A Reminder For All Who Know God!

"Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me." John 12:44 NIV

For those who think Jesus spoke on His own behalf, think again. Here's the proof. Either we believe all or nothing.

For those who think God changes His mind about sin, think again. The proof has been revealed for those who know God and for those who don't, the proof will be revealed, shortly.

For those who know God and trust in His Word, we don't just believe in Him; we Believe Him and know that He is and forever will be, Our Awesome God.

Just as our air contains oxygen for our bodies to keep living, the Spirit of The Lord reigns in the heart of those who love and obey Him.

Just as our children know we love them, we who know God, know that He loves us and He will provide a way of escape from every temptation.

Just as scientists believe they can explain everything God created, we who know God, know they cannot duplicate or replicate anything God created.

Just as God states what is sin and the consequences of it, we who know God, know that without repentance our nation is lost.

But there is a solution for all who know God:

"Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee." (James 4:7)

If Satan attempted to pervert God's Word in order to tempt Jesus, he'll certainly use what God established to pervert God's truths. We know because the "rainbow" was a symbol of God's promise to never destroy the earth again by water. (Genesis 9:13,14, 16).  What the devil forgot was the rainbow God established must appear in the clouds above the earth as a reminder of God's promise not to destroy. The "rainbow" used "in the earth" is simply a symbol of rebellion--in complete opposition to God's Word and therefore holds no promise other than the certainty of destruction.

We do not have to give the devil any place (Ephesians 4:7) in our lives. We can stand on God's Word until He comes and then the world will know our faith in Him was not in vain, but it will be too late for them to change.

For all the bakers in the land who know God, make your wedding cakes, but don't put toppers on any of them. Direct the buyers as to where they may obtain them and put them on the cakes themselves.

For all the church leaders in the land who know God, by whatever title you choose to use, SCOTUS ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, they did not and cannot determine who shall marry them. People have been using a clerk's office or judge's chamber for marriage ceremonies. Let them continue. For if we compromise our faith to accommodate sin when we know better, we have only to look forward to the wrath of God.

For all the parents in the land who know God, teach your children about God's love and forgiveness and what must occur for the existence of mankind to continue.

Don't be deceived by the rhetoric of the enemy, know God's Word for yourselves and know how to respond to half-truths which are whole lies. If the only thing the enemy can say about Jesus is that He said to love, they do not know Him or His purpose for coming down to earth--to save us from ourselves. Jesus said so much about love and obedience and not sinning, that those who do not understand the totality of what He said, have clouded minds and blinded eyes and hardened hearts against God.

We who know God--not just believe in Him--know that He loves and His mercy endures forever, but we are not to take His mercy and grace for granted--as an opportunity to willingly sin and parade the sin as a celebration. We know, therefore we should simply agree with God and promote Him at every opportunity.

God Inspired Purpose of Scripture!

"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." (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NIV)

What I have found amazing in the past few days is the number of people who claim not to believe "in an ancient book of myths written by men" but will use it, "cherry-picking" to support and condone their stance in opposition to God's Word. Now, think about it--isn't that just like Satan to try to use God's Word to convince Jesus to do act in opposition to God's Word?

The same God, who inspired men to write down the words they heard God speak to their hearts, is the same God is who is yet inspiring people to write today. That "ancient book of myths" has held its own for centuries and will still be used as a guide by the remnant that God promises to save to Himself.

I don't have a problem with people not believing the bible because at one time, I had challenged those who believed in it. However, when my relationship with God changed, allowing me to hear Him speak to me, I understood and accepted the love He has for me--a love so great--that He inspired men to write down how He wanted me to live. Notice, the personalization of what I'm saying with the use of the pronoun--I. Being in relationship with God is an individual, personal, choice. If no one else ever understands this, I'll stand on God's Word alone.

You see, many unbelievers are now trying to quote the Bible. "Jesus just said, love."  "God said don't judge." And one woman yesterday tried to make a case for her condoning sin by saying, "Adam and Eve were not married and children out of wedlock." She didn't understand that God performed the first marriage and had she continued reading Genesis, she would have known God's definition of marriage. I really wanted to respond, but Holy Spirit wouldn't allow me to do so. For the Word also says, "For them that be ignorant, let them be ignorant." Marriage did not come after Christianity; marriage was established in the Garden with the creation of mankind. Too many people confuse religious concepts with Christianity to the point they want to negate all God did in the beginning. Understanding can only come through reading and opening one's heart to hear God explain Himself.

In the passage of Scripture used as a foundation for my blog today, Paul reminds Timothy that "all" (nothing left out of all) Scripture is God-breathed or inspired. Therefore, we should not get overly indignant when people don't understand and only select the passages they want to use. The fact that they use Scripture at all, puts them into greater risk of being judged by God since they chose to misuse it for ungodly purposes. If a person claims they don't believe in the Bible, they shouldn't try quoting it when they have no idea what it means when comprehension of it is only achieved by understanding the "totality" of The Word, not bits and pieces.

I don't have a problem with people who claim they don't believe in God. Their very confession of unbelief is a contradiction to their behavior since they generally spend an inordinate amount of time talking about a God they don't believe in to convince those who do believe that we're foolish. Well, the Bible states, "the fool has said in his heart, there is no God." Since I am not a fool and know right well that God is--their unbelief won't hinder my relationship with God.

When I agree with God, I confirm on a daily basis that my relationship with Him is intact and I have not conformed to the world's perception and beliefs of anything that contradict Him, but I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus. I have the mind of Christ--discovered in God's Word--and use God's Words to teach, rebuke, correct and train others to know how to respond to the enemy's attacks. I am thoroughly equipped to accomplish every good work assigned to me. No matter what the government does, the Supreme Court does or anyone else does or say, I will agree with God in all things and in the end, when I stand before Him, I will have no shame about the things I've done and I can expect to hear, "Well done, daughter!"

Powerful Message

Please listen to this powerful message and share with others who have been deceived into believing a lie. Hear the speaker's heart before judging what he says. https://www.facebook.com/justmepierre/videos/980071915357047/?fref=nf

Forsake The Godless By Pursuing Godliness!

" Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7,8 NIV)

No matter how many times I am confronted by those who celebrate April Fool's Day as their holiday, I am convinced that God has addressed every situation we encounter in His Word. Even for those who say, "there is no god" yet they honor the god of this world on a regular basis. The god of this world (Satan) has influenced those who say there is no God (of Heaven) so they can live like they want to live--doing whatever they want to do. They say, we who Believe Creator God, are honoring a myth and they say, the bible is nothing but an ancient book.

"They" can say whatever they want and believe whatever they want--it's their choice. The God we serve never forces Himself on anyone and He has made it clear in His Word that even He has chosen us to be His, we must also choose Him if we are to His.

If a man sees a woman across the room at an event and is smitten with the love-bug and gets up the nerve to approach her, he has chosen her. If she doesn't want to be bothered with him and rejects him, that is her choice. If he attempts to force himself and his affections on her, he is violating her right to choose and can be accused of harassment or stalking. Thank goodness God is not like fickle man--He never forces us to accept Him or His affection.

Now, the other thing I don't understand is why is it that people who claim that our God is an ancient myth, will attempt to quote the ancient book, trying to justify themselves? "God said don't judge!" This is a common response by many who support living in opposition to God's Word. Now, if His Word is ancient and He is a myth, why are they bothering to quote Him (even though out of context)? They are quick to say, "Jesus just said, love." Well, Jesus did say that, but He didn't stop there. He said, "If you love me, keep my commands." In this statement, He acknowledges that He and God are one--in purpose and intent. In order to understand the Bible, just as with any book, we have to read the entire Bible, comprehending the times, the people, the cultural and how much God loves us--today! He does not change!

The truth is obvious to me. Though they claim they do not believe God, they understand a greater power exist in the universe than they are and many have been exposed to God's teachings, they just refuse to adhere to them. That is their choice. However, choosing to ignore God or not to believe Him, doesn't change His existence, His decrees or His judgment.

