our youth and certain things that trigger those memories. One of mine was getting to go to the Dreamland Swimming Pool, located about 15 miles from where I grew up on Pea Ridge, right outside of Barboursville WV. This pool was huge. It didn’t have all the amenities the ones have today, but the water was cool and exciting. And it was a big deal, on the occasion I got to go. My older sister had her driving license and liked to go and flirt with the guys, so to throw Mom off track, she would offer to take my younger brother and me. I was about 10 or 11 so I and just beginning to be interested in the girls, so that was an added bonus. The trouble was, I was madly in love with my sister’s friend who was her age. She was absolutely beautiful and made girls my age look like kids. So, when she came along, the only girl-watching I did was her. LOL But, alas, she saw me as a kid too, and that’s the story of my first broken heart. (I will state for the record though, that never stopped me from staring or sneaking peaks)! Sorry about that my mind just wandered in that direction when I started reminiscing. One of the triggers that always brings back these memories of the pool is the smell of coconut. My sister always brought chocolate chip coconut cookies with us to snack on. And she must have loved coconut because the suntan lotion always smelled of it. I still remember the time when Carmon (My sister’s friend.) let me rub it on her! Ok, I’m going to get myself in trouble if I keep going in that direction, lol so let’s switch gears. I remember some of the popular songs that were played on the radio; “I’m a girl-watcher” by the O’Kaysions, and “Groovy Kind of Love” by Phil Collins, and many more from back in the day when music was art and not a business. Anyway, it’s fun to occasionally reminisce about the Good-ole-Days, old habits, old cars, and even old crushes. (Dang it, I did it again, I’m a dead man when Robin reads this)! One of the things I’ve noticed about getting older is it seems like once you peak, you start heading back in the same direction you started from. My hairline looks very similar to the way it did as a baby. Your whole body seems like it’s trying to go back and start over again. Steak is getting hard to chew, I guess baby food is what I have to look forward to. And we aren’t even going to mention diapers! But I have discovered one thing that is changing in the forward direction. That is more and more lately when I catch myself daydreaming, it’s about things of the future. I find myself getting homesick for a home I’ve never been before. Yes, just like the lyrics say in Beulah Land. I daydream of sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening to him talk. I dream of a place where troubles don’t exist, pain is no more, and love abounds. As sweet as old memories are, they pale in comparison with the wonder and amazement of the home I am promised. Read 1 Corinthians 2:9, Revelation 21:10-14. And Revelation 21:18-23. But here is a sad thought; probably more people know where they are going on next year’s vacation, than ones who know where their eternal home will be. And that is so sad because God made a way for all to join him in Heaven. It’s yours for the asking. If you have happy memories, that is wonderful! But if tomorrow’s plans and memories are unclear, don’t put it off another day. Ask God to come into your life and save you from your sin. There is nothing more important than knowing that you know! Scripture of The Day: 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, And in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* A Good Deal July 19, 2024 There is an old movie called Indecent Proposal, that starred Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore. This movie was about someone offering a married couple a million dollars to be allowed to spend one night with (the wife). I remember when it came out, and the controversy it created. It seemed everyone was asking themselves, their partners, and their friends, what they would do if placed in a similar situation. People made jokes about it, but it provoked people to evaluate their morals, values, and for some, even their relationships. I’ve heard people discussing how much money it would take, to get them to do or eat disgusting things. They made comments like; “Yeah, that would be awful. But, $5000.00 could buy a lot of mouthwash.” Or, “For that much money, I could live with the shame.” What does that say about one’s character, if it has a price tag? Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, offer me &5000.00 to eat a bug, and watch how fast I take your money. But when it comes to our core values, they shouldn’t be for sale. I’ve enjoyed buying and selling, trading, or bartering all my life. I’ve always held the opinion, that the best trades are when both parties get what they truly want. I never looked at the value of something as much as I cared whether or not I benefitted by making the deal, and if it benefitted the other person too, then I was a happy man. But, generally speaking, the world doesn’t see it that way. If they have to lie, cheat, or steal, to get the better of someone, they have no qualms doing it. And no folks, it’s not just the used car salesman! Huge corporations practice misleading and deceptive tactics every day. You even have to read the small print and stay sharp at the grocery stores nowadays. And if you think for one minute, that the Devil is going to deal with you fairly, then you my friend, you are in serious trouble! He can and has deceived the very elite. There is no truth in him, nor any sympathy. He is The Master of Illusion. He can make you believe you have everything to gain and nothing to lose, when in fact, it’s just the opposite. He will trick you into a bad situation and make you believe you caused it. Then offer you a way out, that only digs you in deeper. Don’t ever believe that you are clever enough to make a deal with the Devil and come out on top! God, on the other hand has made a Decent Proposal “ a Great Proposal” to each and every one of us. He put his deal in writing some 2000 years ago and has never changed it or reneged on it. His offer is like the one I mentioned earlier where both parties get what they want, but you get a million times over what you expect to receive or deserve. His offer costs you nothing but leaving behind all the things in your life that are weighing you down and destroying you. You see, he loves you like a son or daughter and wants only the best for you. Read Mathew 7:11. The deal I’m referring to is, is the Gospel of Christ found throughout the bible but summarized in John 3:16 where it says,” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you are anything like me, I am usually skeptical about an offer that seems too good to be true. But if you consider, who is making this offer, and the unsurmountable evidence surrounding him, his word, and this offer, you can rest assured, that this truly is the deal of a lifetime. There will never be a better deal. We don’t know when, but this offer has an expiration date on it. And you can literally bet your soul, that no-one can match or beat this deal. There are millions upon millions of reviews found in the form of personal testimonies. So, my only question to you is this, “What’s stopping you from accepting this offer?” Satan will give you a thousand reasons you shouldn’t do it, and I can only offer one reason you should. (Because it is the right choice! And the most important decision you will ever make)! Scripture of The Day: Mathew 16:25 “ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Meaning, man does not have the wisdom or capabilities to make it on his own, nor is he able to get to Heaven on his own righteousness, it is only by surrendering your life over to Christ and allowing his sacrifice on the cross, to atone for our sins, that we will be worthy of Heaven. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* ************************************************************************************************************************************************** Bible Talk July 18, 2024 We recently had to buy a new garage door opener. Ours went bad and like other spoiled rotten people, I am too lazy to open and close it manually. Well, there’s a little more to it than that, but I’ll go with the fact that I’m spoiled to hitting that button as I back into the driveway and someone having the door open for me and waiting. I wanted to keep it simple, so I opted not to go for the quiet new belt-driven ones and stay with the chain drive and the same size and brand as the one I had. I reasoned it would be simpler if I stayed with what I had. And on the box, it said in bold letters EASY INSTALLATION! Needless to say, what I thought might be a simple 30-minute job turned into an all-day affair. Of course, it came with the notorious instruction manual that as usual was clear as mud! I will be the first to admit, that when it comes to following an instruction manual, I struggle. I don’t know what it is about me, but it’s like step #1 always seems to be, to lose about 40 I.Q. points. For instance, I read the directions over and again, look at the picture to see what it is supposed to look like, and still can’t seem to tell the top from the bottom, or where exactly that screw is that has to come out before you can start. More often than not, when I try to assemble something, by following the directions, just as I’m nearing the home stretch, I find out I missed a step and have to tear it apart and start over. I seemed to be that way back in my school days as well. I could always read well, but depending on the subject matter, my comprehension was only satisfactory at best. However, when the instructions were given by oral presentation, or an instructional video, my retention and understanding were fairly high. What I’m driving at, is we all learn in varied ways and at different paces. Some people, like me, excel at oral learning, while others are more apt to learn by visual or written material, and still others are more hands-on type learners. My son is useless if you toss him an instruction manual. But since he is mechanically inclined, he does better working things out on his own, than I can with the directions. The reason I’m pointing all this out is because I don’t care which method you prefer it is important to learn God’s word. Recently I talked a lot about the Holy Bible. My bible, which is the King James Version, contains 1911 pages of print and is written in English but a lot of the terminology is dated back to Christ. I have to admit, it is not always the easiest text to understand, especially for someone less familiar with God’s word. So, I can certainly understand why someone like my son, or for that matter, anyone, could be a little intimidated by it. But all hope is not lost, there are some things and techniques that may help you. For starters, if you don’t already have one, find a church that preaches God’s word straight from the bible, unfiltered and unapologetically. If you have no idea where to start looking, seek out someone, you know to be a true Christian and ask for their advice. That same person could also be a wealth of information for some of your biblical questions as well. If that person is living for the Lord, they should be more than happy to mentor and help you in many ways. Another great way to learn is by finding and joining a Bible Study group. In smaller, more personal settings, it is more one-on-one and you can ask questions and participate. I also recommend finding you a good bible commentary, (which explains the meaning verse by verse). There are many different versions available. I would highly recommend if you know which one you want, to check out Thrift Books online, I have used them numerous times and been highly satisfied. I use the Wycliffe Bible Commentary because it seems to be a little easier to understand than some others. A good bible concordance can be very helpful, due to the way it lists words found in the bible in alphabetical order and references scripture where they are used. Another book I use is” Find it Fast” written by Ron Rhodes where you can search topics and it will list scripture that addresses that topic. Of course, there is tons of information to be found on the internet as well, you just have to use caution so that you don’t get misled. Once again, having someone in your life to help guide you is priceless. If you have no one else or I can assist you in any way, contact me through this website or email me at [email protected]. Now that we’ve covered the other stuff, let’s talk strategy. Learning God’s word is a huge undertaking. And often when someone gets excited about Our Lord, they attempt to jump into it and learn all there is to know in a matter of days. They enthusiastically start reading like it’s their last chance, and before they know it, reality begins to set in and they find it much harder than they envisioned. They soon discover if they read it like any other book, they don’t fully understand what they have read, and all the little doubts start slipping in. And before they realize it, their enthusiasm dwindles and their efforts diminish. A few suggestions I would offer; don’t start at the beginning of the bible. That is the Old Testament, and in my opinion is much harder to understand. I would probably suggest either beginning in Proverbs, Mathew, or James. These books address God’s expectations of us and reveal a lot about God’s character. My next suggestion would be, not try to eat the whole elephant in one sitting. Slow down, digest it in small bites. I would rather read two scriptures and understand what I read than read an entire chapter and be lost. And lastly, more important than anything else, before you study your bible, go to God in prayer. Ask him to give you the wisdom to discern what you read, and the strength to apply it to your life. You’ve already taken the biggest step when you made the decision to dedicate yourself to God and allow him to come into your life. But please don’t think for a moment, that all life’s problems will just disappear or things will be easy from here on out. It’s just like installing that garage door opener, it takes perseverance, but the big difference now, is you have God on your side to help you figure out all those tricky spots. And I urge you to quit being so impatient with yourself, it takes time to get to know anyone, and God certainly isn’t just anyone. The apostle Paul compares a new Christian to being an infant, and like an infant, there is much to learn and it takes time. Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Scripture of The Day: Psalms 119:11 “I have stored your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Beginners Guild to Understanding the Bible July 16, 2024 There are few things I enjoy more than getting together with other Christians, or for that matter, non-Christians, and discussing the bible and the Lord. Through the years I have gained insight into many misconceptions people have concerning God and had my eyes have been opened to many things I was previously unaware of. As I have already mentioned, I am not a theologian, however, God has been good to me and revealed many things I would like to share. I’ve found it interesting that the more you learn about the bible, the more you realize you don’t know. Knowing that people have many unanswered questions, I will attempt to answer all of them within the confines of this story. That is a bold statement and sounds impossible, I admit. Well, I would have thought so too, except God put this message on my heart to write about. I don’t really know where this is going, so I’m trusting in him, and we will see where it leads together. The first thing, I want to address is why the bible has earned the moniker of “The Living Word.” There are so many amazing facts about the who, what, when, where, and why, concerning the bible, that would take a large book to do it justice, and I don’t want to get boggled down in all that right now. Many people view the Bible as just another book, all those amazing facts I mentioned, clearly set it apart from any other book. One thing worth mentioning is, that some of the most brilliant minds in the world can not understand it and view it as nonsense, (like the bible predicted they would). Another amazing thing about the bible is how it speaks to your heart. You can read a passage you’ve read many times before and get a new meaning from it, or many people can read it and come up with different interpretations of the same passage. The reason this happens is because it is God’s written word. To anyone truly seeking wisdom, the Holy Spirit is there with you, guiding and directing your heart and mind. He leads you in the direction you need to follow. And for those who read it as just another book or to discredit it, he confounds their minds, and thus the reason why some brilliant minds cannot comprehend the bible. The Lord knows what we stand in need of, and he promises to deliver that to us. Read James 1:5. I have failed to mention, that a key element that will enable you to successfully read and understand the bible is prayer. Prayer aligns your spirit with God’s and invites him into your presence. So, if we can accept that we are not just reading any ole book, and we should view it more like having a book of text, with an instructor by your side to explain things you don’t understand and help you find solutions to the problems you encounter in your life, it will all make much more sense to you. It’s like having a whole curriculum specifically aimed directly at you and your specific needs. Also, the instructor takes you at a pace and to whatever level that you are capable of achieving Now that we have a little better understanding of what the bible is and how it works, let’s see if we can address some of the seemingly unanswerable questions. Right up front, we should stipulate the fact, that no one man knows all there is to know about the bible or God. His word tells us if all was written, that should be written, the world itself could not contain the books. So that can only lead one to surmise he wrote what was necessary, and the rest, we can either get by without knowing, or that his Holy Spirit will reveal it to us if he deems it necessary. This paragraph in itself should eliminate 80% of the unanswerable questions. So, let’s continue on, and see if God keeps his promise. I will be the first to admit, there are some really tough questions! I have asked many of them myself, and continue to ask them daily. For many of these questions, we must look at the significance God places on faith and the role it plays in our lives. To tell you why faith is so important to God, I can only theorize. I imagine it is like a test of our love. If we are to believe that our children love us and believe in us, that comes with an expectation of trust, and what more is faith than trust with action behind it? And there is no trust or faith if you have to explain your every move or intention? So, my personal belief is, that God is not trying to hide anything from us, he simply wants to see if our love is deep enough and strong enough to walk with a blindfold and believe that he will guide us safely. If he has to lay every detail out for you and tell you all the things he has in store for you, then how can you say you believe in him? Read 1 Corinthians 2:9. For me at least, these words have taken care of the remaining 20% of unanswerable questions, but if you still have some that didn’t quite get covered, let’s try this. God is omniscient which is all-knowing. God is omnipotent, which means all-powerful and able to do anything. God is omnibenevolence which is perfectly good. God is omnipresent which means he is everywhere all at once. By the way, the term omni means infinite. God’s attributes are many and hard to quantify, so can we at least agree on this? That none of us come remotely close to being on the same level as God. The best analogy I can come up with is comparing the knowledge, power, and abilities of a newborn to a young and athletic Albert Einstein and a huge staff of college professors assisting him. So even if he desired to explain it all to us, we simply could not understand. But after all this, if you still have a question that you need an answer to, it’s quite simple. Mathew 7:7 says, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” Scripture of The Day: James 1:5-6 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” P.S. As I was proofreading this story, God revealed an answer to one of those questions, I have heard many times. It was revealed through one word in the Scripture of The Day, the word being; upbraideth. I wasn’t exactly sure of the meaning so I looked it up and it means to scold or rebuke. So, the answer to the question; “Does God get upset with us for questioning him?” According to this scripture, absolutely not. But he wants us to do it in faith, not doubting him, but seeking his knowledge and wisdom. Even an earthy father wouldn’t be upset with his child for wanting to know him and understand him better. But would be insulted and his feelings hurt if his child didn’t trust him. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* S.O.S The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few July 10, 2024 I want to start out, by apologizing to everyone who checks this website out frequently and has caught me shirking my responsibilities. When I started this, I aimed to publish a thought-of-the-day story each day Mon. – Fri., and have a feature story about once a week on Mon. or Tue. I’m not making excuses, I take this challenge very seriously. But my cup is pretty full. This week I have been taking the children to Vacation Bible School every evening and along with my other responsibilities, I simply haven’t had enough time to devote to it. So, I ask God to forgive me, and everyone to please be patient. But this has brought something to mind, which I feel I should share. I’ve mentioned this before, but I think it needs to be repeated. This website is a devotion to the Lord. Its’ purpose is to honor him of course, but its mission is to spread God’s word. I know there are a lot of talented people out there who have asked themselves or asked God, how they could use their talents to help. Maybe you are someone who can’t do physical labor or are shut in your home and unable to get out, or maybe you just haven’t found that need you can fill. I could use and would deeply appreciate some help! I know there are millions of amateur writers out there who are spiritually gifted, probably much more than myself. There are some of you, who are experts at navigating and understanding social media, any ideas or suggestions you may have about getting this word out further would be deeply appreciated. Are any of you a secret inspirational poet, who would be willing to share their work for God’s purpose? Do you maybe have a testimony or personal experience that would inspire others and help them cope with a situation they may be facing? Have you put together a video or a song you would be willing to share? The point is, I’m not in this for fame or glory. If anyone has a talent or skill they would be willing to offer to help boost the quality and outreach of this website, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me by leaving a comment at the very bottom of these stories or emailing me at [email protected] How better to show your love than to serve? How better to Honor God, than to obey him? How better to grow in your faith, than to put it to work? For faith without works is dead. Scripture of The Day: John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ Manners & Etiquette July 8, 2024 Where did manners come from and why do we have them? While I don’t suppose anyone knows the exact origin, I think it is safe to say they began soon after man attempted to live as social creatures. In order to establish any form of civilization, rules had to be established. Without rules, there would be nothing but chaos. We would be no better off than animals, where only the fittest survive and life is no more than a constant battle for existence. Once man learned to co-exist and began to see the advantages cooperation afforded him, I believe manners naturally evolved from the same concepts that birthed the Golden Rule. And while some cultures place a higher value on them than others, you will see manners implemented in every society. While I’m not particularly eager to stereotype people, the English people have a long history of heralding their good manners and seem to take great pride in their tradition of passing them down from generation to generation, and enjoy setting the standard for others to follow. As with any society, they first had to come to a consensus of what is and isn’t proper manners. This opens the door for etiquette, which in my humble opinion, is nothing more than an individual or group of highfaluting snooty people passing their opinions off as gospel, and trying to make everyone else abide by them. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think belching or far**** at the dinner table is rude, and I believe we should teach children that it is. But come on, who really cares what side of the plate your napkin is? I was raised to be thankful that I had one and to use it instead of my sleeve and I would count it as a victory to have kids today understand that much. I believe in holding a door, dressing appropriately for church, and showing respect for others. But I only need one fork for my meal and if I eat soup before salad or vice versa, It still tastes the same. I see formal religion much the same way as etiquette and compare having a personal relationship with God to good manners, so to speak. What I’m trying to say is if you go into a church where everything is choreographed, well-rehearsed, and timed to the minute, it reminds me of the Pharisees and their religion. It was all about the ritual and formality, they had practiced everything to make it look impressive on the outward appearance, but they were so far removed from God, that they didn’t even recognize him when He stared them in the face. Some of our modern churches look like palaces, their choirs look and sound like a band of angels, and every service is like a Hollywood production from the lighting to the sound and special effects. They have thought of everything and have everything it takes to tickle one’s ears and stimulate all your other senses as well. The message you receive is no less well prepared and planned. They want to make you feel warm and fuzzy, and tell you that your presence and your (donations) are all that God requires or asks of you. You can rest assured that you will leave pumped up and highly motivated to return for more of the same, where they will once more get that adrenaline pumping and take your mind off the problems you may be dealing with. But it does nothing to address or correct the root cause of the problems. And they will avoid offending you by pointing out the sin in your life at all costs. They stimulate your brain with endorphins very much like drug and alcohol abuse. All this follows the same methodology used by any great entertainer. And I hate to say it, but that is what many churches have become, social clubs and entertainment. I hope that explains the reasoning behind my comparison of formal religion to etiquette, but now let’s talk manners and a personal relationship with the lord. I suppose it’s fair to say that the Pharisee’s hearts were in the right place, but they got so wrapped up in custom and formality, they were imposing their will instead of following God’s true will. Read Mar 7:2-16. There are many examples where you can have all the right words, pray the prettiest of prayers, and be exquisitely ceremonious in your approach to God, but without having that relationship with God, it’s all hollow and meaningless. You may know every rule of etiquette known to man, and you may be able to walk the walk, talk the talk, and impress kings and dignitaries with your properness, but if you lack enough manners to simply be kind, considerate, and pleasant, you are just another arrogant and pompous, sanctimonious stuffed shirt jerk! You see, God isn’t impressed with fancy words, beautiful accommodations, or anything else that is of this world, those are his already, what impresses him are the same characteristics that Jesus portrayed. He wants us to follow and love him. Modesty, humbleness, charity, and the other fruits of the spirit, are some of the traits he honors and respects. He created us in his image and desires, that we would want to be like him. Don’t most earthly fathers have that same desire? He wants and desires a personal relationship with us, even if we stumble on our words, or disappoint him in a million different ways. He wants to be at the center of our lives and share in our lives. After all, wouldn’t you have to admit that he has a vested interest in each of us? Scripture of The Day: Joshua 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your soul.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Addendum to Freedom to be Free (next story) I stumbled on this article, and it fits perfectly with the day we are celebrating and the following story so I had to offer it. I am 65 years old and these things were never taught in school so I did not realize this until today. I feel the facts contained are a crucial part of our nation’s history, and I want to share them with you. If you have a single ounce of patriotism, this should make your respect for our forefathers ten times greater, and revitalize your love and respect for the freedoms we enjoy as proud Americans. Please click the following link to read. And I would love to hear your feedback. Click Here! ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Freedom to be Free July 3, 2024 Have you ever stopped to consider why every time you get angry, you instantly return to the last time that person or thing made you angry? It’s as if you teleport back in time to the same instant, the exact second, and could continue the sentence you never finished the last time without missing a beat. Yet, when something good happens it takes us by surprise, we act like it’s the first time it’s ever happened and don’t remember all the other things in the past. When couples fight, they can remember their partners’ words from the last fight they had verbatim, and use them against them. Even though they made up after that fight and promised to forget and forgive, all that hurt and rage appears to be, way too easy to retrieve and reanimate. So, it would make one wonder if, in fact, it was ever forgotten or forgiven to start with, or is it something else? Many people suffer from traumatic things that happened in their past. There are several mental disorders associated with traumatic memories, and while psychologists and psychiatrists have many methods to help people deal with these memories, to my knowledge there are none that are 100% effective. And I promise you, I am not trying to be funny, but rather make a point. Why is no one plagued with excessive joy syndrome? You will not find the letters; PsyD, MD, PHD, XYZ, or any other letters after my name. More than likely it will be, IDK meaning ( I Don’t Know), before, during, and after my name. But I did sleep in one of those hotels, that are supposed to make you smart, so I do have a theory. I think we have our “ole buddy” Satan to thank for all of this. He loves to use our past against us! As long as he can keep us chained to the hurts and pains of the past, he can control us and own us. If he can make you keep re-living your pain, you become a slave to it. If he can convince you that tomorrow can’t be any better than today, or that there is no hope for you, then he owns you. But, just as a handful of people did, some 248 years ago, it is time to decide to claim your independence! They decided they would no longer allow anyone to determine their fates and future. They knew God had put them in this world with certain inalienable rights (meaning: God given) and no one would stop them from being free. Did their freedom come without cost? No. That king who owned and controlled them didn’t want to lose his property, any more than Satan wants to release you from his bondage. But thankfully, there is one who is greater than Satan. One who loves you and wants you to be free of your chains and bonds. As noted below in the scripture of the day, he cast seven devils out of her, he can rid you of yours! Read: Mark 5:25-34. Just as the woman with the issues of blood that no doctor could cure, turn to The Father for your freedom. No matter what your past is, what your ailment is, or what your need is, Jesus holds the power of life and death in his mighty hands, and He is more than willing and able to deliver you! And I can’t think of a better day to claim your independence! Scripture of The Day: Luke 8:2 “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* July 2, 2024 Vampires & Angels Have you been bitten by one of these Joy Vampires we are hearing about in the news lately? What? You haven’t heard about them? That’s kind of strange, but I guess understand. You see they have been around for quite some time now, but they have operated under the radar, not trying to draw a lot of attention to themselves, because that messes up their plans. They can’t risk being exposed for what they truly are because that could render them powerless. Their powers are derived from stirring up trouble and sucking the joy out of everyone they sink their teeth into. Gossip and negativism are their superpowers. They are miserable excuses for human beings. They have no joy of their own so they feed by stealing everyone else’s. They are grateful for nothing and show no appreciation for anyone, all they focus on, and the only thing they take pleasure in is making everyone as miserable as they are. They seem to gain great satisfaction by ruining your day, and the only thing that ever seems to put a smile on their faces is to remove the smile from yours. Even the Grinch moans a little when he sees them approach. There is no good way I’ve found, to avoid them because they might show up anywhere at any time. Although they tend to frequent crowded places, there is nowhere, you are safe from them because it seems there is no place they won’t go. You can watch them as they work if you have a trained eye and know what to look for. I can’t offer an exact description of their looks, because they come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders. Churches, workplaces, and social events are familiar hang-outs of theirs. And the easiest way to spot them is by stepping back from the crowd and observing. You will find at least one in about every gathering, by looking for the ones that act like honeybees. Do you know how a bee will jump from flower to flower collecting nectar? Well, these monsters jump from ear to ear whispering their poisonous gossip. They go from person to person huddled up and leaning in closely assuring their secrets are only shared with their intended targets to protect their identity as the purveyors of the rumors and gossip. The close proximity also feigns affection for that person which encourages them to share their secrets, thus, giving them fodder for their next victim, and making that person feel privileged like an elite member of an exclusive club. Ohhh they are good at what they do! Now that you know how to spot one of these elusive creatures, what should you do with this knowledge? Avoid them like the plague! Do not give them an inch! Don’t placate them with niceties or try not to offend them! By doing so, you face the danger, of becoming or playing a part in their next scheme. Nicely, but firmly, and in no uncertain words, let them know you don’t want to become mixed up in their drama. Tell them you don’t want to hear their gossip and you will let whoever they might be talking about know what they are saying about them. By doing this you can rest assured they will never approach you again. This same approach is useful when dealing with the ones spreading doom and gloom. You can either nod your head in agreement when they start preaching negativism, guaranteeing they will offer you more in the future or you can stand your ground, and tell them that is not how you view it, whatever their topic may be. Let them see you have a positive outlook on life and they will run from you like a vampire runs from sunlight. You see, these creatures like the regular vampires, must be invited into your homes and lives. They tend to operate in the shadows, and instead of blood, they feed on the joys of life. I want to make mention of another super unnatural creature, and that being the angels which are among us. Those people who by their very nature, lift others up and offer them hope and cheer, simply by their positive attitudes and kindness. They are easily identifiable by their smiles, kind words, and pleasant demeanor. They will hold doors for the elderly, offer an expectant mother their seat, and stay eagerly alert looking for others in need. They are tireless, selfless, people who get joy by helping others have a better day. They are quick with a compliment, generous with encouragement, and never seek compensation or acknowledgment for what they do. They are truly Superheroes, and although they don’t want or expect it, we all owe them our respect and gratitude. They too, can be found almost anywhere at any time. But sad to say, there aren’t nearly as many of these creatures as there once were. They become more rare each day as the qualities found in these creatures seem to be diminishing amongst our species. I dare not try to list the professions or groups of people where it is more commonplace to find these creatures for fear of leaving someone out. But if you are one of the Angels among us, doing your part to help others and making this world bearable to live in, I personally and on behalf of others want to say; that we do see and take notice of your refreshing kindness. And the way you live your lives is an inspiration for all of us. We should look to your kind as role models and aspire to follow in your footsteps, just as you have chosen to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of God’s great commandments is for us to love one another, just as he has loved us, and your lives set the bar for all of us to follow. I can not thank you enough or bestow enough honor upon you for your selflessness. Read Mathew 25:40-45 Scripture of The Day Colossians 3:12-14 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* ***************************************************************************************************************************************************** Don’t Go Hungry June 28, 2024 Unless you have plenty of money and don’t mind ending up with a whole big bunch of junk foods, don’t go grocery shopping hungry! I know we’ve all heard that, and it’s because it’s true. Especially if you don’t have a pre-prepared list, you will buy at least three times as much stuff as you need. Everything looks good when your stomach is growling, and without a list, you’re afraid you might miss something you will want later, so you buy everything you see. What started as a quick trip to the store for milk and bread, ends up costing you $200.00. There is no use denying it, we’ve all done it, and if you’re anything like me, you forget to buy bread. There is an enterprising science dedicated to assisting you in spending more than you intended, it’s called marketing, and it is a science, based on psychology and human nature. It is well-studied, researched, and backed with more data than imaginable. From the store loyalty cards you use supposedly get a discount, to credit card records, and the list goes on and on. Every company uses some form of marketing strategy, and since computers came on the scene, marketing is a world within itself. Some companies spend billions of dollars each year on marketing. All this is proof that it is effective. We all are susceptible to advertising whether we acknowledge it or not. There are techniques you can implement to lower your risk of being drawn into making unwanted purchases. Planning is one of the simplest and most effective methods. Putting some forethought into any purchase will help avoid impulsive and supplemental purchases. It will also allow you to make sound rational decisions as to whether or not, you even need the item you are considering purchasing, and if a base model is sufficient or if you truly need the added features. Another helpful technique to avoid wasting money on an ineffective purchase is to research the various brands and models, to find the best value. Knowledge is power, ultimately it will help you avoid costly mistakes, whereas poor judgment can cost you more than you might imagine. People are exhibiting these same behaviors and mindsets regarding faith and religion. Children are not being taught about God and they are going out into the world hungry. They have no idea what they are lacking, all they know is an emptiness that needs to be filled. They have no direction or plan on how to find what they are seeking, no real knowledge about all the false religions, cults, and the predators who hunt them like prey. They are defenseless against a well-versed marketing expert who is a well-practiced and seasoned adversary and views them as baby lambs. Even the children who are fortunate enough to have attended church and Sunday School, are ill-prepared and lack the education needed to face a cruel world of intolerant people who could test the faith of a seasoned Christian. God’s love, is all these children have been taught, and that is a wonderful thing! But how do they answer the atheists who have practiced their argument against God for decades? How do they fight Satan and his centuries of experience, when they have been sheltered their whole lives and not taught how to use the armor of God? They haven’t learned that actions have consequences, and how imperative it is to avoid heading down, or how to get back, once you’ve started down that slippery slope?” We have failed to help them establish solid foundations on which they can form values and left them to decide what is good and true. If you don’t know what you stand for, you will stand for anything!” Parents, I know you love your children, so please don’t send them out into this cold hard world Hungry. Nourish and feed them well before sending them off. Help them make and have a plan. Supply them with the knowledge they need, to make an informed choice, or someone will decide for them. Don’t just assume they are bright and will make it fine on their own, odds are they won’t! There are too many sharks in the water for a young guppy to navigate safely in open waters. In the animal kingdom, we see the parents teach and prepare their young to be able to face the perils they will encounter. They teach by example, how to feed and care for themselves and make a home for themselves, but most of all they teach them how to survive! They do not shove them out of the nest without first preparing them for flight. And the cold hard fact is, the young that don’t acquire these survival skills, don’t make it. They become food for the stronger more prepared animals. Are we not supposed to be smarter and more advanced than animals? Drive down the streets of any large city, or for that matter, any small town, nowadays and you will see the carnage of our youth. Sleeping in boxes, eating from the trash, selling their bodies for drugs, and doing anything and everything they can to survive, simply because they were unprepared for life’s challenges. Sure, we teach them to lock their doors at night, be weary of strangers, and take care someone doesn’t kid-nap or hurt them. But do we prepare them for the worst dangers? Scripture of The Day: Mathew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Walking With Your Eyes Closed June 26, 2024 Have you ever been to a party where they played a game that required wearing a blindfold? Watching people of all ages attempt to do anything without their sight is hilarious. They either quickly realize how incapacitated they are and exaggerate their helplessness in fun or start trying to cheat, by peaking. Almost no one, makes a serious attempt at accomplishing whatever the goal may be. Either fear of failure or looking ridiculous seems to stop them in their tracks. It made me think about the similarities to trying to walk by faith. On the appearance of it, it doesn’t look or sound, like something that should be too hard to do. Sometimes it’s not. But, when things really start getting tough, it can be a different ballgame. If you are a Christian, you know in your heart, that God can do all things, and nothing is beyond his capabilities. You should also have first-hand knowledge, that he has never failed or forsaken you in the past. And as a matter of fact, we have his promise that he never will. But that doesn’t stop Satan from planting seeds of doubt and fear in your mind. And which seeds he will plant are dependent on you. If he knows you are a young Christian, he may come straight at you and try to convince you God doesn’t care or that this particular problem is too big for God to be able to help. If he feels you are wiser than that, he probably will fill your mind with things like; the way you have been living, you don’t deserve God’s help, or any number of things. The point is, that he knows your weaknesses and your strengths, and he will attack wherever you are most vulnerable. Also, we must consider that he is a master of his craft. He has had many years of practice to hone his skills and has dealt with people of all backgrounds and spiritual levels. You are not going to surprise him and on your own, you are no match for him. By now you may be asking yourself, “Why is this guy trying to tell me I don’t stand a chance against the wiles of the Devil? I thought he was on my side?” I am on your side, but we must never underestimate Satan! And I don’t care how long you have been a Christian, how much you have studied God’s word, or how strong you believe your faith to be, never think you are beyond temptation or above falling for Satan’s traps. Although it didn’t work out for him as he planned, remember Satan was bold enough to go after Jesus himself. So, if we can’t fight Satan on our own, what do we do? That is where we figuratively put on that blindfold and learn to walk by faith. We can’t see in the darkness of evil, so we must rely on one who can. We have to learn to let go and depend on God to walk ahead of us and clear the minefield of traps Satan has set for us. We must listen to his quiet voice telling us which way to turn. Proverbs 3:5-6, says; “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. And believe me, I understand that is not an easy thing to do. When it feels like your life is crumbling all around you, your human side tells you to tighten your grip even tighter and God is telling you, to sit back, I got this. But look at it this way, most of us don’t think twice about jumping into a vehicle with someone else at the steering wheel. (Huh, before long there won’t even be someone behind the wheel, a computer will be driving). Anyway, we trust them to soar us around through traffic at amazing speeds without a clue, about their qualifications as a driver. I.E. Uber, taxi, chauffeurs, ect. If you can put your faith in Man and not in God, then there is something, seriously wrong with your judgment! No one wants to look like a fool, and no one wants bad things to happen to them, and skepticism is a naturally acquired human trait. But no one has earned your faith like God. He has kept every promise, been faithful every time, and has never failed anyone! Look at the facts, spiritually, logically, historically, or even scientifically. God comes through when no one else can! Even though I’m not a gambler, I will bet on God every time! Because you see, it’s not even a bet when you are 100% sure. Scripture of The Day: Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Don’t Go Hungry June 28, 2024 Unless you have plenty of money and don’t mind ending up with a whole big bunch of junk foods, don’t go grocery shopping hungry! I know we’ve all heard that, and it’s because it’s true. Especially if you don’t have a pre-prepared list, you will buy at least three times as much stuff as you need. Everything looks good when your stomach is growling, and without a list, you’re afraid you might miss something you will want later, so you buy everything you see. What started as a quick trip to the store for milk and bread, ends up costing you $200.00. There is no use denying it, we’ve all done it, and if you’re anything like me, you forget to buy bread. There is an enterprising science dedicated to assisting you in spending more than you intended, it’s called marketing, and it is a science, based on psychology and human nature. It is well-studied, researched, and backed with more data than imaginable. From the store loyalty cards you use supposedly get a discount, to credit card records, and the list goes on and on. Every company uses some form of marketing strategy, and since computers came on the scene, marketing is a world within itself. Some companies spend billions of dollars each year on marketing. All this is proof that it is effective. We all are susceptible to advertising whether we acknowledge it or not. There are techniques you can implement to lower your risk of being drawn into making unwanted purchases. Planning is one of the simplest and most effective methods. Putting some forethought into any purchase will help avoid impulsive and supplemental purchases. It will also allow you to make sound rational decisions as to whether or not, you even need the item you are considering purchasing, and if a base model is sufficient or if you truly need the added features. Another helpful technique to avoid wasting money on an ineffective purchase is to research the various brands and models, to find the best value. Knowledge is power, ultimately it will help you avoid costly mistakes, whereas poor judgment can cost you more than you might imagine. People are exhibiting these same behaviors and mindsets regarding faith and religion. Children are not being taught about God and they are going out into the world hungry. They have no idea what they are lacking, all they know is an emptiness that needs to be filled. They have no direction or plan on how to find what they are seeking, no real knowledge about all the false religions, cults, and the predators who hunt them like prey. They are defenseless against a well-versed marketing expert who is a well-practiced and seasoned adversary and views them as baby lambs. Even the children who are fortunate enough to have attended church and Sunday School, are ill-prepared and lack the education needed to face a cruel world of intolerant people who could test the faith of a seasoned Christian. God’s love, is all these children have been taught, and that is a wonderful thing! But how do they answer the atheists who have practiced their argument against God for decades? How do they fight Satan and his centuries of experience, when they have been sheltered their whole lives and not taught how to use the armor of God? They haven’t learned that actions have consequences, and how imperative it is to avoid heading down, or how to get back, once you’ve started down that slippery slope?” We have failed to help them establish solid foundations on which they can form values and left them to decide what is good and true. If you don’t know what you stand for, you will stand for anything!” Parents, I know you love your children, so please don’t send them out into this cold hard world Hungry. Nourish and feed them well before sending them off. Help them make and have a plan. Supply them with the knowledge they need, to make an informed choice, or someone will decide for them. Don’t just assume they are bright and will make it fine on their own, odds are they won’t! There are too many sharks in the water for a young guppy to navigate safely in open waters. In the animal kingdom, we see the parents teach and prepare their young to be able to face the perils they will encounter. They teach by example, how to feed and care for themselves and make a home for themselves, but most of all they teach them how to survive! They do not shove them out of the nest without first preparing them for flight. And the cold hard fact is, the young that don’t acquire these survival skills, don’t make it. They become food for the stronger more prepared animals. Are we not supposed to be smarter and more advanced than animals? Drive down the streets of any large city, or for that matter, any small town, nowadays and you will see the carnage of our youth. Sleeping in boxes, eating from the trash, selling their bodies for drugs, and doing anything and everything they can to survive, simply because they were unprepared for life’s challenges. Sure, we teach them to lock their doors at night, be weary of strangers, and take care someone doesn’t kid-nap or hurt them. But do we prepare them for the worst dangers? Scripture of The Day: Mathew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Circle of Life June 25, 2024 Almost every family has or has had a Matriarch and or a Patriarch. A man or woman who lives their lives in such a manner they are the glue that holds the family together. They have earned the family’s respect by displaying maturity, wisdom, and great love for the family. They have proven ability to lead the direction of a family based on past decisions and actions that were sound. They have a way about themselves, that keeps the family united. They are level-headed peacemakers, who seemed to exude an infectious love for everyone around them. In most instances, they are not only the confidant of a family but also serve as wise council and the spiritual leader Seldom will you find a close-knit family that doesn’t have at least one of these figures inside their circle. And too often, we see the family drift apart after losing theirs. They tend to be sorely missed and leave a vacuum after they are gone. A man named, Dave Ramsey, has capitalized on this and built a two hundred million dollar per year enterprise, by promoting himself as, “A source of good ole fashion financial advice, like Grandma used to give.” You could spend days discussing the importance of the family unit, but I believe most everyone will concede that point, so I don’t feel the need to embellish. The churches are much the same way. After all, aren’t they supposed to be one big family? Too often, when a church loses a great pastor, it’s no time before it starts to fall apart. Members begin looking elsewhere to replace what they once had because the new preacher wasn’t like the old one. Even the military realizes the importance of a strong leader. They know if they can destroy the leadership of their enemy, the remaining army becomes ineffective. They call it, “Cutting off the head of the snake.” And believe you, me, Satan is fully aware of this tactic as well, he uses it to his advantage every time. While the family is grieving the loss of Grandpaw or Mom or whomever it may be, He doesn’t waste any time. He’s at the funeral stirring up trouble, filling everyone’s heads with deceit and lies. By the time that person’s body goes into the ground, the seeds have already been planted to tear that family apart. He is not the least bit squeamish about using their grief