Exercising our bodies for physical fitness is a good thing, but exercising our faith in the One True God is more valuable. For it is God who created our bodies and knows exactly how every cell works, but faith in Him--after the measure given--can only increase in value when we keep hearing and obeying The Word. The more we hear The Word, the greater our understanding becomes and the more we obey The Word, the greater our reward--the abundant life that Jesus promises.

Let's put aside the godless myths that the god of this world promotes and pursue Godliness as God has outlined in His Word, for our benefit, not His. All glory belongs to the God who created all things and without Him, nothing was created. Hallelujah!

Taking a Stand Against The Devil's Schemes!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)

Since the first man and woman were deceived in the garden by Satan, evil from high places have influenced the minds of those who do not understand God.

The first step to understanding God and His plan for mankind is to understand who He is and His intent for mankind. Creator God--the God of heaven--is not an evil ruler or man that He should lie or change His mind about anything He's said. It is only those who choose to pacify fleshly desires and ungodliness who think there is no God or that He should not be heard. That is their choice.

For those of us who have established a right relationship with God, understanding who He is and His plan for mankind, and having accepted His Son's sacrifice on the cross, we know (not believe) that God's Word is His plan for mankind and we agree with God.

We know that the enemy has influenced those in places of authority by clouding their minds and putting scales on their eyes. They are blinded to God's truth because of their own aspirations to be "somebody" and to gain the approval of man. But the Word reminds us that we have gained nothing winning the approval of people if we lose our souls in the process (Matthew 16:26).

My soul delights in the Lord and all His teaching! For I know that nothing He has said was intended to harm me, but to make my life a cause for rejoicing in Him. No matter what the enemy does to influence people to live in opposition to God, I agree with God--from Genesis to Revelation--and will proclaim from the mountain tops to the depths of the sea--Our God reigns!

I love the Lord because He first loved me and I will love all of His children and pray for the redemption of all who oppose Him that they will see the light of His love and be not conformed to this world and its delusions, but they will be transformed--willingly--into everything God would have them to be and walk the narrow path--escaping the destruction of the broad path.

We must remember that men--mere mortals--do not have a heaven or hell for us; they do not define or redefine what God has said is sin, and we do not have to obey sinful governance--declared by anyone. Remember Daniel and all who came before and after who chose to obey God rather than man. Remember Achan (Joshua 7) and the sin committed by his daughter's hiding the idol in their tent that brought destruction upon their entire household. Is God like fickle-minded man that He changes His mind and approves every wind of doctrine that man contrives? NO! God is not a man that He should lie and He will have the last word about everything man does.

Believers--put on the armor of faith, salvation, truth, righteousness, and lift high the sword--The Word of God and proclaim it in all the land, whether the unbelieving believe it or not. Pray in the spirit so the enemy cannot hinder your thoughts and know that God has a plan and His plan will be fulfilled and He will not forget the remnant who remains faithful to Him.

Brought Into Relationship By His Blood Shed On The Cross!

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13 NIV)

Relationships--of all kind--have historically been cemented by the shedding of blood. The significance of the blood is apparent throughout the Bible.

Sacrifices--to pagan gods and in the law given to Moses--were by made by the shedding of blood.
Even before The Law was given, Abraham was told to sacrifice his son to demonstrate his obedience, but God provided the ram for the sacrificial offering.

Circumcision--requires the shedding of blood.

For hundreds of years, people have cut themselves and shared blood to indicate a new-found relationship with each other as "blood brothers."

The bloodshed when the hymen in a woman was broken on her wedding night was significant in the new relationship between a man and wife. Unfortunately, most females are never taught the significance of being a virgin when they marry in order to solidify the new relationship with her husband.

When God made the decision to come down to earth to fulfill The Law--making the ultimate sacrifice for us--by the shedding of His blood on the cross--solidified our relationship with Him, when we choose to accept the finished work of making blood sacrifices.

Notice--the finished work of blood sacrifices is no longer necessary for anyone to make in order to prove a relationship with God. What has to happen now is for anyone proclaiming a belief in Christ Jesus, must accept His sacrifice as the means to having a relationship with God. If we are not willing to understand the significance of the work on the Cross, we lie when we say we have a relationship with God. It is not possible to have a relationship with God without acceptance of His sacrifice on the cross.

Paul reiterated the importance of recognizing that we who were not born culturally or biologically into the first family (Israel), now have access into that relationship through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are joint-heirs with Christ--when we acknowledge Him as our Savior because of the work on the cross. There is no other way to get to the Father, except by the Son, no matter what others may teach or preach. There are no more sacrifices that can bring us into right relationship with God. There are no more acts of piety or any other act--no symbols, no beads, no crystals, no statues, no emblems, no repetitious rituals, nothing but the blood of Jesus brings us into relationship with God.

If we deny the importance of the work on the cross, we deny knowing the Truth about God and can have no relationship with Him. It is not baptism that solidifies our relationship--it is the shed blood of Jesus Christ and our acceptance of that sacrifice that solidifies our relationship with God.

It is the blood--flowing naturally through our bodies---carrying needed oxygen that makes living possible. It is the blood--shed on the cross--that makes living worthwhile, in Him.

I know it was the blood, shed for me on that cross, that saved me and brought me into a right relationship with God that will sustain me for all eternity. Hallelujah!

Pointing Fingers At The Wrong People Solves Nothing!

It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:11,12 NIV)

The time is coming and very quickly when we will see God's Word--front and center--alive and blazing brightly so everyone will see and know--He lives! And whether a person has lived their life in belief or unbelief, they shall bow before The King of Kings and acknowledge Him as such.

For those of us who know this--our lives should proclaim this truth--on a daily basis so all who know us will have opportunity to see God's Word in action. And when He returns, none will have an excuse for not believing Him.

As it is now--we know by listening to the media reports--many do not believe Him and certainly have not given Him Lordship over their lives. It is sickening to see how people have so little value for not only their lives, but for the lives of others. In one week, how many times do we have to hear about gun violence and people being killed? How many times must we see car thieves kill innocent people when they attempt to "run away" from the police?

In particular, two children--on a sidewalk--were killed yesterday when the driver of a stolen car, running from the police plowed into them. That wasn't enough--they kept going and injured three more children and an adult before crashing. The driver attempted to run, but was caught.

Here's the problem for me--today: Interviews with parents, witnesses, and others appear to blame the police for trying to stop a thief. I know there has been uproar about police chases, but at what point are we going to stop blaming the police for trying to stop a crime and put the blame where it belongs--on the criminal?

If the person driving the car had not stolen it, there would have been no need for police involvement. Had they had any respect for life--they would not have plowed into innocent children. THE POLICE DID NOT KILL THOSE CHILDREN! THE IDIOTIC DRIVER KILLED THOSE CHILDREN AND THE BLAME--WITH ALL FINGERS POINTED IN HIS DIRECTION--IS HIS!

This is not necessarily a popular position to take--especially in life of all the police abuse of others as we have recently seen, but let's get real. Honestly, every time a person commits an act that requires police involvement--they are to blame, not the police. Let's stop pointing the fingers at the police and change the culture in which we live where young people (and older people, too) think they have a right to help themselves to the property of others, trespass on the property of others, and do whatever they want--without regard for the rights of others.

If all we do is point fingers at those we think are the problem, we're not solving any problems. Parents must be better parents in teaching their children right from wrong and holding them accountable for what they do. We need laws that are enforceable and court systems that are more interested in justice being served than serving their political agendas.

What we need is for people to believe God now and live like they believe Him! Then and only then, will we see an end to senseless violence and the loss of innocent lives.  We shall all give an account to God for what we have or have not done, so let's get this living on earth, right!

Giving God His Rightful Place In Our Lives!

LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." (Isaiah 25:1 NIV)

When we honor God, by recognizing who He is in our lives and praise Him for it, He honors His Word to us. When the prophet was speaking to God, he acknowledged God's authority over his life and deliberately exalted Him and praised for others to hear, proclaiming His faithfulness in all things.