against them. For him, this is a golden opportunity! Case in point, I honestly can’t recall the number of people I have heard make a statement similar to this, “I haven’t talked to that person since so and so died. And I probably never will again! So, the question becomes, what can be done to keep all this from coming to fruition? For starters, nearly every leader is always a good mentor as well. You were blessed with their guidance, you watched and should have learned their ways. You have benefitted from their wisdom. What is holding you back from becoming a giver instead of a taker, a teacher instead of a student? And at the very least, putting the wisdom they bestowed on you, to good use in your own life and passing it down to your children. Granted, everyone is not cut out to be a leader, but we can all do our share to keep peace amongst the family. We should all, make an effort to hold firmly, to the family bonds, that our loved ones fought so dearly for. We can render and show support for whoever tries to take the place of our missing loved one and give them a chance to grow into the position, without making the transition more difficult. Family unity is one of the most vital parts of any society. Whether it be your immediate family, church family, or even a circle of friends, you can play a major role, either as leadership or a positive supporting role. Read Mathew 5:9. Keep this in mind as well God says he hates, those who stir dissension among the brethren (family). It seems as if every generation is slipping a little further away from God, and becoming more willing to go along with the ways of this world (Satan’s Ways). And largely, this is due to the decay of Family values. The wisdom of our Grandparents and Parents is not getting passed down to our children, they are being educated instead by social media, and we know who controls that. It’s of little wonder our children are disillusioned and pathetically ill-prepared to face this world. We are not supplying them with the strong foundation needed, to become well-adjusted wise adults. It’s time for everyone to step up their game, and give our young the same advantages we were given. Raise them up in church, and teach them about the Lord and the Devil. They need to know who their enemy is and how to fight him. It’s not someone else’s problem! It’s yours and mine. If not you, then who will? Who, out there will care enough to get off the couch and help these little ones? No longer, can we afford to sit back and pretend that everything will be fine! Because if we don’t start yesterday, preparing our children, there simply is no hope for a bright future! Scripture of The Day: Proverbs 22:6 “ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ How Much Are You Worth June 24, 2024 The other day a bunch of us were talking about past jobs and bosses we have had. It led to a discussion about pay and how much someone is worth. It seems as if everyone at one time or another has had a job where they didn’t feel the pay was adequate for the skills they possessed and the quality of work they performed. And while you can approach this subject in many different ways, I feel there is some truth to it. Playing the Devil’s advocate, I believe if you and your boss agree on how much, and when you will be compensated for your work and both sides live up to the agreement, it is unreasonable to say your boss cheated you. However, that doesn’t necessarily negate the fact, you may not be getting compensated fairly for the value of your work. Issues concerning management styles, company policies, culture, and practices always come into play. Some companies seem to take great pride in how well they treat their employees, believing their efforts to treat their people well, will be reciprocated and result beneficially for all involved. Other companies seem to view employees as assets or tools to be utilized for the company’s benefit in whatever ways they see fit, to achieve maximum effectiveness. There are great bosses, who try to help people grow and then there are the ones you would like to kill, who only concern themselves with themself. Some companies realize people have personal lives and families, and they go out of their way to accommodate their employees by offering support systems that enable them to deal with life’s problems. Others couldn’t care less and expect 100%, all day, every day, and do not believe in prioritizing family ahead of your job. Let’s go back to the earlier conversation where we discussed how people refuse to do this or that for certain amounts of money. I have heard this discussed many times, by many different people. They would say things like; I wouldn’t take that truck driving job for less than $30.00/Hr., or I wouldn’t paint that house for less than $1500.00. So, it leads me to believe that we do place value on our work, our time, and even our dignity. In other words, “I’m willing to put up with that smart aleck, loud mouth boss, but not for $10.00/Hr.! Or, I will wear that stupid chicken costume and dance like a fool, if you will pay me enough money to swallow my pride and dignity. Given that we are intelligent enough to understand that we have a defined amount of financial self-worth, and can put a price on it. Then why do so many people struggle with recognizing their value as a person and a human being? Why are so many people eager to give themselves over, to anyone or anything that promises them happiness, even after eye-witnessing, or in some cases, already having first-hand knowledge, of what that person or thing has done to their close friends and countless others? What is it that blinds people preventing them from seeing that they are better than that? Once upon a time, life was more secretive, people kept their dirty laundry hidden and it was a lot easier to understand why people didn’t comprehend what going down certain roads would do to you. But in this era of social media, no one can claim they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. The side effects of certain vices and lifestyles are evident and out openly for anyone to see. So, I’ll ask again, why can’t people see they are worth more than Satan’s lies will deliver? Why do they continue to sell themselves out to the worst boss known to mankind? If you raised a prize thoroughbred horse with a top bloodline, how would you feel, to see someone using it as a plow horse? To see such a magnificent creature being used in such a wasteful degrading way, would break your heart. God knows your value, after all, He created you. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. I sometimes think we fail to see the sheer genius, the magnificence, and what wonderfully amazing creatures we are, simply because there are so many of us. But take any random person and analyze their physical and emotional capabilities, compare their longevity, amount of fuel and care they require, and compare that to their ability to produce, and then show me a machine that can even come close. Humans are an amazing species due to, far too many reasons, then I care to get into. But the point is, that God knows our value, he knows what we are capable of becoming. He created us in his image and wants only the best for us. Because of that, he sent his only begotten son Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. I can only imagine his disappointment when he sees his children squandering their inheritance and living lives, unfit for swine! He sees his thoroughbreds being used by Satan as his little pawns and fools, and it has to break his heart! Read: Luke 15:11-32 Judas sold his sole for a mere thirty pieces of silver, but people today are throwing theirs away, simply because they can’t see their value. We are smart enough not to sell our cars for a fraction of their worth, but the thing we should hold most dear to us, our souls, which are God’s greatest gifts, are up for grabs! Scripture of The Day: Mathew 7:6 “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Fathers on Earth & Heaven June 16, 2024 Happy Father’s Day to every man, who has taken the role of being a father seriously. Knowing that we can not in any way, fill the shoes of our Heavenly Father, we can and should look to him as a model of what fatherhood should be. First and foremost is the unconditional love a father has for his child. I don’t mean to digress, but I feel it’s important not to confuse unconditional love with accepting bad behavior. A good father will not condone behavior he knows to be detrimental to his child. A good father will above all things protect his children, and do everything within his means, to prepare them for life. Even when, by doing so, it will not win him a popularity contest! A good father puts his children’s and family’s needs ahead of his own wants and desires. His aspirations are not for himself alone, and the greatness he seeks is through and by his children. A good father will give anything he has and share what he has with his children, he would give them Heaven itself if it were his to give. Today, after church, my kids showed up with food. We all sat down and shared a meal. We had some laughs and shared in the normal sibling bantering. We all enjoyed one another’s company. Even the ones who were out of town and couldn’t be here called and wished me a Happy Father’s Day. So needless to say, I felt loved and appreciated. It was nothing fancy, mind you, but it meant the world to me, for my children to take time to do that in my honor After they left, it occurred to me, isn’t that all our Heavenly Father asks of us? He just wants us to make an effort to show and tell him how much we love and appreciate what he does for us. He doesn’t want to be like a first-aid kit that you never give a second thought until there is an emergency. He’s not a fire extinguisher that’s out-of-sight and out-of-mind until there is a fire! He created mankind to have a relationship and fellowship with. It was never meant to be a one-way street. God wants to be a part of your life, not a genie in a bottle, not a last resort, and certainly not a stranger. I mentioned how a father would give his children anything if it was his to offer, God has offered each of us a home in Heaven with him. He is the ultimate father and in him, there is no fault. So, if your relationship with the Father is not where it should be, what better day than today to make amends? Scripture of The Day Mathew 7:9-11 “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him? ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Bending God’s Word June 14, 2024 Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. There are at least 76 times the word abomination is used in the Bible, abominable 23, abominably 1. The definition of Abomination: noun 1. Extreme hatred; detestation 2. The object of detestation, a common signification in scripture. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 15:8. I’ve heard numerous people comment about foreigners coming into our country and instead of assimilating into our culture and customs, they want to change it to suit themselves. Recently The Boy Scouts of America made a spineless decision to cave into societal pressures and become all-inclusive. Following in the footsteps of many groups and organizations they decided to go against their core values and upend a long proud heritage of helping boys grow up to be men of integrity. Please don’t misunderstand the point I’m trying to make. I’m not advocating discrimination towards females, but isn’t there a Girl Scouts? The United States of America has a federalistic constitution founded on democratic principles which have safeguarded our nation since its birth. This nation has served well as an example of what can be derived from its people having freedom and liberty. The American Dream is not a fantasy, as some would have you believe, it is and has been a reality. And not only for our citizens but people the world over are starved for and envious of the lifestyle our freedom affords us. So why come here and start trying to tear it down and remake this country into what you left behind, or fantasize about how great it could be if only we were like so and so? If you think another country is so great, why not go there? If you think another way would work so much better, you should go to that place which is already doing it that way! Leave my stars and Stripes alone! We are one nation under God! But there are plenty of places that aren’t. The same goes for God’s word, His plan, and His world. He established his rules the way he wanted them. He has a plan for how everything is going to work. He made a way for you and me to be part of his plan. But once again, man being the arrogant creature he is, thinks he knows better and that his ways are better, and has been busy bending and twisting God’s word till it is hardly recognizable. What God said is good, man thinks he can do better. What God calls sin, man says, not if you look at it this way. I’m honestly not sure which is worse, the way the world today is distorting God’s message, or if it is how they are trying to discredit him and make him irrelevant so they can do away with him altogether! If I invite you into my home, and ask you to share in a meal and whatever other hospitalities I offer, what would make you feel entitled to come in and start taking over, telling us what we are going to serve, when we will serve it, and what the new house rules are going to be! You shouldn’t do that with an organization, or an individual, and it especially isn’t going to fly, when it comes to God. His word has never changed. He tells us what is right and what is wrong. And if we want to join him in his home in Heaven, we will obey his commandments and adhere to his righteousness, not that of our choosing. I am 100% certain he will not make an amendment or add a clause to his word, to accommodate this generation or any other. And if these people are nearly as smart and powerful as they think themselves to be, they should create their own world somewhere else and shape it in a way they deem fit. When they do that, I’ll gladly shut up and even show a modicum of respect for them. Sorry, I get a little upset when people attack something or someone I love and respect. And the recent events are just that, an attack on the three things I love more than anything else; God, family, and country. And while I know God doesn’t need my protection, and I know that his justice is coming, it still un-nerves me to see the lack of respect he gets. All these things remind me of back then, and It’s almost as if he were still nailed to that cross. And then I get ashamed of myself, regarding my anger because I remember some of his final words. “Father forgive them, for they know not, what they are doing.” These words were intended for the Jewish people, but we should be able to glean wisdom from it and apply it to our land and our lives, Read Deuteronomy 4:2-10 Scripture of The Day: Ephesians 1:11 “ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* My Safe Place June 13, 2024 Church is one of the best places in the world to get your feelings hurt! I know that’s coming out of the gate at full stride, but it makes no sense pussy-footing around the subject. It seems as if everywhere you turn, you run into someone who used to attend church regularly until something happened to offend them. Or at the very least, they have moved and started attending a different church. Have you ever considered why this happens so frequently? I was talking to a very special person earlier today and she started telling me how her Pastor had offended her by something he posted on social media. She had missed church the last couple of Sundays due to a health issue and ran into him somewhere in public. Later that evening he posted something about Christians missing church. Now whether or not that was directed toward her we may never know. However, she feels like it was and it hurt her feelings. When she mentioned this to me, my gut reaction was to take her side and I confessed he probably shouldn’t have done that and suggested, he may have done it without thinking it through. Later in the day, after having time to consider both sides, I remembered a conversation I had with this same person several weeks back, where I was apologizing for taking so long to respond to her text and also commented that I hoped she hadn’t taken something I had said earlier, in a way I hadn’t intended. She jokingly replied, “I would never take anything you say wrong, if it came off weird, I would chalk it up to your ignorance, and go on.” After all, isn’t that what good friends and family are supposed to do? If you are around anyone long enough, you let your guard down and maybe become a little too familiar causing you to make assumptions you shouldn’t have, or maybe take liberties with your relationship that aren’t warranted. I know this happens among families all too often, and it can cause trouble, even in the closest families. Ever heard the phrase, “Familiarity breeds contempt?” There is truth to it. Our church family is no different. While our intentions may be completely admirable, we must always use caution when teasing or being critical of others. What may be accepted as a funny joke for a while, might catch someone having a bad day, or maybe they have just heard it so long, that the joke is wearing on their nerves and is no longer funny. Another truism of life is that the closer you are to someone, the deeper the hurt is when they offend you. People see their church as a second home and a sanctuary where they want and need to feel welcome, and comfortable, and most of all, they want to feel safe. It should be a place where you feel safe letting your guard down and there is no need for pretentiousness. You need to know it’s ok to set aside your inhibitions or expose your inner self, without fear of vulnerability, being taken advantage of, or fearing repercussions. The other side to that coin is we must quit being so thin-skinned and assuming the worst, anytime something questionable is said or done. If someone has always treated you well, and suddenly they do something to hurt you, you must consider, that is out of character for them, and not be so quick to judge. Misunderstandings, miscommunications, and misreading a situation, happen all the time. So why not be open to the possibility that is what took place? And if you discover the transgression against you wasn’t a misunderstanding, consider whether it was a malicious attack on you, or was it simply, a thoughtless inconsiderate