When we call Him, "Lord" we are acknowledging the authority we have given Him over our lives--as defined by the use of the word at the time King James authorized that translation. Lords of the land, governed and provided for those who lived on the land. Since God is our provider, and we have given Him authority over our lives, He is rightly declared--Lord.

We exalt Him--lift Him up and declare all of His wonderful works--His provisions and the miracles He works in our lives. No one else deserves the praise for what He does--He inspires, He corrects, He motivates, He pours into His wisdom, He gives us favor with men, He never leaves us alone and His Word is true for He is not a man that He should lie or change His mind.

His faithfulness towards is enduring--everlasting and without measure. All He said He would do, He does--in His timing, not ours. All of His plans, decided before we were born, will be brought to pass when we hear Him and obey. For He has said, through the prophet Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and give you a future."

His plans--will be fulfilled--when we seek Him first--before doing anything, hear and obey. Whenever we're not sure of what we should be doing, we need to ask Him. And we need not be afraid to approach Him boldly because He has given us permission to do so and when we do as He desires, He knows He can trust us to do what He wants us to do.

We serve an awesome God, who only wants the best for us and He's waiting for us to turn to Him and trust Him, implicitly. Can we give Him His rightful place as Lord of our lives and trust Him to provide--not only everything we need, but also to give us the desires of our hearts when we please Him?

He's waiting with open arms to receive us as His own. Why are waiting to give Him what is rightfully His--Lordship over our lives and praise for all He has done and will do?

If we have yet to make that decision--to give Him His rightful place--Lord of our lives, today is a good day to make that decision. Reading beyond the first verse of this chapter, we understand that even the destruction of lands who ignore Him or won't obey Him is part of His plans for disobedience. Today is the day--don't wait another moment--accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and know where you'll spend eternity.

Who's Causing Division?

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:17,18 NIV)

Any time someone attempts to dissuade a person--about anything God has said--that person should run, not walk in the opposite direction, steering clear of them until they can demonstrate the love of God.

No one who has ever had a right relationship with God can ever truthfully deny anything God has said or His intention for mankind. When we find these people to now want to "reinvent" what God has said, it's time to move on and leave them to the destruction they are bound to incur.

When people attempt to refute or renegotiate God's Word to suit their current desires, they care creating divisions in the body of Believers who know what God has said and means.
However, since there are some who are easily influenced and too weak to stand on the Truth, they go along to get along with others. Here's the problem for going along to get along; especially when it pertains to God's Word--none of us will be asked to stand together with all those we got along with when we stand before God. We will stand before Him--alone--on our own--and nothing anyone else says or does will matter.

Whoever coined the term, "political correctness" and "progressive politics" created the gap that now separates those who truly love God and those who are only giving lip service to God. Political correctness can never take the place of Godly righteousness--no matter who says it or how often they say it--God gets the final say. Progressive politics is nothing more than the enemy's plan to turn people away from God and once they have turned from God, Satan will play havoc with their lives and all those around them.

Once we play games to win the approval of people, we have lost the favor of God. When we have favor with God, He gives us favor with people. America is in the shape it's in because of those people--whoever they are and however they do it--who cause division in the plan that God has already established.

God's plan for mankind is that all are treated like they all belong to the human race--not a particular group of people. God's plan for mankind in order to perpetuate the continuity of human beings is for man and woman to marry and have children. God's plan for mankind is that every child would be raised in homes with a mother and father--whose guidelines are specifically listed in His Word. God's plan for mankind was for us to love one another and love Him. When we love, we don't kill, steal or destroy, lie, manipulate, deceive, or hate--these are the character traits employed by those influenced by Satan. God's plan for mankind is for us to live in harmony, peace and unity--which is the opposite of Satan's plan which always creates confusion and chaos.

Now, I ask you to think--and to be honest with self--whose plan are you adhering to--God's or Satan's? And let's be real, anytime a person promotes hatred by spreading vicious gossip and rumor's--igniting division--they are not part of God's plan, but Satan's.

Victory Through The Finishe Work On The Cross!

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15: 56,57 NIV)

Whenever Jesus taught the people, He used parables or anecdotal stories to which the people could relate. All He told them, they understood because of the times of their lives. The Word is still taught in anecdotal stories--those things to which people can relate. So today, we look at how much "stings" hurt and can damage.

There are so many things in our lives that can sting us. We can stung by bees and wasps. We can be stung by jellyfish and sticky leaves on plants. We can be stung by betrayal, hurt, and sadness. and we can be stung by death when we allow sin to reign in our lives. How does sin reign? With the power of the law--given to Moses--and rejection of the work on the cross by Jesus Christ.

For when The Law was given--Holy Spirit ascended upon people as God directed and those people were the only ones who had the authority to speak what God said. With The Work on the Cross, Holy Spirit dwells within every Believer who has received Him and God speaks to every Believer in whom Holy Spirit dwells. However, if we choose not to hear and obey, that is on us and we miss receiving the victory over sin in our lives.

We no longer have to go to a specific place or to a specific person--asking them to seek God on our behalf. We only have to look within--The Word and our hearts, and decide to hear what God has to say. If we do not know The Word, we will not recognize God's voice when we hear Him. If our spiritual ears are blocked with the cares of the world and those things that distract and distort the sound, we will not hear Him. If we cannot or will not hear Him when He speaks, we allow sin--whatever our fleshly dictates desire--to overtake us and we give up ground in the victory we had won, and sometimes, we never regain our position in order to enjoy the victory we were given.

The war with ISIS is a perfect example of giving up ground. The United States has time and time again, helped other Middle Eastern countries to gain control over cities in which ISIS had captured. And with each loss, ISIS regrouped and gained that territory back. That's how the enemy works. If we're not careful with the victory we have, we allow more demons to come into our lives and take up residence, leading us back into the captivity of sin and we know--sin's payment is death.

When we accept the Work on the Cross, Believe Jesus is the Son of God, and give Him His rightful place in our lives--as Lord, we have victory of sin. However, we must guard our victory vigorously by staying in The Word, always ready to hear God and obey. We have the victory--our problem--as we can see in our society is how to maintain the ground we have gained without allowing the enemy's forces to regain the territory.

Victory is ours--through The Work on the Cross and we can loudly proclaim--Jesus Christ is our Lord!

Good, Better, Best--The Best Fathers Emulate The Great Father!

"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD." (Proverbs 19:14 NIV)

In the King James Version, the fathers is used instead of parents, but I chose to use the NIV to maintain consistency in the translation I use, but it serves the purpose.

In God, we have the greatest example of what a father should be and even though we are all encouraged to be like our heavenly Father, none have reached that goal, but many are on the right track. In comparing stages or levels of attaining Heavenly Father greatness, there are good, better and best fathers--here on earth.

A good father is more than a male who fathered a child. He does the right thing by taking care of the child, owning up to his responsibility and loves his children. He knows what The Word says, and tries to live by it.

A better father is not just the provider for his children, he spends time with them--helping with homework, attending events in which children are involved, and encourages by example, how to be a man of God.

The best father--is a provider, a protector, a disciplinarian, and teacher. He provides for his household and teaches his children how to do what is right, according to The Word. He is a living example of integrity, wisdom. He finds time to talk to--not talk at--his children, and teaches them all he knows--about life, living, loving and pleasing God. He is not rude or violent, but firm and immoveable in all that is right. He not only knows The Word, but lives it daily--looking to his Heavenly Father to solutions for all problems and hearing and obeying. He corrects and forgives, loves and chastises, guiding his household in the things of God at all times.

While all fathers are not the same, if they have attempted to do all that God requires of them to do, they deserve recognition. Whether you've had a good father, a better father, or the best father, honor them today by telling them--you love them. If your father is no longer here in the earth realm, honor them with how you live your life.

To all the fathers--good, better, best--I wish you the best this day as you seek God to become more like the Great Father.

Happy Father's Day!

Changing Our Society by Receiving God's Love!

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity." (Proverbs 3:1,2 NIV)

From a father to son and daughter,
Keeping us from Satan's slaughter,
Teaching us to remember and obey,
Walking in God's favor, night and day.

When we learn to adhere to the sound teaching of parents and God, we have a promise we can rely upon for long life, peace, and prosperity. If we look around at our society today, it would appear that not many have remembered anything worthwhile and obedience to sound teaching is not evident--anywhere.

But notice where we have to start--remembering what we were taught and keeping those sound teachings and instructions in our heart. If our heart is receptive to instruction and guidance, we will do what love does--obey. If our heart is hardened and we reject sound teachings, then hatred takes the place of love and all the forces of hell, break loose upon a society that refuses to hear and obey.

With the recent passing of the oldest woman in American, at 116 years-old, I wonder if she credited her long life with remembering the things she was taught by her parents and obeying. Her long life appears to be a testament of obedience--but I don't know that for a fact. What I do know is God is not slack to keep His promises to all who obey and He is not a man that He should lie.

If we want to see a change in our society, we must see a change in what people are keeping in their hearts and what they are teaching their children. Parents must learn to give their children righteous, sound instruction. Children must learn to obey and not rebel. We must all learn to receive God's love and allow it to overflow in our hearts.

For where love is, hatred doesn't stand a chance. Where love is--people are respected and given consideration. Where love is--we all seek to assist all who are in need. Where love is--we honor God and keep all His commands--to love Him and love others. Where love is--there is peace and no confusion.

I would love to see and experience for the rest of my days--love being the guiding force in our society so I can live the rest of my days in peace. I would love to see children obeying their parents and parents loving and teaching their children to do what is right. I would love to see all saved and walking in God's favor. I would love to see people living in the reverential fear of God and negating all of Satan's influence. I would love to see it, but unless something drastic happens in the minds and hearts of people, my desire may not be obtained, but it won't stop me from seeking God's Wisdom in all things.

We can stop all the madness in our society and the lack of respect and value for life. All we have to do is receive God's love to overflowing and allow it flow onto others, remembering all He has taught and keeping His commands.

Be Careful of Your Associations With Others!

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 NIV)

Even though most people have used this passage of scripture in reference to those considering marriage, it actually goes much deeper than that. We are warned not to be yoked (associated) to those who do not believe as we believe--as it pertains to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Inevitably, if we leave our minds exposed to the influences of unbelief, our own belief starts to dwindle and fall apart and we're left out of God's favor. If we truly are the children of God, then we should never say anything that contradicts what our Father says.

Check out your associates belief systems and if they don't agree with God, think about making new associations, ones that don't contradict God or veer you from saying what God says--about anything and everything. There are some who believe they have God's stamp of approval even though they are not saying what God says or doing things God's way and when they stand before Him, they will receive their just reward. So, will we all.

Solomon--the wisest man on earth--was warned not to get involved with women who worship idols, but he allowed his fleshly desires for many of them to lead him astray. As a result, his disobedience brought him to a place of being out of the will of God.

Now, let's think about how some of the people with whom we may have had an association with that led us astray or still do. The old adage stating birds of a feather flock together is usually true. That it--those who think alike are usually identified by their associations with others. Thieves, gangs, and murderers consider themselves to be an association with its own rules. Those who don't believe in God (Jesus Christ)--call themselves atheists. Those who believe, invariably call themselves Christians, or something synonymous to identify with their belief--which is why we have so many variations or groups of people who believe--similarly.

When we see discord or disagreement within the ranks of any group, there is usually a separation since they no longer hold the same beliefs. This is true of different sects in the Muslim world as well as those in Christianity. In order to believe as those in any group, there must be shared tenets of belief.

I've discovered that within the "Christian" realm of belief, not all who profess to be followers of Christ believe the same things. What is most amazing to me is that not all believe God's Word, yet they say they believe Him. I know their beliefs are contradictory when I look at what they do and listen to what they say. No one in a right relationship with God can ever truthfully say, God didn't mean what He said or He didn't say what He meant. It is these "false" Christians who encourage living in opposition to God's Word and promote a religion of conformity to the world, when we are told in God's Word, not to be conform to the "world's" view, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds--according to The Word and guidance of Holy Spirit.

If we hang out or hook up with those promoting a false Christianity long enough, we'll succumb to their way of thinking and end up moving out of God's favor. I don't know about you, but I love walking in His favor and will not allow anyone else to entice me from His love and the path He's set me upon for my success.

Keeping His Covenant and Obeying Results In Generational Love From God!

"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts." (Psalm 103: 17,18 NIV)

Though there are many who think that God's love is simply available to all, this psalmist reminds us that although He is Love, He is selective about who receives His Love--at least proportionately so that others will know--they are loved by God.

Now, I can imagine how many readers will immediately think of John 3:16 and attempt to counter what I just said, but John is not saying anything differently than the psalmist here is saying. God loves the world so much that He came to save any who choose to believe. The psalmist declares that for all who reverence The Lord enough to obey Him, have a guarantee that His love will cover their children's children when they remember to keep His commandments.

Receiving God's love is as simple as understanding receiving a gift and being grateful for it. Since He is love, we open our hearts to Him and receive it, showing our gratitude in our obedience to His Word. So simple, but many people miss it.

When we choose to live our lives in confusion, promote or perpetuate confusion, and refute God's Word as an authority in our lives, we have chosen to reject His gift of Love. God does not force Himself on anyone and we have the opportunity to choose Him and His love or to reject. As we look at current events and shake our heads, we can see the evidence of those who have rejected His gift of love. Satan's influence is running rampant in the minds of those easily influenced by the need to make a statement about themselves--in opposition to God's Word.

When Satan confuses a person's mind, the end result is murder, violence, insensitivity to others, hatred, sexual promiscuity, and self-loathing.

When Holy Spirit governs our thinking we move in peace and harmony, seeking to do good, not harm, able to love all, and not hate any. We are compassionate, but obedient and promote God's righteousness over self-righteousness and our desire is to please Him, not self. We receive His love and our actions are the evidence of gratitude. And because we receive His love and obey, His love will be poured upon our children's children, when they receive it and obey.

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36 NIV)

The difference between those who succeed at one level than those who barely succeed--doing anything--is the level of commitment to keep going, keep refining, keep fine-tuning, keep revising, and keep believing that success is theirs. We know that true success is not achieved by a level of intelligent, but by a level of determination that no matter what happens, the focus is forward, not backwards.

But can there be success without failures in the interim? No--it is the failures that drive true success. We have but to look at Thomas Edison, Stephen King, Benjamin Franklin and so many more. We tend to believe that the success enjoyed by some occurred overnight because we only focus on the final result--not the journey to get there. So, for those who are weary and feel like giving up, today is not the day.

When God gives us a vision it is because He knows our capabilities beyond our doubts.

When we have obeyed Him in all things to please Him, He promised to give us the desires of our hearts and we must remain focused on the prize in order to receive the promise.

When things don't go the way we expected, we take a critical look at what happened, analyze the whys and gear up to keep going.

When we think we have reached the end of our rope and all hope is gone, we tie a knot before we get to the end of the rope, and hold on, expecting help because He said He'd never leave us alone.

Every ministry poured into us will succeed as long as we keep our eyes on Him, not people, always seeking His wisdom for direction and guidance.

Every dream we have will come to pass, if we just keep the dream in front of us and are willing to navigate every challenge that confronts us.

Every promise of God will be fulfilled, if we just listen to His still small voice and are willing to do things His way and not our own.

We were not told that we COULD do all things through Him who strengthens us just to fill words on a page.

We were not told that with God all things are possible because those who wrote the words just had a little time on their hands.

We were not told that no weapon formed against us would prosper for us to sit on our duffs, waiting for something to happen, without doing anything.

We were not told that with His going before us, He is more than the world against us for us hide behind shame and embarrassment with our first failure.