act? Knowing that we are all human and fully capable of doing hurtful things, it would be wise to think things through before reacting! Remind yourself of some of the stupid hurtful things you have done in the past, and lived to regret them. No two relationships are ever the same. The relationship you share, with your best friend is much different than that of an acquaintance. The relationship you have with your Christian brothers and sisters is no different. But any relationship that has once been good before something happened, is at least worth trying to salvage. You can never have too many friends or people who love and care about you, even if they are human and can do some pretty ignorant things at times. Read Mathew 18: 15-20. Scripture of The Day Mathew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Why Choose The Hard Way June 12, 2024 The dictionary definition of wisdom is the quality of having experience and good judgment. The soundness of an action or decision. Proverbs 9:10 says, ”The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Most people equate knowledge with wisdom, and while there are similarities and some overlapping qualities, there is a stark difference between the two. Some people are highly knowledgeable about certain things. They can be top in their field, but their knowledge may be limited to that one area. While others may be extremely intelligent, and their scope of knowledge encompasses a full spectrum of subjects. But even those individuals usually share a weakness in certain areas, i.e., common sense, or work that may involve using their hands instead of their minds. Then there are those said to be wise. They may or may not be intelligent in the book sense of the word, however, they seem to possess a deep understanding of the way the world works. They also have an innate ability to apply sound judgment and make favorable decisions. Often, good fortune resulting from their choices is mistaken for good luck. Wisdom is the ability to grow and benefit from personal experiences. But the very wise tend to learn from the mistakes or successes of others. We’ve all heard the saying, “Re-inventing the wheel.” I was an obstinate child. When it came to taking advice, I would listen to people’s opinions, however, I had to test them before accepting them as true. Yes, I tended to do everything the hard way. And while that is not all bad, because the lessons it taught seemed to sink in deep, my life could have been much easier, if I had only listened! You’ve probably heard it said, “That life doesn’t come with an instruction manual.” That may be true, but God has a book full of wisdom. He tells us that his word is profitable for doctrine, reproof, instruction, and correction. There is not a single word in the Bible you won’t benefit from. But I can recommend two books especially, which have proved to be enormously helpful in learning to discriminate between wisdom and foolishness. Those books are; Proverbs and the Book of James. Traveling this road of life and facing the thousands upon thousands of decisions we are constantly forced to make, is not an easy task. But if I can offer a shortcut or a useful hack, why not try it the easiest way? Read Proverbs 12:15. Or you can go the route I chose in my younger days and reinvent the wheel. Scripture of The Day: James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Pray Until We Don’t June 11, 2024 It seems as if people have always struggled with what is the correct way to pray, even Jesus’s disciples had questions and when they asked, this was Jesus’s response. This prayer Jesus prayed, is often referred to as the Model Prayer and is found in Luke 11:2-4. “Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in Heaven, so in earth. Give us our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” Was Jesus telling his disciples, to use these words every time they prayed? No, Mathew 6: 7-8 warns against vain repetition and speaking just to be heard. Luke 18: 10-14, tells us of two men, one with a righteous prayer, the other a prayer of arrogance, and the rewards the two men received. While there are some Do’s and Don’ts, when it comes to praying, it is a very personal thing. It is more private than a conversation with your wife discussing intimate affairs the two of you alone share. Mathew 6:1-6, tells us to go somewhere private and pray in secret and God will reward us openly. People need not worry that their words are pretty like some, they shouldn’t let it bother them that sometimes they can’t even get words to come out. God knows your heart, He knows what you need, better than you know yourself. All he wants and expects out of us is honesty and sincerity. Sometimes a tear can be your greatest prayer. God savors them and looks upon them like the sweet smells of the oil (perfume) Mary rubbed on Jesus’s feet. God tells us to pray without ceasing, he wants to hear what our hearts have to say, the good and bad. And yes there is a time and place for public prayer. We are told if we deny him or are ashamed of him, he will deny us, and if we proclaim him, he will acknowledge us to the Father. But let us always be cautious of our motives. If you’re your prayer is only to impress others, God doesn’t even hear that prayer. You can say the most beautiful prayer in the world, but if it doesn’t come from your heart, it’s meaningless to God. And a child being pure of heart may utter something that sounds silly to us, and it may move God beyond measure, because of the sincerity. God tells us also to pray for each other. I will never forget the prayers I heard my mother pray for me, I cherish them in my heart, along with many other fond memories. And there is something to be said for hearing anyone raising your name to the Lord. Knowing that someone cares enough about you to pray for you, is a blessing in itself. While studying for this story I discovered another prayer in Ephesians 6:19-20, which I had never noticed before. A prayer for utterance, asking God to help you proclaim His Holy Word. So, I ask each of you, to please pray on my behalf, and all those attempting to spread God’s Word, that we would never mislead someone or cower down to the pressure Satan places on us. He tries to prevent us from speaking boldly and truthfully, concerning God’s word. He wants it watered down, and he uses political correctness and popular opinion to intimidate anyone willing to spread his undefiled truth. I pray daily that God will give me the message, he wants sent out. I ask for courage and wisdom to deliver it as he intended, with kindness, but never being apologetic for telling the truth. And I ask for wisdom to discern the difference between his will and my own. Prayer is communing with God on a level that makes no sense to the unsaved. I’ve heard people say they didn’t know how to pray or what to say to God. This is the best response I can offer. Just talk to God the same way you would, if you were speaking to, the person who knows you and loves you better than anyone else in the whole world. Because that is exactly who you are talking to! While there must be a thousand different reasons to pray, millions of benefits from praying, and too many personal styles or methods to mention, it is an essential part of any relationship with God. God is your anchor and prayer is the rope that keeps you tied to him. As for me, I’m just biding my time waiting for the day I don’t have to pray anymore. Not that I dislike prayer, but it won’t be necessary when I’m curled up lying at Jesus’s feet. Scripture of The Day: James5:16 ” Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a rightious man availeth much.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Out of Sight Out of Mind June 10, 2024 As of May 24, 2024, there are about 1.8 million people incarcerated in the United States, which is about a 500% increase since the 1980’s. As close a number as I was able to come up with, there are approximately 583,500 people who are homeless and nearly 327,000 people living in emergency or transitional housing. There are 37.9 million people or approximately 11.5% of the population in the U.S. living below what is considered the poverty line. The most current statistic I was able to find, on this topic is dated the year 2022. It says 44.2 million people live in households, that experience difficulty getting enough food. Again, these statistics are from 2022 but I’m sure the numbers aren’t falling. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. With 49,476 deaths and 1.6 million suicide attempts. All this was just what you needed to hear to cheer you up today right? No, it certainly is not cheerful news. But that’s the problem, we don’t hear about this. If you watch or listen to the news, the politicians are too busy playing that shell game with us where they get your attention over here so they can do whatever they want, over there. The news agencies are complicit for their own selfish reasons and We The People are just being fed what they want us to know. No one is talking about the pandemic drug problems, soaring crime rates, dissolution of the American Family, or the slow death of the church as we know it. You see, there is no political solution for these problems, they are cultural problems that have led to the fall of every great society in human history. And the only One True Solution for these problems, no one wants to discuss. God is the only salvation for what ails our land! In a country as great as this one, why do we allow these kinds of situations, to be perpetuated? Why is no one addressing them? It’s as simple as this, if you are not affected by it, and you don’t see it, and you don’t hear anything about it, it’s not your problem. But it is my problem, it’s your problem too! Every one of the people mentioned in those statistics is not just a number on a spreadsheet. They are living souls that have feelings, emotions, and needs. As Christians, or even as human beings, we should have compassion for these people. I understand as individuals, we are limited in what we can do. But we can hold our elected officials’ feet to the fire and ask tough questions. We can demand something be done to help. And I’m not suggesting more handouts, those are seldom if ever the answer, but programs could be initiated to help these people help themselves. And we can unite as a country repent our sins and God promised to heal our nation. Then we could continue to be a beacon unto the world and stand for right in every corner of the world. But a drowning man cannot save someone while he is drowning. I’m not against helping other nations nor am I critical of missionaries, for I have the deepest respect for the work, which they perform. Many people accredit the old saying, “Charity begins at home,” to being biblical scripture even though it is not. But the Bible does have many examples of how we should treat one another. It tells us, that when we help those unable to help themselves, it is the same as doing it for the Lord himself. And we don’t need to stop helping other nations, to be able to help our people in need. All it takes is for more people to care enough to get involved. Read Chronicles 7:14 This scripture is quoted constantly, but do people heed its message? No! Too many people are wrapped up in their own situations and problems to pay much attention to the state of the Country or the World. And that is by design, Satan has us right where he wants us, with God, our Country, and often even our families, out of sight and out of mind! Scripture of The Day: 1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover a multitude of sins.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Priorities & Expectations June 7, 2024 It seems nowadays we all live busy lives. We have all these modern appliances, fast cars, fast food, and computers that are supposed to speed up everything we do. And yet we have less time than ever before. The math simply does not add up. We are forced into dealing with this constant turmoil of allocating and prioritizing our time. We have our jobs and Family Life at odds with each other, personal obligations, and leisure time, need to be factored in as well. So, where does God fit into all this? Or is he even part of your plan? Do you budget your time to cover your needs and then squeeze him in whenever possible? Our time is a limited resource as much as our money. Wise people have learned, it is smart to have a budget. It is equally wise, to plan the use of our time, to maximize our efficiency. Isn’t that what we are taught to do in our jobs where time is crucial and expectations are high? Successful companies put much thought and preparation into planning and prioritizing their work schedules and deadlines. Let’s go back again and discuss where God fits into all this. The Bible tells us that God is a jealous god, and he warns us not to place idols before him. So, what is an idol? Yes, it can be that odd-looking, little statue thing some cultures worship. But more commonly, an idol is anything we have in our lives, that we place higher value or devote more time to, than God. It could be money, our homes, boats or cars, or even playing golf with our buddies. He doesn’t want to be an afterthought or just another obligation. Like a jealous bride, he wants our love, time, and devotion. He wants to be an integral part of and share in our lives. God knows we are busy. He doesn’t expect you to miss work, to stay home and pray. He wants to go to work with you. He doesn’t ask us to ignore our families so that we can spend time with him. He wants to be a part of the family Time. Take that weekend camping trip with the family, but at mealtime stop and offer thanks to the one that made the trip possible. Sitting by that fire is the perfect time to tell the kids the story about Moses and the burning bush. There are people like nurses and doctors, whose jobs require them to work occasionally on Sunday. God understands that and doesn’t hold that against them. But they can take God to work with them. They can shine their light for all to see God’s glory while performing their duties. Now, I’m not so sure that applies to you guys who choose to play golf every Sunday morning. I’m fairly certain, He would see that as an idol. However, when you go play Saturday, that would be the ideal time to sneak in your testimony to your friend. The point I’m making is, that God doesn’t expect or want us to turn our lives upside down trying to accommodate him, he wants us to walk with him and talk with him, just like Adam did in the garden. Jesus came, so we should have life more abundantly. Read: John 10:10. He wants to be our friend, is that so hard to understand or believe? And trust me on this one thing, you will never find a better friend than the one you have in Jesus! Scripture of The Day: John 15:4-5 “ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Your Damascus Moment June 5, 2024 Anyone who knows me has probably heard me proclaim how the Apostle Paul is my all-time hero. He reminds me of me. Don’t think for a minute, that I am comparing my greatness to his, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I do, however, share in his weaknesses. He wrote the Bible Scripture that gave me more trouble understanding than any other. Not only is it a tongue twister but a mind bender as well. And now it is my absolute favorite scripture, because not only did it free me from Satan tormenting me, over the question of why I continued to sin even though I was saved? It also allowed me to quit doubting my salvation. Get an icepack for your head and prepare to spend some time reading, Romans 7:15-20. Paul formerly known as Saul, was a notable character for many reasons. He wrote approximately two-thirds of the New Testament. He was arrested and imprisoned at least six times and served about five years during his ministry. The very idea of him being a Christian is somewhat of a paradox since his former position was that of a person who hated Christians, he persecuted them and had many executed. History puts it that he went from synagogue to synagogue hunting them down and imprisoning them for their beliefs and some suggested he had a blood lust for Christians. He even witnessed the stoning death of Steven, (the first Christian martyr). So, long about now, the obvious question you might be asking, is why would a man like that be your hero? The story of Saul’s conversion to Christianity is found in Acts 9:1-19. Paul’s account of what happened is found in Acts 22:6-21. Although I find the whole story intriguing and a treasure trove of Biblical truths and insights into how God works and who he is, I think the part that stands out the most, is how God can use anyone to fulfill his plan. And no matter who you were before meeting the Lord, he can change all that and make you a new creature. That’s why I feel a kinship and a connection with Paul. I don’t worship him, I realize I could never fill his sandals, but I strive to be like Paul. His conversion from his former self to a mighty warrior of God is a stark example of how much a person can change when they are born again and accept the Holy Spirit into their lives. His life, is testimony to the undisputable truth, that no one is beyond redemption! Have you had your own Damascus Road incident? A time in your life when God convicted your heart and made you see that you are a sinner? Did you run from God? Or did you accept his precious gift of salvation? My bet is, if you ran from him, you are still running, still battling with that feeling that you aren’t complete and something is missing in your life. Believe it or not, that is a good thing. It means God hasn’t given up on you yet. You see, God gave mankind free will to choose what path they will follow, and he will not force himself on you. But he loves you enough that like any good Father, he will urge you to follow him and have the life he wishes for you and that you deserve. However, his word tells us that after a while if you continue to reject him, he will allow your heart to become hardened, where you can no longer see the truth, fall for Satan’s lies, and be damned for eternity If God can forgive and use a man like Paul, he can and will forgive your sins and welcome you into the Family of God. He will change you, not just make you a better version of your old self, but turn you into a new and wonderful creature. God takes all your old baggage, your sins, your ghosts, anything and everything that is weighing you down now, and sends it to the bottom of the deepest ocean. You don’t have to travel to Damascus, you don’t even have to go find a church or hunt a preacher down. It’s as simple as talking to God. Tell him that you know you have sinned and ask him to come into your life and become your personal savior. Tell him you need forgiveness and he will not refuse you. Friend, you can run from God, many have tried, read the Book of Jonah. But running does no good because there will come a day when every man and woman will stand before God to be judged and give an account of their lives. Don’t wait for that day to meet the Lord, because if you do, the only words you will hear are, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” The Bible says today is the proper day to meet God. Today you will find his love waiting for you, if you wait until Judgement Day to meet him, you will only see his wrath. P.S. For those of you who have accepted the lord and allowed him to change you, there are people out there who need to hear about your Road to Damasus Moment. If God puts someone in front of you, share what he has done for you. Your story may do for them, what Paul’s did for me. Scripture of The Day: 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold now is the day of salvation. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Fear or Faith June 5, 2024 I know I’ve written a lot lately about the troubling times we are living in, and I’m not ready to retract anything I’ve written about. But the Bible tells me there is nothing new under the sun. That got me thinking, and asking myself questions like, is the world more evil today than ever before, or am I reaching a maturity where I am more aware of evil’s presence? In light of the craziness we see going on, I’m inclined to believe both scenarios may be correct. But the verdict is still out on that question. I remembered a couple of stories I learned about as a child and decided to revisit them. The first was the story of Daniel and the lion’s den. A short synopsis of this story would go something like this. King Darius set up a government in his Kingdom much like the military does with its ranks. Because Daniel was well thought of by the king, he was put in a position similar to a General. The people under Daniel were jealous of him and created a plan to do away with him. Unable to find fault in him, they devised a scheme that used his belief in God against him. They tricked King Darius into enacting their scheme baiting him with his own vanity. Under the authority of the decree, they tricked the king into signing, Daniel was arrested for praying to God and was thrown into a pit of lions, and the pit was then sealed. This highly upset the king, however, he felt helpless to do anything about it. So, early the following morning he came to see if Daniel had survived. To his great pleasure, Daniel was completely unharmed. Seeing for himself, this great miracle God had performed, the king then ordered the men, who implemented that terrible scheme against Daniel, to be thrown into the lion’s den along with their families. He then issued a new decree for every person in his kingdom and under his authority to honor and worship Daniel’s God, for he had surely proven himself to be the one true God. The other story I thought about was The Hebrew Children. It tells, that King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image which he then displayed in Babylon. He then issued a decree that whenever anyone heard a musical instrument, they were to fall down and worship that image. Anyone who didn’t would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Then came the accusers, telling the king about the three Jews who were not complying with his decree. The king sent for the three named, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and asked them if they did not serve his Gods and worship the golden image. When they answered and told the king they would not serve his Gods nor would they worship his idol, it infuriated the king. He mocked them and asked if their God would save them from the fire and ordered them into the furnace. He was so upset he ordered that the furnace be made seven times hotter than normal. He had the three Jews tied and thrown into the furnace. But it was so hot, it instantly killed the men that threw them in. What the king saw next astonished him to the point he questioned his counsellors saying,” Did we not throw three men who were tied and bound into the furnace? Then why do I see four men walking around loose and unhurt, and the fourth man has an image like that of The Son of God? And when the furnace was opened, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out completely unharmed without any sign of being in the fire. The King realized he had witnessed a Miracle of God, and admitted no other God could do what he had just witnessed. He then ordered that no one should ever say anything bad against their God again, under a penalty of death. All this leads me back to where I started. Yes, we live in scary times. Evil is prevalent everywhere you look. Christians are scorned and hated for their beliefs. It’s not being paranoid, to wonder if it is safe or even wise to pray over your meals in public. Our children are being ostracized and ridiculed on college campuses and sometimes even on high school levels or younger, for professing Jesus Christ as their savior. Is our world an evil place? Yes! But did it just turn that way? As Christians, we should look to these Biblical accounts and others, for inspiration not to cower down to evil! We must have the faith, that Jesus will be by our sides, just as he was that fourth figure in the furnace. Though it is our duty and destiny as Christians, remember and take comfort in knowing that if we suffer for God’s sake, great will be our reward in Heaven. Read Philippians 1:29. Scripture of The Day: 1 Peter 3:14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* The Road Less Travelled June 4, 2024 Do you feel like you’re traveling down this road of life and you haven’t felt any sign of life for a while now? Are you traveling on auto-pilot, not even watching or caring which way you are headed? Do you get up and go because that’s what you’re expected to do? How long has it been since you felt alive and had a purpose in your life? Do you ever ask yourself, “How did I get here, what is it I’m doing, and who am I?’ You got a whole lot more questions than answers. The only thing you’re sure of is that you must have taken a wrong turn somewhere! Survival experts tell you, that if you think you’re lost, stop! Do not continue ahead, because if you are heading in the wrong direction, it will only put you further away from where you want to be. You shouldn’t try to turn around and go back either, because if you have lost your bearings, the odds are pretty high that you will make matters worse and who’s to say where you could end up? They recommend you be still, try to signal for help if you can, and wait for help to come to you. If most of the things mentioned in the first paragraph apply to you, you may be suffering from depression. And I am certainly not a medical expert, but I do know, depression is a condition that should not be ignored. Whether it is a temporary condition or something more serious, it is always better to recognize and address the issues you are experiencing. Never be afraid to seek professional help. God works through them as well. And just like the body sometimes needs help with an ailment, it is no different for the mind. But, if you have been listening to the world and living your life accordingly, it is no wonder you may feel lost and empty. That is by design. Satan may be older than the hills themselves, but his methods are not out of date or out of touch. He uses all the latest social platforms to spread his message. He has successfully used social media to twist, distort, and in many cases destroy, every moral and value mankind has held for centuries. Satan wants this to be a world without virtue. A world without rules where chaos rules the day. It has been said, “When you don’t know what you stand for, you will stand for anything.” Isn’t that what we are witnessing nowadays? When we witness people protesting and rioting to uphold the right to kill innocent human lives or irradicate whole races of people, where is the sanity in that? Where is the humanity? In what world is it ok for a fifty-year-old man to say he identifies as a teenage girl and should be allowed to use public showers with our young daughters and wives? Even the old TV show, The Twilight Zone wasn’t that far out there! Common sense has gone by the wayside and been replaced with mob mentality. If you feel like your life is out of sorts, most likely it is because you did make a wrong turn. Once you start compromising on your beliefs, even on small matters, it starts you down that dark road, and every time you look away and pretend not to notice sin, it nudges you a little further down that road. Until one day you look up and realize, you don’t recognize where you are and know you are lost. When you turn off that straight and narrow road, that leads to God and his teachings, and instead take that wide road the world insists that you follow, you chose wrong! OK, Now that you know you are lost, beating yourself up isn’t the answer. Drowning the pain and suffering in a bottle or taking some pills isn’t going to help either. There you go again, not listening. Quit trying to make it on your own, that’s how you got here to start with. Remember what the experts said? STOP!!!! Signal for help, it’s as simple as dropping to your knees. Ask God to rescue you, and he will. Listen to this song, I believe it makes common sense. Click Here. Scripture of The Day: Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ And Like Magic It’s Gone June 3, 2024 I’ve been visiting several local churches lately, and I noticed something they all shared in common is that they are filled with senior citizens. No, I didn’t mean to imply they were at capacity, because that was another thing they shared. Each of them had plenty of available seating. If I’m being generous, I’d say, they may have been at 20% capacity. I find that statistic alone, to be extremely alarming, however, I was referring to the fact, that 90% of the people I saw were elderly. Young adults and children were suspiciously absent. It kind of made you wonder if the Lord had come and raptured only the younger people. (I’m kidding of course.) Nevertheless, it disturbed me to think about where our churches have fallen from. The way they used to be the center of many people’s social and spiritual lives and to witness the ghost towns they have become, honestly hurts my heart. Adolf Hitler is quoted as saying,”He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” In the Book of Judges 2:7, it talks about how as long as Joshua and the other elders who experienced God’s great works firsthand lived, the people served God. But the next generation abandoned him and started worshipping other Gods. In Jan. 2018, Christian researcher George Barna stated that Generation Z. people born between 1999-2015) is the first truly “post-Christian” generation. And his statistics show they are twice as likely to be atheists as any previous generation. If these things upset you anywhere near the way they have upset me, I urge you to take the time to read this article by Ken Ham. It is a little lengthy, however, I promise it is worth your time and effort. Click Here to Read the article. Having good intel on your enemy is the best way to prepare yourself, and closing your eyes to a problem is no form of a solution, it only invites it to win. You may think it would be impossible for churches to disappear like magic, during our lifetime, but I remember what they were as a child and I see how far they have fallen. It will only take a few more shoves like COVID-19 or apathy alone to push them straight into the abyss. And don’t you think for a minute, that isn’t exactly what Satan has his sights on! Scripture of The Day: Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that though art neither cold or hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth ******************************************************************************************************************************************************** Why Me Lord May 31, 2024 I know you have asked the question, why does it always happen to me? Every one of us, at some point in our lives, has felt like the world was out to get us. Some people feel as if their entire life has been like that. It’s not like one thing goes wrong and that’s all you have to deal with, usually when one thing goes bust, they all do. It’s like the Morton Salt slogan, “When it rains it pours.” Thus, the creation of Country Music. Your wife runs off with your buddy, your truck won’t start, your dog quits coming home, and you get laid off from your job! Sometimes you need only walk to the mirror to see who’s causing your troubles, but that’s not always the case. Bad things happen to good people! And to rub some of that salt we mentioned earlier, into the wound, the guy next door, seems to hit the Lottery every other week. He’s a total jerk to everyone. He’s a cheater, a liar, and a lazy bum, but he appears to get and have anything he wants. Where is the fairness in that? In one of my previous stories, I wrote about fairness, and how a child views it. Most adult’s views, on the subject are not all that different. Even though we know the world isn’t fair, we expect God to be. And when we come in contact with people who behave like the aforementioned-neighbor, and see them prosper, or when we see innocent children suffering, and bad things happening to good people, it’s only natural to have questions. I could go into a whole dissertation explaining how not all of these things are God’s will, and some things are put on us as a trial to help us grow, and some of these things, we bring on ourselves. And all that being said, that’s not where I’m meant to go with this. When I play the role of referee for one of the many fights the kids are having, I also am forced to be the Judge as well. While I always give my very best effort to be fair and unbiased, I can’t remember a single time, when both kids agreed with my ruling. I’m accused of taking sides, being mean, and never understanding their point of view. I think it’s fair to say, that my wisdom far exceeds theirs and they are incapable of understanding why I allow some things to continue while putting a stop to others, or how and why I make the decisions I make. Simply put, they are not on my maturity level, they don’t possess the knowledge I have, nor the years of experience in dealing with problems. Can you see the direct correlation with how we question God? I believe that even he understands that we have questions. But in the same manner that I expect the kids to obey me and trust that I have their well-being at heart and that I always try to do what is best for them, even if they can’t see it, so it is with God. I also feel that I should not have to explain myself to them, whenever I ask them to do something. They should know me well enough to trust and obey me. I have also tried to show them, that not every time, but often when they do what I ask without question, I reward them for their obedience. Again, God does this for us as well. When we learn to walk by faith, a whole new world opens up and we see things through new eyes. Worry may not disappear, but it no longer controls you. Questions and longings are replaced with feelings of fullness and gratitude. We begin to realize that we were right all along about God not being fair, but we come to the realization, that any unfairness is in our favor. (Click To Listen to this song) The road of life is hard, but as soon as we put our faith in God, it gets a lot easier and not nearly as scary and lonely. Yes, the grass is greener on the other side. When we reach heaven, we will find that to be true. There is no comparison to Heaven. But until then, remember what this scripture tells us. Psalms 23. Scripture of The Day: Mathew 6:25-26 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* That’s Not Fair May 30, 2024 Anyone who’s ever been around kids much will tell you, that children possess an innate desire for fairness. They would most likely agree that if they had to hear, “That’s not fair,” one more time they would like to bang their own head into a wall! From an early age, we try to teach children about fairness, and it seems, that is one lesson they take to heart and test its’ limitations to the maximum. He took my toy and I had it first. Her piece of cake is bigger than mine. You said for us to take turns, and it’s my turn. Oh my gosh! This list goes on to infinity. The oddest thing about all this is how it’s never their fault. Sad to say, but this type of mindset and behavior is not limited to children. I spent a large portion of my life as a supervisor working in manufacturing, where there were several employees, and I dealt with the same childlike behaviors. I constantly dealt with complaints of showing favoritism or how this one or that one wasn’t holding up their end of the work resulting in one person having to do it all. Again, the list never ends. So, what is fairness? The dictionary defines it as, “Impartial and just treatment without favoritism or discrimination, or an equal distribution of a desirable outcome, recognition, or a possession. Even Jesus had to deal with this topic several times in his lifetime, here are a couple of the more notable examples, Read Mathew 20:1-16. This passage deals with workers feeling cheated, despite receiving exactly what they had been promised. Read Luke22:24-27. Jesus even had to deal with his apostles arguing over which of them was the greatest and had served him the best. Thus, we can conclude that neither is this form of jealousy a new phenomenon nor is it limited to children. While none of us are immune to these feelings, we can resist them in most cases, by being grateful for what we have and putting into practice the ability to be happy for other people, when good befalls them. The belief that the only way to have something is to deprive others from having it, or that I need to get mine before someone beats me to it, is nothing short of an all-out lie! It’s another one of Satan’s tricks to pit man against man. The most sure-fire method to finding happiness is to live your life, in service of others. A life of service is a life of love. And with love, the more you give, the more you receive and have. There are no other feelings, which can compare to putting a smile on a sick child’s face or comforting an elderly person in need. But it is not limited to just the obvious choices of people who are in need. There isn’t a soul alive, who couldn’t use a kind word or gesture. Sometimes the smallest things can turn someone’s whole day around. And if God has seen fit to share his love with you, don’t you think he expects you to pass it on, or pay it forward? If we were to stay busy sharing the love God has given us, we wouldn’t have time for jealousy or the need to search for fairness. I often feel that God has blessed me so much, that it’s not fair, but since it’s in my favor, who am I to complain? Scripture of The Day: Colossians 4:1 “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a master in Heaven.