We serve an awesome God--One who created the universe from nothing and His arm is not shortened when it comes to the success of His children! Surely, goodness and mercy will follow us from each failed attempt to the promised success, by reminding us--we belong to Him and every good and perfect--those gifts He has poured into us--comes from above and all things--especially the failures--work together for our good!

In Him and through Him, we have what it takes to accomplish all things as long as we are determined to reach the goal and refuse to allow the failures to stop us at the starting gate. We are more than conquerors, victorious in all things, now let's act like it and get it done--persevering through every obstacle to make it happen!

Salvation--The Role of Heart and Mouth!

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." (Romans 8:9,10 NIV)

Non-Believer Alert!

For those who have been trying to ridicule and belittle those of us who Believe God, I would remind them that belief in God and acceptance of the work on the cross is a matter for the heart and mouth--not the head. For with our mouths we confess our belief and acceptance and with our hearts we accept, by faith, all that God does. The reason our heart is engaged is so our minds will receive and accept the Good News.

There is much conflict and confusion over "head-knowledge" and "heart-knowledge" for the non-believer as well as the Believer. In many cases, because a Believer has not fully developed their heart knowledge and allowed the wisdom of God to engage their head knowledge, they wither and fall under the volley of questions used by those who intend to confuse. They believe that head-knowledge, achieved by their own effort is all they need.

For the mature Believer, we know that our minds, trying to conceive of loving God who loves us in spite of us and died for us so we might one day live and reign with Him is nothing short of incredible. So, instead of trying to beat our brains into understanding, we submit to God and allow Him to speak our spirits "our hearts" so our minds can receive and accept the knowledge of Him who loves us.

For those who only believe in the rational and the logical--ability to prove something, there is no way they will ever accept knowledge they did not create or manufacture from what they know. And no matter how many times they attempt to refute God's presence by claiming we cannot prove His existence, they cannot prove He does not exist--though they have tried.

Here's my proof of God's existence: I'm here, able to enjoy the sun, sky, moon, stars, the oceans, and with the assistance of equipment that man invented from what God created, know that I am currently living on a planet, earth as it is called by man.

Now, I do not wish to negate the importance of science and what it has accomplished, but when has man created from nothing, anything? I applaud every scientist who has managed to receive God's wisdom in understanding how to analyze and explain those things that God created and how they work. And when man creates "man and woman" as uniquely wonderful as God has--from nothing--then I'll applaud science louder than God, but we know--with our heads and our hearts, that will never happen.

Salvation--a matter of confessing that Jesus (God in the flesh) is Lord, accepting the work on the cross by faith engendered in our hearts is the only way we'll see Him again and live for eternity in heaven.

I know many will say we have to do more than confess and believe, but I challenge that with this thought, why would anyone say they believe something if they're not going to adhere to what their heart speaks to them? For when our confession is made, we put ourselves in position to hear God when He speaks and if we indeed are allowing Him to be Lord of our lives, we will hear Him and obey. Giving Him Lordship over our lives, means we no longer live to please us, but Him. If we are living to please Him, we will not sin against Him or others. Simple--but the enemy makes it confusing to keep us from receiving all that God has.

No rules--just confession and belief--and then hearing and obeying. Once we hear Him speak to our hearts for ourselves, it's difficult not to know and understand the love He has for us and we repent of everything we have ever done, that was not of Him. If you haven't tried Him yet--give Him a chance and watch and see how your life will change for the better.

The First Step to Forgiveness--Acknowledgment or Confession!

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:8-10 NIV)

Truth and deception are in opposition with one another. If we know truth, we have no need to deceive others or ourselves. The biggest issue with some people in acknowledging truth is their limited perception of what truth is. People who have not had opportunity to experience much of life are limited by their experience to understand greater truths experienced by people who have had opportunity to broader ranges of experiences.

Truth about differences is cultural knowledge is limited to one's experience with different cultures.

Truth about religious observations is limited to one's experience with various groups of people and how they worship God.

Truth about sin is limited to one's experience and knowledge of what God says is sin. If a person has no knowledge of what God says is sin, they can deceive themselves into believing they have never sinned and since they have never sinned (in their minds), they do not confess it or admit and therefore cannot never be forgiven--by God.

I have often readily discussed my "BC" time (before knowledge of Christ) and the fact that I lived in ignorance as to how God wanted me to live. Once I learned--by reading the Bible and seeking God's wisdom to understand what I read, I had to own up to all the stuff I had done, out of ignorance--and seek His forgiveness. Now, that I know, I'm still not perfect, but I recognize my shortcomings and flaws and allow His correction to guide my tongue and my actions. This is the place where God wants all of His children to be--receptive to correction when we admit we are wrong. But if we never acknowledge being wrong, we close the door to correction and cannot receive the benefit of His love--through forgiveness.

Someone recently told me they did not have a "BC" time, but they have always followed God. There were a number of questions that rose in my mind with that statement. Did they truly know God? Did they understand salvation and repentance? Did they understand the purpose of the work on the cross? And of course, I thought, "So, you've been perfect all your life!" Of course that thought was sarcasm since I know there are no perfect people walking the earth. But if they think they have no "Before Christ" time, they have deluded themselves into thinking they are perfect.

Here's the thing for me. We are not born "saved" and until we recognize our sinful state and repent, we cannot be saved. Neither are we born "a denomination," but rather born into families who observe specific religious practices. We are not born, Baptist  or Catholic, or Lutheran or Pentecostal, or any other religion. We are born into families who expose us to the tenets of specific practices and we choose (at some point in time) to either join those practices or reject them.

Then there are some families who have never acknowledged the need to involve themselves in any religious practice and so people are born into families who have no exposure and sometimes see no need for such exposure. Never having the opportunity to understand God's Truth is no excuse for living outside of His Will; especially when His Truth is being promoted by every true Believer using every venue they have available to them.

When people claim to not believe God, it is not because they have not been exposed to His Truth, but because they have chosen to reject His Truth and that is usually because of negative experiences with people who were not living God's Truth.

Now, through this venue and many others like it--we all have access to Truth as God determines Truth. Having a relationship with God means we understand His Truth is truth and we have all sinned and need to confess it in order to be forgiven. If we say we have not sinned, we lie and make God's Word of no effect and make the work on the Cross, pointless. God is not a man that He should lie and we are not so perfect that we have not sinned. If we think we have not sinned, we are only fooling ourselves because God sees and knows all we have ever done.

Therefore, we must acknowledge the sin, confess it to God, repent and be forgiven by God. We do not have to tell our business to other people, but we must acknowledge our shortcomings and flaws and know God's love is enough to keep us from falling into the abyss when we confess our sins to Him.

Practicing Contentment In The Midst of Need!

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12,13 NIV)

In this letter to the church at Philippi, Paul encourages those who are trying do what is right for all concerned. In the midst of their own challenges, they sought to provide him with those things he needed while he was imprisoned. Remember this, when people were imprisoned in those days, they were dependent upon others for food since their jailers were not necessarily interested in attending their needs. But Paul, understanding their own plight and needs, encourages them by telling them how he's learned to be content in whatever situation he's found himself because of Jesus.

Whenever we find ourselves in situations that cause us to cringe and perhaps re-think what we're doing because everything is not coming together we way we expected it to  come together, pause and think about others who are in situations worse than ours and be grateful for what we have.

With every negative event occurring in America right now and the exposure of corruption at every level of government and --we can still exercise our right to vote by getting our feet moving in the right direction without fear of being persecuted for daring to vote.

Though some criticize Believers for their faith in God, we still have the right to worship Him, whenever we want to do so.

Even though there are hundreds of people starving everyday--in America--most of us still exercise "choice" in what we eat and how often we eat.

In spite of the "oversight" of government through surveillance at every corner, it's all for our good.

Though we may not have the car of our dreams, if we're driving anything that moves, we should be content.

If children are not wearing the most expensive gym shoes or the latest designer clothes, if they have clothes on their back and shoes on their feet that protect them from the elements, they should be content.

If we have not arrived at the place of success we desire, we learn to be content with what we have and in His strength, keep moving forward, keeping our eyes on the prize.

When life does not provide us with all we want, we should practice contentment and joy in the strength of the Lord so when we continue our journey, we are ready for all we will receive.

If we are bitter through the times of lack, we'll not be better when we have more than enough; we'll just grumble over not having more.

With whatever we have--we should learn to be content--still looking to Jesus, expecting His best in our lives--and praising Him while we wait. As long as we're alive, breathing on our own, we yet have opportunity to do good--for others and teach them by example how to wait to see the promises of God.

Instead of crying the blues over everything that doesn't go our way and being bitter, let's be better and sing songs of praise, seeking His wisdom, assuring ourselves that we will have a great day, every day!

Worldly Wisdom is The World's Way; Grace is God's Gift!

"Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace." (2 Corinthians 1:12 NIV)

One of the problems we have in our society with boasting--being puffed up with pride--is that we tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We boast of our accomplishments as if we do everything on our own, never giving credit to the One who gives us the wisdom and the grace to accomplish--anything.

But there are some who when they are in the spotlight for winning an award who give thanks to God--I believe with the greatest hypocrisy--since God would not inspire them to sing songs with filthy, inflammatory lyrics, influence them to behave in unseemly conduct in movies and television, or in writing books that are total filth.

Then there are the few--who have accomplished much--who have no problem acknowledging God as the driving force behind their achievements.

I believe when we acknowledge our inability to think of doing anything worthwhile in and of ourselves and admit that it was the grace of God who kept us going--headed for the prize then we will have good success. Worldly wisdom--thinking about how we can impress the world or seeking the world's way of doing things doesn't amount to much to brag about. One of the reasons people claim they don't believe in God is because of science.  Well, I believe in science, too, but God created the world before we had use of the term, science. It is His wisdom and grace that has given mankind insight to understanding anything they understand about how He created things. And yet, with all that scientists (those who study and analyze to explain) have accomplished, they have yet to accomplish--recreating anything from absolutely nothing. Everything man has "invented" was because of the things--God had already created.

So, if we're going to brag about our accomplishments, let's give the credit to God who gives wisdom to all when we seek Him for it.

At the age of 46, I completed a Bachelor's degree; at 50 I went back to school to get teacher-certification, at 52 I completed my Master's degree and kept going until at 58, I had completed the coursework for my Doctorates degree. I have written over 25 books, published a gospel quarterly, written several plays, conducted a community choir, served as a volunteer chaplain in prison ministry for over 5 years, as well as in VA hospital, and have been promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ for over 30 years--because of Him and who He is in my life. Hallelujah! I am still going strong because of Him and everything I do, is to bring honor and glory to Him! He has blessed my coming and going and I know He will continue to do so as long as I focus on the things He has called me to do.

My boast is in The Lord and the grace He gives for me to accomplish all He has planned for me to do. Worldly wisdom--considering my age--would have kept me from doing anything, but God's grace was sufficient and carried me through, reminding me that age is merely a number used by man to measure our time on earth. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me and gives me His wisdom to succeed. And the best thing is--He is not a respecter of persons; what He's done for me, He'll do for anyone who Believes and obeys Him.

To See The Promises, We Must Meet The Conditions!

 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent." (Psalm 91:2,9, 10 NIV)

Before God can make a move to fulfill His part of the promise, we must fulfill our part of the promise. When we don't, He won't. And we see the truth of this in a number of places in scripture. Even though the qualifier to receive, the "if" is always there, we must see the "if" and then get mad at God because we refuse to obey.

Remember what was told to Joshua? "If you keep my commandments, then whatever you put your hands to shall prosper and you'll have good success." (Joshua 1)
Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands." (John 14)

In the NIV translation, the word "if" appears 1640 times--and much of it to do with God's promises to us.

A covenant--an agreement between two people--is a promise to do something and if both sides keep their word, then both sides will enjoy the conclusion of the matter. Within the covenant of God's Word, He promises to do certain things if we keep our part of the agreement to keep His commands. His commands, as summarized by Jesus are very simple--love Him and love others. If we love Him, we will do nothing to oppose Him; if we love others, we will do nothing to harm them.

Have we kept our part of the covenant? If not, why are we so surprised at the constantly unfolding consequences in our lives? Instead of blaming God, as the naysayers who claim they don't even believe in God, we should look to ourselves--under a microscope--and see if we are truly keeping the covenant.  Are we obeying God in all that we do or say?

From the looks of things--on a daily basis--as they are reported in the media, I would venture to say we have a long way to go to get into agreement with God before we can start to think we can receive the promises. We are out of agreement with God when we promote or encourage others to live in opposition to His Word. We are out of agreement with God when we waste our time debating His Word with those who have no relationship with Him. He never tells us to "debate" with others what He means. God said what He meant and He meant what He said. That is the totality of the matter.

In fact, He tell us through Paul not to engage in strife over The Word, debating genealogy (the ancestry of our Lord) with those who are simply looking for opportunity to stir up strife. When we are promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ--the good news about repentance, the Work on the Cross, and salvation, we are told if people won't receive it--to shake the dust off our feet and keep it moving. I find this to particularly true of instigators in online forums. The naysayers will randomly select a person talking about Jesus and interact with a seemingly innocuous question to engage our attention. DON'T ENGAGE! They hope to get people rattled and then sit back and laugh at the confusion they start and they garner assistance from others who think the way they think.

Hmmm! Confusion stirred in the minds of Believers--doesn't that sound like the devil at work since we know that God is not the author of confusion? If we are truly in Christ, we have the mind of Christ, and we have the discernment of Him who guides us and we can know when the enemy is at work.

The bottom line for us is this--if we are not seeing God's promises fulfilled in our lives, we need to do a thorough investigation of self--to see where we may be falling short and we may discover--we are in agreement in all things and it is simply a matter of being in God's timing to receive. Hallelujah! Let's choose to dwell with Him and say, "He is my refuge."

Focused Thoughts Keep Hope Alive!

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest." (Hebrews 13:1 NIV)

The heavenly calling--to accept Jesus as our personal Savior through the work on the cross and to promote the Gospel--is not just a vocation--as some think, but a commission for all who Believe in the Risen Savior. In order to accomplish our mission, we must stay focused on Jesus and all that He has called us to do.

Whenever we hear discouraging news as reported by the media, our focus is momentarily off Jesus. Instead of getting discouraged, we need to be encouraged by our faith in Him, knowing that all these things must come to pass in preparation for His return. While we wait, we must use every opportunity to point people in the direction of Jesus Christ. Though it may be difficult--since we are but flawed human beings--we must discipline our minds to think on Jesus for it we take our mind off Jesus, the enemy wins.

Instead of getting upset with the media reports, let's praise God and thank Him for the return of Jesus to the earth. Everything the enemy does, he does by influencing the minds of those who are weak and only want to pacify the flesh. We who may be physically weak are strengthened in our spirits by the hope we have in Jesus. Therefore, nothing the enemy does shall affect our ability or desire to promote Jesus--from within and without--we praise Him in the Spirit and magnify Him with our lives.

Every day we see and hear disturbing reports about negative things happening all over the world. We are more distressed when the events are closer to us, but no matter where the events are unfolding, we have little to no ability to control them, but we have full control over our reaction or response to those events. We should change our focus--and be careful not to allow the media reports to become internalized so much that we cannot focus on God's goodness.

As disturbing as some news reports are--we are to remain vigilant in prayer and praise, seeking God's wisdom in all things--before we allow the reports to affect our thought-life or our actions. Many are those who react to situations before thinking them through and we know from the results that God was not consulted. If we're going to act with mob-mentality over anything, it should be in prayer--admonishing sinners to repent and believe. We should pray for parents to teach their children right from wrong. We should pray for children to obey their parents. We should pray for parents to conduct themselves as Godly parents. If we all did as God desires us to do, we would not have so many negative events for the news to report.