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ Blank Page May 29, 2024 As I’ve stated before, I don’t really consider myself a writer. But since I write, I guess I’m going to have to, at least concede, that maybe I qualify as a ranked amateur. However, I do share a common trait with all great writers. That being, that I occasionally suffer writer’s block. Sometimes, when I sit down to write, I have this idea in my head and all I have to do is put the words on the page in a coherent order, which hopefully makes sense, brings out a point, and hopefully people will find to be somewhat entertaining and or enlightening. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, sometimes, it is exactly that easy and I take delight in doing it. Then there are those times, I sit down, see that blank page staring back at me, and suddenly my mind turns as blank as the page. My thoughts this morning took me to this blank page. I saw how it is just neutral. It couldn’t care less what I do with it, which way I go with it. I can use it to create something beautiful or use it as a weapon to destroy something or someone. It’s just a blank page, what I do with it, is completely up to me. Isn’t that how the days of our lives are? God divided night and day for a reason. In his wisdom he saw a need for blank pages. He knew how flawed we are, and how we need forgiveness and fresh starts. We’ve all had those bad days where everything went wrong, they are the worst, right? Well, what if that miserable day just kept going and going, and never ended? He gives you fresh clean slate each and every day. What you decide to do with that is your choice. For some, the first thing they do each morning is to copy and past what was on the previous pages, they can’t seem to wrap their head around why nothing ever changes for them. They listen to Satan’s lies and allow him to trick them into carrying over the sins of their past, (the ones God has already forgiven them for), and replanting them into each new day. It’s like they can’t let go of it. They recreate the same problems for themselves and live as if they are their own worst enemy Then, there are the wise, who seize the opportunities of the new day. They cherish God’s forgiveness, try to learn from their past mistakes, and avoid repeating them whenever possible. They lean on God for his wisdom, his protection, and guidance. Their hearts are filled with love and gratitude and they thrive, knowing they are in God’s hands. Putting your faith and trust in the Lord opens doors and possibilities that never existed outside of his love. God breaks the chains and does away with the limitations Satan placed on you. He will enable you to see the lies Satan has always told you, for what they are. With God, all things are possible and you’re only limited by your faith, be It, great or small! Let us take each new day and view it as not only a precious gift but also a blank page. It’s your story, don’t let anyone, especially Satan tell you what to write and how your story is supposed to go. Quit feeding on negativism and begin dreaming of possibilities. And you know something else, if your day ends up going south, and they will, at times. Tomorrow is another day! Listen to this song of Inspiration: Click Here Scripture of the Day: Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ A Little Homesick May 28, 2024 Have you ever gone somewhere for a week or longer, like on vacation, possibly a hospital stay, or maybe on a business trip? No matter what your reason for being gone is, the fact remains, that it is wonderful to come home! There is an old saying, that goes, “There is no place like home.” And that is certainly true. Home is not only a place, but a feeling as well. It’s a part of who you are. It’s kind of like these new robotic vacuums that automatically return to their charging dock. We go out each day and do our things, and then we can’t wait to return to our homes and recharge. Anybody who’s ever been around horses has seen the same thing out of them. After a long hard ride and they are tired out, their pace slows down, but the minute they realize they are headed back to the barn, they get that second wind and suddenly pick up their stride. There is an old gospel song, called Beulah Land. The lyrics talk about, going home to a place you’ve never been before. How can that be? How can you have a home, you’ve never been to before? For starters, a home is where your family is. If you have been born again and washed in the blood of Jesus, then he is your family. And when Jesus left this earth, he told us that his Father’s house has many mansions and he would go and prepare a place for us, and that he would return and receive us unto himself, so that where he is, we can be also. God doesn’t do things halfway! If he says he’s preparing a place for us, then I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me. Read 1st Corinthians 2:9. I’m also looking forward to seeing my family and friends that have already gone on before me. And it seems with each passing day, this world has a little less to offer. Things that used to matter to me, no longer do. Honestly, the only things that hold value to me or matter lately, are my loved ones, and friends, and doing what I can to serve the Lord. Another gospel song comes to mind when I think about my time here on earth ending. What a Day That Will Be. I won’t lie and say I have no reservations about dying. There is always that apprehension of will I have to suffer. But I can honestly say, that I don’t fear death, because of what Jesus did to pay for my sins, and I hold strongly to the promises. I know I have a Home in Heaven waiting for me. If you don’t have that same peace of mind, concerning your eventual demise, what is preventing you from having it? Who or what is holding you back? He didn’t come to save just me or any other single person. John 3:16 says that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It makes no difference to God, who you are, or what you have done! He wants to save you from an eternal Hell. There is nothing under the sun that he will not give you complete forgiveness. It’s up to you to choose whether or not to accept his offer. Believe in and put your trust in the world, listen to Satan’s lies, and be damned or trust the Father, who loves you and wants to give you more than any of us can even imagine. Scripture of The Day: Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* In Memory of You May 27, 2024 Today is Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day. A federal holiday set aside to honor our U.S. Military Personnel, who made the ultimate sacrifice, while performing their duty to our country. I don’t know how many of you enjoy watching the old war movies. I have a love-hate relationship with them. On one hand, they rekindle my patriotism and remind me how much I have to be thankful for. But it truly saddens me to witness how cruel war is and how inhumane mankind can be toward one another. Sorry, I didn’t mean to digress, I wanted to talk about one of these war movies in particular. The movie is called Hacksaw Ridge. It was produced by Mel Gibson and based on an actual character named PFC Desmond T. Doss and was written based on true events. PFC Doss was drafted into the military during World War II as a medic, despite being a conscientious objector and refusing to fight. Due to his heroism, he went on to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. Upon induction into the military, he was ridiculed and badly mistreated by his fellow soldiers as well as the Officers and NCOs. Because of his pacifist beliefs, they believed him to be a coward and speculated his moral convictions were no more than a ruse or a farce. All the while suffering their mistreatment, his faith never once waivered nor did he yield to the pressure they placed on him, he remained loyal to his deeply embedded beliefs. During the Battle of Okinawa, he proved to the world, that he certainly was no coward. During the fiercest part of the battle when many of his fellow soldiers were skirmishing to pull back, he remained in the thick of things, rendering medical attention to the wounded and dragging them back behind the lines to safety. Putting himself in great peril, he kept going back again and again, to help yet one more soldier. During all this, he kept praying to God, not for himself, but for God to allow him to save one more. He repeated this over and over again, until he was too exhausted to make another trip. He is credited with saving seventy-five men that day. That is seventy-five souls, that because of God’s mercy and one hero’s selfless act, were able to go on with their lives and return home to their families. To the person throwing up their hands in defeat and posing the question, I’m only one person, what can one man do? I don’t know what is possible for one man to accomplish, I guess we never will. But I do know, that with God All Things Are Possible! And I know that in my life, every time I’ve put limitations on God, he proves me to be miserably wrong. This Memorial Day I honor not only those brave people who gave their lives defending our freedoms and our way of life, but also want to acknowledge and offer thanks to their families, for all their sacrifices. Every person, living in this great country and sharing in the freedoms afforded us by these brave men and women, owes a huge debt of gratitude. And we should never forget or ignore, the price of Freedom. We should hold our leaders responsible for protecting our freedoms, but never forget, that as citizens it is our solemn duties as well. On this day of remembrance, I pose this question to you. How do you wish to be remembered? Will your children be able to say with pride that you were a patriot, who loved God, Family, and Country, and that you did your part towards making this world a better place to live? Or will your legacy be that of an anarchist or a subversive whose only goal was to destroy what so many gave their lives to create and defend? Will your claim to fame and major contribution to this world be, that you were just another part of the problem? Scripture of The Day: Mathew 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* A Solid Plan May 24,2024 Success coaches often tell you that to succeed, you need a One, a Three, and a Ten-year Plan. And if your plan is, to make a lot of money and have a lot of stuff, I wholeheartedly agree. Though to me that all seems like putting the cart before the horse. If you were going on a faraway trip and planning never to return, it would be wise to sit down and think things through, write out a to-do checklist, and then begin to figure out your plan. That is all well and good, and probably a sound strategy, but aren’t we overlooking the most important parts? Before doing any of those other things, shouldn’t we do our homework first and consider where we are going, why we want to go there, and what we expect to find when we get there? It makes no sense to me to make all these plans, work your tail off, and make all the necessary sacrifices required to achieve those goals, only to find this wasn’t what you wanted to start with. This inept planning explains why, we see people with degrees in computer science working as a fire or policeman. If asked, I would advise anyone the best place to start is, to define what success looks like and what it means to you and your significant others. A person can have all the money in the world and still not have happiness. In my book, “success can only be measured by the distance it lands you from the Lord.” No matter how prestigious a lifestyle you may create, a life absent of peace, isn’t worth living. My idea of fulfillment is not allocating my every woken moment to thinking where I should stack my next box of money, or plotting and scheming how to get it. I seriously doubt that is what you’re seeking either. While there is nothing wrong with having money, it alone can cause more problems than it solves. If your life’s goal is solely to have money, that seems short-sighted and begging for heartbreak and disappointment. I dare say, there are as many wealthy people, who are miserable as those who don’t have much money. Before you go chasing off, trying to find your dreams, take the necessary time and analyze what makes you truly happy, and things that don’t. What are the things that fulfill you? What kind of person do you respect and hope to become? What are the things that matter most to you? A beautiful home, family life, time spent outdoors, fancy cars and toys, or maybe your religion? All these things and many more should be included in any successful life plan. Once again, my opinion is, that without God in your life, there will be no peace. Without peace, you will find no happiness. And without happiness, there is no point? It makes no difference where you live, what job you have, what kind of car you drive, or anything else, without God in the center of your life, you will never feel whole. He should be the foundation of your life. And without a strong foundation, nothing is stable, nothing is solid, and nothing will remain standing when the storms of life come blowing in. Read Mathew 7:24-27 ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* An Elite Army May 23, 2024 On the 21st of this month, I wrote a story congratulating Harrison Butker for being an outspoken principled young man and standing firm on his beliefs. As I was scrolling news headlines this morning, an article published by The Mirror caught my eye. The story reiterated more of the same dribble that has been circulating but what stood out to me was, that someone has reportedly started a petition, which Is said to have nearly 100,000 signatures. The petition is intended to pressure the Chiefs Organization into terminating Mr. Butkers’ position with the team. The story continues by saying, that many of his teammates agree with these actions. And others speculate this could quite possibly end his career in professional football. On a personal note, I would love to know how a team that shows so little respect and support for each other, ever won the Super Bowl. Whether or not they agree with his views, they should value him as a teammate, and a person, and staunchly protect his God-given rights and those endowed upon all Americans, such as free speech. I want to give credit and acknowledge the Chiefs coach, Andy Reid for being respectful and supportive during the recent events involving Mr. Butker. My family followed the creed, “That is my family member and I can badmouth them, but I’ll stand up for them, against anyone else that tries it,” Whether you are Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, whatever your faith, if you are a Christian, this should not only anger you and fuel contempt, it should frighten you to death! If there is any truth whatsoever, to the existence of this petition, and the number of signatures collected, this is undisputable proof of how large, well-organized, and just how extremely determined Satan’s army is! I’m not sure Christians could rally this kind of support if the government were to hand out free cheese to all who confessed their Love for God! As Christians, we should rally behind this young man and show how we support his faith. As Americans, we should defend anyone’s right to express their faith, without fear of losing their jobs. As parents and concerned citizens, what kind of message are we sending our children, if they live in fear of retribution for believing in God? I didn’t realize we had become a nation comparable to China where we must hide in our basements to follow our faith! As Earl Pitts used to say, “WAKE UP AMERICA!” “ The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing” Please click the link below to watch the video, and carefully consider the implications as they apply to what is going on in our own country at present, if this doesn’t stir your soul, provoke you into taking a stand for what is right, and force you to take action, then I’m sorry to say, I hold no hope for you. ” Click here “ Scripture of the Day: James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Are My Breasts Too Big May 22,2024 By clicking on the link below, you are stating that you are at least 21 years of age. Warning Photos are explicit and graphic by nature! Pictures are not suitable or intended for viewing by minors. Click here To View [11 million views] I learned a new term the other day called click-baiting. It is a term whose purpose is to manipulate or mislead someone into clicking on a website, for reasons like gaining attention and adding traffic to their site. They are hoping you may buy whatever they are selling. The idea seams a little shady to me, so I thought, why not try it out? LOL The truth is, I did it to make a point. Everywhere I go people of all ages, backgrounds, and professions go around with their phones either in their hands or by their side, every spare moment they are on them playing their little games, checking their emails, or scrolling Facebook for gossip and dirty jokes or videos. According to DataReportal, the average American spends seven hours each day surfing the internet. Taking into account, some of that time may be used for work purposes or in other ways, being spent wisely. The fact remains, we waste a lot of our time on foolishness and in some cases, things that are detrimental to us. Case in point, How many of you would have clicked the link above if your spouse had been with you? Ahh Huh! I gotcha there! And did you notice this video has 11 million views? You can go on Facebook or any other social media you choose, and notice how many likes and comments on posts about pretty women, sports, boats, guns, politics, you name it. People spend hours popping bubbles or watching funny reels, but post a story about God, that is more than a sentence long, and people won’t take the time to read it! And they surely won’t put forth the effort to share it and try to spread God’s word. I don’t mean to be talking down to anyone. I don’t consider myself any better than anyone else. And I didn’t intend for this to be criticism. I’m simply trying to show how easy it is to get distracted by the wrong things and get off the right path. Throughout the Bible, it talks about idolatry, and how God despises it. An Idol can be anything we place more importance on than God. If you are consistently devoting a large portion of your day to the internet, my question is, how many hours are you giving God each day? An atheist will openly tell you, that he wouldn’t give God the time of day, but if we profess to love the Lord, he deserves time out of our day! Scripture of The Day: Mathew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” {Time is as much our treasure as money, where do you spend yours?} ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Free Speech Is Not Free May 21,2024 A young man named Harrison Butker, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, is all over the news cycle right now for what everyone is calling a controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College. He is receiving an enormous amount of backlash from various liberal groups as well as the mainstream media. First, I want to send out Kudos to Mr. Butker for having enough conviction to stand up for his morals and beliefs. Secondly, I want to pose the question Why. Why is this even a newsworthy event, much less why is it that what he said and where he said it, would even upset these groups of people, who claim to be so offended? Mr. Butker is a professed Catholic Christian and was giving a speech at a private conservative faith-based college. His beliefs align with those of the schools, faculty, and students. So, I ask again, what was so provocative about his speech? All the people attacking him claim to live by the creed that anyone should be able to do, say, or be whatever they want and everyone else should accept their views without question. They claim to be all-inclusive, but the second, anyone disagrees with them, they viciously attack. I respect anyone’s right to choose to live their life in any way they see fit, however, I don’t have to agree with them and will never relinquish my right to say so. Why can’t they? What bothers me most about all this, is that so few individuals are willing to stand up for their beliefs. And occurrences like this are so rare, it has become a major story. If Christians were doing their jobs, talk like this, would be so commonplace it would be too mundane to be newsworthy. It also bothers me very much, that people can publicly and maliciously close down a college campus and protest shouting for the annihilation of an entire race of people, including their fellow students, and that is perfectly acceptable. Mr. Butlers’ remarks were directed primarily towards the leaders of the Catholic Faith, and while I don’t disagree with him, I strongly feel you can’t stop there. The erosion of God’s word is present in all beliefs. It has been watered down, twisted and distorted, to appease those too arrogant and prideful to abide by it. Sin is sin, you can put lipstick on it, dause it with perfume, hide it anyway you want, and it is still sin and it still stinks. Our churches and church leaders are buying into all this as well. They don’t preach about Hell anymore, they dare not point out how certain lifestyles are sinful, or anything else that may offend someone and hurt attendance, or more importantly, donations! All that is being taught nowadays, is this ambiguous jibber jabber and how much God loves you, just as you are. The Bible doesn’t say that! Yes, he loves you, yes, he wants us to come unto him just the way we are, because he knows we aren’t capable of fixing ourselves, and he wants to correct what is broken inside us. But it also talks about things he detests and abhors, and how he refuses to be in the presence of sin. He is more than willing to accept us, but not our evil ways. And as Christians, that is how we are to conduct ourselves. We are to love the sinner and despise the sin. We should also heed God’s warning that at the end of times, right shall be called wrong and wrong shall be called right. If this doesn’t describe our world today, what does? If you would like to see the speech I mentioned earlier, and some of the comments which were made about it, please Click Here. Scripture of The Day: 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Charge It To God May 20, 2024 Congratulations your child has become a young adult and you are sending them off somewhere to be on their own for the first time. Maybe they’re going off to college, on vacation, or possibly a trip somewhere overseas, in any case, you try to prepare them as well as possible. You try to reinforce 18 years or so of your parenting into a last-minute cram session. You check the list of things they will need to take with them numerous times, assuring they have everything, and not forgetting anything. They have been saving their money for this and the day finally comes to leave, so you call them to the side and reach them a credit card. You then explain to them, that the card should only be used for emergencies and remind them how you expect them to act responsibly with it. A hug and a kiss and a wave and they are off. Knowing, in your heart that you have raised them right, and wanting to believe that they are fully capable of making mature decisions and taking care of themselves. But as a parent, it’s only natural to worry. And it doesn’t take too long before your fears are realized. You receive a notification from the bank saying there was a 223.00 dollar charge on the card, from Elmoe’s Pizza, another for $350.00 from a tattoo parlor, and yet another charge for $450.00 from a place that rents jet skis. Your stomach starts to quiver and your head starts to feel like it’s going to explode. As you start plotting the different ways you are going to choke that darling little angel of yours! Jesus paid the price for our sins, by what he did on the cross. He did it willingly and lovingly because he knew each of us, had a sin debt that we were unable to pay. But that doesn’t mean we have carte blanche to live and act as we please. To deliberately or maliciously keep running up the tab is an insult to the Lord! If you have been saved, your sins have been forgiven. Not only the sins of your past but also the ones in your future. Yes, I said future. God knew that even after a person gets born again, sin doesn’t just stop in their life, so his plan of salvation made allowances for future sin as well. However, as Christians, we must try to avoid sin in every way possible. And especially willful sin, which can be defined as any sin, that we are fully aware of and choose to ignore and continue to commit. Willful sin is born of arrogance and defiance and God abhors both, so by doing this, we are separating ourselves from God and depriving ourselves of the many blessings he wishes to bestow upon us. Some claim living in sin can cost you your salvation but that is not what I believe nor does the Bible say. Read Hebrew 10:10, or better yet, read the whole chapter. But if we love the Lord and try to do his will, we shouldn’t behave as impetuous teenagers with their parents’ credit cards! ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* A Dish Best Not Served May 17, 2024 I’ve heard it said, “Revenge is a dish, best served cold,” which one can only interpret to mean it is better to take your time and premeditate a scheme to wreak the most havoc or do the most damage to the person you wish to get even with. Wow, what an evil statement! To restate it another way, you are saying not only am I going to return evil for the evil you did to me, but I want to make sure I hurt you deeper and you suffer greater than the pain you caused me. I say that when a person seeks revenge, you are begging to be hurt a second time. When we set out on the path of revenge two or more people, are likely to get hurt. Quite possibly innocent people as well. The obvious one, of course, is the person we are looking to get even with. But when we seek vengeance, we hurt ourselves as well. It is one thing, to harm someone accidentally, we all are guilty of that and it is unavoidable. It’s another thing to get hurt and let anger cause you to react impulsively. While I’m in no way excusing this behavior, it is much more understandable and not nearly as despicable as setting out to methodically hurt another living soul, after having a cooling-off period, l. By doing this you are lowering yourself to the depths of depravity. And as I mentioned earlier, in my lifetime, I have witnessed people’s plots of revenge pull others into the mix of something, where they had no dog in the fight and they get hurt as well. God’s word tells us not to seek revenge, and leave that up to him. When we allow God to seek justice on our behalf, it frees us from having hate and bitterness within us. He goes even further, instructing us not to return evil for evil. Read Proverbs 25:21-22. But to show love and return kindness for evil to those who hurt or despise and use us. Thus, we will be pleasing the Lord and gaining his favor. This goes against mankind’s sinful nature and often requires prayer and practice to implement, but with God’s help is easily doable. Scripture of the day: Philippians 4:13 KJV “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” ********************************************************************************************************************************************************* Is This The Day You Chose? May 16.2024 Each day of life is a blessing with endless possibilities and opportunities. We have the power of choice. It’s up to us, whether to seek them out or rule them out. Are you a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full type of person? When your eyes open, does your mind immediately go to the negatives? Do you start reciting your dread list for the day and recounting the miseries of your yesterdays? If so, I ask you this obvious question, WHY? Is it just your way, or is this something new to you? I know, I ask too many questions, but why aren’t you asking yourself these same questions? Do you know, are you aware, there is another way? You don’t need to keep defeating yourself before your feet ever touch the floor, and you shouldn’t! There is such a thing as a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you possess the power to choose its narrative. There is another way if you are willing to try it. Great, I’m glad you’ve chosen wisely and willing to give it a chance, so let’s get started. First, let’s address why those thoughts attack you daily and who is responsible for them. Satan wants to keep you beaten down and discouraged because while in a weakened state, you are not only of little to no good to yourself, but he has also rendered you useless to be of any help to others. If he can beat you before you even start your day, he owns you the rest of the day. Most likely he can even persuade you to share your doom and gloom with others, and who knows what other forms of trouble and misery he may decide to add to your life? After all, remember he has you weakened and where he wants to keep you. Now that we have identified the problem, what is the fix? Let’s start with the night before. When you lay your head on that pillow, try giving thanks for all the blessings you have in your life. Nope, I don’t want to hear you say, “I can’t think of any.” Look around, for starters, you have a bed, shoes on your feet, food to eat, and so much more that we take for granted, but many people, around the world would gladly change places with you and cherish all the things you have been given. Gratitude is a learned skill, but one well worth your time. Read Phillippians 4:6-7 When we are thankful, it automatically dispels negativism and instills hope and happiness. According to a recent scientific study, 66 days or more are required to form a new habit. But with God all things are possible and he defies science daily. Based on that fact, I’m asking that, for the next ten days, as soon as your mind jars awake, pray for God to go with you throughout your day. Ask Him to watch over your heart and teach you to be more thankful for what you have, and not allow Satan to steal your happiness. And it wouldn’t hurt to think of at least three things you are grateful for. My prediction is when you implement this plan, not only will it work, but you will start seeing results immediately! Having a thankful heart is not only healthy for you, but it also grows and spreads throughout all the different areas of your life. Warning, It is contagious as well, you are very likely to infect others you’re your newfound happiness! P.S. Let us know how this works out for you. Your testimony will serve to encourage others. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Me, Me, Me, I, I, I May 15, 2024 If you feel compelled to make sure everyone in the room is fully aware of your intelligence, it sounds as if you’re not that convinced yourself. Have you ever known someone with one of those alphabet names? You know the ones I’m referring to their names are followed by a bunch of letters like, MD or PHD or CEO or XYZ. LOL. And if you fail to acknowledge their proper title, they will quickly point it out to you. And every conversation you have with them, they remind you at least once of their education and / or pedigree. Me thinkst they think much too highly of themselves! I get it, we should love ourselves. God created us and he doesn’t make mistakes. But I do believe at times, we are guilty of taking ourselves way too seriously. The world doesn’t revolve around us and the Sun doesn’t set in our eyes. It is true, that you have a higher stake invested in your little piece of this world, and you feel the effects of what goes on there more than others do. But if we spend every waking moment only concerned with ourselves, we miss out on so much. Read: No Man is an Island. One of God’s great commandments is to Love Thy Neighbor as you would love yourself and Galatians 5:22-23 talks about the fruits of the spirit, all of which concern dealing with your fellow man. You will never find contentment or happiness until you step outside yourself and see your place on this earth is not meant for you to be your own Santa Claus or babysitter. Your wants and needs are best left up to the Lord, and only by concerning yourself with other people’s happiness, will you ever find true happiness and inner peace. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in caring for others! Scripture of the day: Romains 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Turn it Over to God or Don’t May 14,2024 The other day one of the kids got a new toy that needed assembling. He asked me to put it together for him and I agreed. So, I began putting the toy together while he stood impatiently watching. I noticed his fidgeting and some of the looks he made with his face like he didn’t trust that I knew what I was doing, and doubted if I was doing it right, and in either case, I was taking way too long to do it! Then, the next thing I knew, he was trying to take it back out of my hands so he could show me the correct way it should be done. I got frustrated with him and said, “You evidently know more about this than I do and certainly don’t need my help, do it yourself.” Almost instantly, I caught myself and was reminded that he was a child and didn’t know any better, and I regretted getting short with the poor little guy. Then the light bulb lit up, and I had to laugh at myself and feel ashamed, because it had dawned on me, sometimes, isn’t that exactly how I do God? Scripture of the day: Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ Thought of the day: A Step Forward May 13,2024 Great things can be accomplished by common people when they embrace being uncommon. You will never realize your full potential by doing common things. Only by stepping outside of your comfort zone and accepting the risk associated with trying new things, will you allow yourself to grow, and typically the amount of risk is in direct proportion to the size of the reward. But always be careful whom you are putting your trust in (Read Psalms 118:8-9), and consider your motivation for what you are trying to accomplish. If greed or lust is your motivation, maybe it’s time to reconsider your goals. Peter would have never walked on water without taking that first step! Scripture of the day: Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************** May 12,2024 Thought of the day: Mom, I Still Can’t Think What To Get You I wanted to write something for this day to honor all the mothers and those who have stepped up and served the role of a mother filling a huge void in a child’s life. The problem I’m having is trying to come up with something original that hasn’t already been said about a good mother. You see I’m not the only one that recognizes the importance of the role. Poets, painters, songwriters, authors, and whatever those people who write greeting cards are called, have been at this for a very long time. Even the Bible has beaten me to the punch Read Proverbs 31:28-29. Oh, that’s just one of many verses which refer to a good mother. So how can I compete with all this? I was blessed with a great mother that I would love to share her story, but this would end up being all about her and even then, I wouldn’t be able to sing all her praises. I lost my mother a few years back, but I know where she is and who she is with. And I truly believe, because of her faith and prayers, and by God’s amazing Grace, I will see her again someday in Heaven. So, I suppose the best thing I can do, is simply remind everyone what you should already know. If you have a great mother, do not take her for granted. Cherish and love her. Consider her as one of your greatest blessings. If you are like me and your mother is already gone, remember the things she taught you and the sacrifices she made for you. Honor her by how you live your life. Let it serve as a living testimony of her efforts. Scripture of the day: Proverbs 22:6 KJV Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 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