We must focus on His return and what His return to collect us means. We observe the signs of the times and know He'll be coming back soon, though our definition of soon may not be His. We know He's coming, so let's do everything we can to prepare all in the earth for His return so no one will be left to be influenced by the enemy.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to break the stronghold the enemy has in the minds of those who have been influenced by him. Fill them love and joy and keep renew their minds with a focus on You. Give every heart a new song in praise and adoration of who You are and a desire to please You with everything we do. In Jesus' name we ask and thank You, Amen!

When Our Hearts Are Searched, What Does God Find?

"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:27 NIV)

When the Lord searches our hearts, He knows who is submitted to the Spirit of God because Holy Spirit will only speak to God's people and remind them of God's Will for their lives. Therefore, when we our actions or our speech is subject to question by others, we must know that Holy Spirit does not deviate from anything God says.

I've wondered about some people who say, "the Spirit told me..." and what they do is so far from God's Word that it's obvious it is not Holy Spirit speaking to them. Holy Spirit does not encourage people to gamble, lie, steal, or commit any other act that is contrary to God's Word. Satan is a spirit as well and when we see acts committed--murders of children, spouses, former employees, boys beating girlfriends and all this other craziness, this spirit of evil influence is at work.

The evidence of Holy Spirit residing within (our bodies are the temple where He lives, but He will not dwell in filth and ungodliness) is found in Galatians 5:22--begins with love and ends with self-control. If the evidence--seen in the actions of people--is not there, neither is He.

The Word tells us that we should submit to God, resist the devil and he (the devil) shall flee. In other words, if our thought life is submitted to God and we know He speaks to our spirit, then we hear Him and act accordingly. If our actions do not line up with the Word then we are not hearing Holy Spirit and we will not do the Will of God.

God speaks to our hearts and when His search is complete, He tells us whether or not we need a heart adjustment or not. He knows our thoughts from far off (before we ever think them) and He knows what adjustments need to be made in our lives. We cannot allow bitterness, hatefulness, and unforgiveness to dwell in our hearts or we'll allow it to dictate what we do.

I'm truly grateful for Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. He has saved me from much embarrassment and condemnation from others when I allow Him to guide my actions. When He speaks, I usually listen and obey. Even when some have said they would have handled a situation much differently than the way I did, I know He loves me and I cannot be concerned with how others would do things; especially when the others do not know God.

We need to be careful in listening to other people who would encourage us to do things differently from God's way. They may think we are weak in some respects, but when we allow Holy Spirit to guide our tongues, God gets the glory! Hallelujah!

Remember this--He searches our hearts to discover anything that is not like Him and then speaks to our spirits through Holy Spirit so we won't go astray, if we love Him! When we don't know what to do or say, just wait--Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf so we won't come up short in living life God's Way!

Turning A Sinner and Saving Them!

"My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (James 5:19,20 NIV)

Think about the implications of this passage of scripture. James--the brother of Jesus--is reminding us we are brothers and sisters in Christ--when we have accepted the work on the Cross--and we have the ability to bring a person back from the abyss of destruction when we caution, admonish, instruct, and correct based upon the Truth of The Word. When we see sin--we must call it sin--and love the sinner into the knowledge of his/her sins, until they own it and repent. Repentance--a complete turning away from sin--provides them an avenue for new life--in Christ.

We who know Truth, should always speak Truth, whether people like it or not, whether they belittle us or not, whether they believe it or not. If by our words and deeds we demonstrate the love of God in all we say and do, they will see Truth in action. Once they have been exposed to Truth, they become accountable for whether they accept it or not and our job is done--to speak and live Truth.

While I can understand those who are worldly--either not knowing God or not believing Him--it is truly difficult for me to understand why Believers sit silently, unmoved, willing to allow a sinner to suffer the consequences of their actions rather than speak Truth to them. Is it fear or apathy that motivates Believers to remain silent on sin? Are we so caught up in ourselves that we don't see the need to speak truth and save a person from themselves? Is it enough for us to just think, "As long as I'm saved, what do I have to do with that sinner?"

The same God who loved us enough to die for us to save us from ourselves is the same God who loves all people enough to give us the courage and boldness to expose and reveal sin to all who are influenced by evil, so they too can be saved from the lake of fire. Do we have enough love in us to speak God's Truth to save another or will we remain silent--ignoring what is right in front of us? Are we not responsible for telling people the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

If we are truly capable of loving as God does--unconditionally--we have all we need within us to share His truth as He said it. Everything God said is sin, is sin. We cannot sugar-coat sin, gloss over sin, cover up sin--no matter what the label or term used to describe it--if it leads a person to live in opposition to God, it is sin. Every Believer has a responsibility to expose sin for what it is by calling it what it is and then encouraging the sinner to repent--turning away from sin. That is our responsibility. Once we tell people truth, our accountability ends and if they choose to ignore Truth, they are on their own. They are accountable for acceptance of Truth or denying it.
Do we love someone enough today to tell them the Truth--God's Truth--and help them to see the error of their ways so they, too can spend eternity with Jesus?

I do and I will keep loving enough to keep telling Truth no matter what--until my eyes close for the last time--I will speak God's Truth and declare what He said: sin is sin and all who sin, must repent, understand the love in the work on the cross, accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, in order to live with Him for all eternity.

Is It Time, Yet?

“At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:1 NIV)

Through the prophet, Jeremiah, The Lord speaks and tells him to share with the people that there will come a time when He will be the God of all the families of Israel and they we will be His people.
Now, at the time this was spoken, the children of Israel were in captivity, trying to survive. God tells them all who survive will find favor in the wilderness and He will build them up again into a great nation--when they realize who He is and obey (to keep this context, one must read all of Jeremiah). They could not see it then pretty much the same way people don't understand what God is saying now.

Before the appearance of Christ--the prophets spoke to the literal children of Israel. Now, that we who believe have been adopted into the family, the prophets yet speak--to the literal nation of Israel as well as spiritual Israel--those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

And yet, we have not reached a place in history where all the families of Israel (natural and spiritual) have chosen to obey God, so can we say--the time is now? With all of the dissidence and chaos in the Middle East, Asia, and seemingly all of the earth, I don't think we have reached that time yet. Of course, I've drawn this conclusion based upon the current events that are constantly indicating a lack of reverence for the ways of God in how we treat people.

For as long as people are influenced by the enemy more than they are influenced by Holy Spirit, we have not reached the time, the prophet reveals. When people choose to kill spouses and children rather than just leaving--it's not time. When children are abused and killed by parents--it's not time. When living in opposition to everything God says in His Word is promoted from the highest authorities (wickedness in high places)--it's not time. Just as those in Israel are being persecuted and killed for their faith because they do not want to harm others, and being brought into captivity, so are those who are influenced by the enemy--that grandmaster of hate--Satan--who influences others to obey the lusts of their flesh more than the Word of God.

But there is hope for those who refuse to cave to the political agenda to undermine The Word of God. We must hold fast to His Word, obey His Word, and watch as His Will is revealed in all the earth. For those of us who are willing to obey, promote the Gospel, and love as God loves--we will see this time come to past--when all will recognize that our God is God! We will receive our just rewards for obedience and allegiance to Him rather than Satan and all of his cohorts. We will spend eternity in heaven while all the rest will spend eternity with their master in the lake of fire. We will be victorious over the influences of the enemy and we will watch him--as he sees his own demise exposed for all the world to see.

Is it time, yet? Not yet, but soon and very soon, we will see our Risen Savior coming in all His glory to take us to be with Him.

Strengthened by Faithfulness In Our Obedience to God!

"He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the LORD will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (I Samuel 2:9,10 NIV)

Those who are faithful--obedient out of reverence for The Lord--have no need to fear judgment at the end--for The Lord will judge them according to their faithfulness to Him.

At the same time, those who have not acknowledged God and not obeyed Him, will be silenced in the midst of their wickedness and at the end, they shall appear before God, trembling and shaking and rightfully so.

When children are obedient to their parents, they have nothing to fear from their parents, but can look forward to receiving the just reward of their behavior. Obedient children quickly respond to questions parents may have and own up to any mistakes made, accepting responsibility for anything they did that caused a problem.

On the other hand, disobedient children will deliberately do whatever they "feel" like doing, allowing their emotions to rule over them and then they will lie or blame everyone else for the negative things that happen in their lives. When they are caught in a lie, they become defiant, arrogant and unruly. When punishment is meted out, they become resentful and instead of owning up to their behavior, they blame others for the predicament they find themselves in.

Good parents--parents who are observant and know their children--always know which child did what in their absence. They even know that older, more mature children, will often take the blame for younger, immature children to keep them from suffering a punishment. Parents know who did what when they have paid attention to their children and know their personalities--who's mature and who's not. They know, but sometimes they don't say anything and judge according to the information presented to them.

Those older children who take the blame for the things the younger ones, only exacerbate the problem since the younger ones seldom learn to take responsibility for their actions. Then they go through life, never willing to own what they do, but always willing to blame others.

God knows His children--the good and the bad--and His judgment will be based on the works we do out of obedience and since those who are disobedient don't accomplish much (based upon His plans), they will get their just reward from Him.

Don't get weary doing what is right even though it appears that those who never do what's right seem to get ahead of you in life. They haven't gotten ahead and in the end, they'll discover just how are far behind you they really are. Do good and know your reward is secure because of His love for us and He is faithful to those who are obedient to Him.

Blessed When Others Insult Us Becaue of Our Faith in God!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12 NIV)

If there was ever a time many believers needed affirmation to stand on their faith in God while saying what He says, this is it. This is a reminder from Jesus that when we choose to live a Godly life--in obedience to God's Word--that some will insult, belittle, persecute, and demean our faith with their insults, but rejoice! If the insults are a result of stance in our faith, we are blessed!

What we have to realize in our daily walk with Christ is that the enemy rises up at every turn--influencing the thoughts of those who refuse to submit to God and they are in attack mode--especially when we say what God says about sin. Satan doesn't want us to influence anyone in his army to stop living in sin so he uses those in his army to attack those of us are bold and courageous--saying what God says--and refusing to budge in our position--not caving to the misnomer of being "politically correct" in our conversations about sin.

Who came up with the notion or concept of being "politically correct?" A soldier in the army of evil will do anything to manipulate and deceive people under the guise of inclusion and half-truths. Well--a half-truth is a whole lie and we all know how politicians lie and deceive to get what they want. So, the term--politically correct--is actually an oxymoron since politicians are seldom correct about much of anything in their quest to accomplish their personal agendas.

How does a personal agenda benefit the masses? It doesn't. It is personal--designed for an individual's achievement and seldom has any benefit for anyone other than the one who uses, abuses, and lies their way to a political appointment.

But for those of us who know the truth and that nothing is ever correct about saying sin is right in any form, know that when we are insulted by others, we are blessed by God. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have God's blessings than the approval of the masses who have neither heaven or hell for me.

Be bold and very courageous in your faith stance and preach The Word, in season and out of season, whether people want to hear it or not--say what God says about everything. If there are those who will not receive what you have to say--shake the dust from your feet, smile, thank them and keep it moving.

We are not responsible for people receiving what we have to say, but we are held accountable for whether or not we say what God says. Say what He says in spite of the insults and know you are blessed by God.

When you get weary of the insults and need a reminder of who you are in Christ--check out this book myBook.to/IAMALLTHAT  and stand firm in the love of God, knowing we are all that God says we are.

When The Enemy Attacks, We Say What God Says!

"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father."(I John 2:22-24 NIV) 

Just as John wrote to the churches, reminding them of who they are in Christ and His promise of eternal life because the enemy was trying to lead them astray (v.26), so too, do I write. My daily writings are reminders to those who Believe and Know God for themselves and understand that our relationship with Him, is supposed to be an intimate, individual relationship that is binds us together by love.

We cannot claim to know and love one--Jesus or The Father--without loving the other since they are One--in purpose and intent--to provide us eternal life with them.

There is only one reason that I can think of that confuses people about the relationship between Jesus and The Father. Very simply put, misunderstanding or no comprehension of John's relationship with Jesus to know that what He tells us is God's Truth and not his own. God is a Spirit--and we who worship must worship Him in spirit and truth. He loves us so much He came down from in the likeness of flesh--called Himself Jesus (He told Mary what to name the baby), lived among men and understood temptation as we know it, yet did not sin. He didn't cave or give into sin and whenever the devil tried to tempt Him, He stood on The Word of The Father by reminding the devil, "It is written..." Now, I want people to note that when Jesus told the devil that it was written (He said what God said), He wasn't concerned with chapter and verse, but the content of the chapter and verse.

Sometimes people get so caught up with "quoting" chapter and verse they forget the intent of the content for which they're quoting. If a person has no understanding of the intent of the content, knowing the chapter and verse where it's found is pointless. The Word--purpose and intent of the content--should be so engrained in Believers that we can say what God says every time the enemy attempts to say anything to us. We are to be living letters--by our conduct and behavior and treatment of others--as to the intent and purpose of who God called us to be. We are His children--children of the Light, not the darkness, and it's time we acted like it by saying what Our Father says.

If we say what He says, people will be offended and convicted of sin for that is the purpose of The Word, along with encouraging us to live a life that pleases God. We do not have to trade barbs with either the unbelieving or those who claim to believe, but don't know The Word.

If they want to belittle us or demean us when we say what God says--tell them thanks and move on--shaking the dust from our feet. Some will hear us and some won't. We are not responsible for whether people receive what we say when we say what God says. They are. We are responsible for telling people what God says. And when we love others as we are told, we want others to know the truth and not be deceived by the enemy's lies.

The Importance of Words, Perception and Relationship!

"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations." (Psalm 22:27,28 NIV)

This particular statement seems a bit odd since we know the earth is round (not flat as some once thought) and there really are "no ends" as some might interpret ends, but there is "an end" of the earth.

What I love most about studying scripture is trying to align "the terminology" as written to what words mean today. Since language is constantly evolving and meanings ever-changing, it pays to know and understand that what we know today, was not known when God inspired men to write what He said, His meaning remains the same. Basically what is being said is that people in every place will remember and turn to the Lord (for they had turned away from Him and His ordinances) and all the families of the nations will bow down (every knee shall bow) before Him for in reality, all authority and control belong to Him and He rules overs the nations of people who belong to Him.

Now it is important to understand that God's Word was written for God's people--all who belong to Him, love Him, and obey Him. For those who don't know Him, don't want to know Him, His Word means nothing to them and is not worth a debate. The responsibility of the Believer is to expose His Word to all, but acceptance of His Word is on them. We are not called to make anyone believe God since that belief is an individual experience and the same is true of His Word.

I am always amazed at people who say they believe God, but have no idea what His Word says or means. The bible is not a novel and should not be interpreted as one. The events related in the bible are a summary of historical events that are not presented in a chronological layout in the bible, but are there for our understanding of what God has done, the role He has played in the lives of men, and how He continues to guide us, when we choose to listen. But for those who choose to "debate" what is said and why, they will never understand this aspect of The Word and they miss the importance of having a relationship with God so He can speak to their hearts and provide them with understanding based upon His wisdom, not their own.

I must admit I am growing weary of superficial Christians--those who say they know Him, but live anyway they want to live and promote and encourage others in living in opposition to God's Word. And some of these same people claim to have always "followed God" and never sinned, but they have no clue as what salvation means. When people tell me they have never sinned, I know they do not know God or His Word. They have a form of godliness, but deny the power of Holy Spirit and who He is.

What I see in people who debate God's Word is they do not have a relationship with Him, but with their church, or religion. Being a Christian is not about being religious nor is it a religion, but the affirmation of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior. Once we understand the history and perspective of those who have come and gone before us and can relate the events to where we are today, we can see God in all His glory and appreciate His sacrifice for us, today.