Spiritual Israel!

"So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray" (Isaiah 9:14-16 NIV).

Sometimes, when trying to understand the events of the day, we have to look at the events of the past and know that the same God who allowed things to happen then, is the same God of today and tomorrow. When God is angered due to our disobedience and refusal to heed those who warn us, His wrath falls--upon everyone--until a remnant returns to Him.

God has always used the few to save the multitudes. He had Gideon cut down the size of his army from thousands to mere hundreds. He saw the faith of Joshua and Caleb who were bold enough to speak out of faith rather than fear.. He used Elijah to cut down false prophets. There has always been a few--faithful and committed to pleasing God--who turned to Him and He heard their pleas and honored them.

We are Spiritual Israel--every Believer has been adopted into the family and are spiritual descendants of Abraham. So, whatever happened to Israel in the past, is recurring today and as long as the multitudes defy the Living God, tragedies will continue to happen, until God chooses to hear the remnant, again.

There are some days when I only want to write "positive, uplifting, encouraging" words, but when I know that God is speaking to my heart, I have to be a voice--speaking what He says, reminding people that He is yet alive and sees all that is happening in our midst and for the most part, He is not pleased.

Therefore, I will remind the leaders--of all nations--that God is watching everything that happens and He is not pleased with those who deliberately mislead and cause the people to follow evil and wickedness. This includes elected officials, dictators, church leaders, and heads of households. Anyone in a leadership position that is not leading the masses per God's instructions shall incur His wrath. Those of us who know God and how He sees things must be the remnant to seek God's wisdom and intercede on behalf of the masses.

We are His people--called by His name--and we shall continue to pray--that all will hear and obey and seek His face and do all things according to His wisdom. He will hear us when those in leadership repent and confess their error in misleading people and then, He will heal the land and we shall abide in His peace! Glory Hallelujah! For all who are Spiritual Israel and know what we must do in this time--for all of Israel. For whatever happens in Israel shall happen to the world.

If we don't turn to God we shall see His wrath unfold in even greater events that lead to destruction of the masses for He will not allow His chosen to suffer long. Spiritual Israel--The remnant that knows--it is time to seek Him, turn from our wicked ways, and obey Him, only!

The Person Behind The Posts

If you enjoy my posts and even if you disagree, I'd like to know. If you want to know more about the person behind the posts, come for a visit. http://on.fb.me/1DdQvSJ

Here you'll find thoughts about "almost anything" and in particular my books. I am honored that you're reading my posts and would love to know more about you, the reader.

God bless this day and the rest of your lives as you choose to serve Him!

Our Response!

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV)

As always, when I post something using a selected verse of scripture, I encourage the reader to read the entire passage to maintain the context!

Whenever we run into the naysayers and those who would attempt to make us feel foolish about our beliefs and faith, we merely have to recognize the enemy at work. We remember--if God is for us, who can be against us? Only those who are influenced by the enemy! The Lord knows those who are His and so does the enemy.

The enemy--that old devil--knows who is already acting on his behalf--they are his and they do all he influences them to do. These are the liars, the murderers, the thieves, the child molesters and abusers, the manipulators, those wearing sheep's clothing--masquerading as Christians when they do everything in opposition to God's Word. These proclaim to promote--love--when in actuality they promote lust. These proclaim that only part of God's Word is true and the rest is ancient mythology. These proclaim that modern society should rid itself of the Truths of God's Word and simply allow everybody to do whatever they want. These do not understand that without God and a standard of morality, man will cease to exist as have some civilizations.

Whenever man has chosen to do whatever the flesh desired, others suffered the consequences of those actions. We still are.

When see arbitrary behavior that denies God's existence and His intent for mankind, our response should simply be--"We know who we are, Satan and we will obey God, not you!"

When thoughts come into our minds that could lead to depression-our response is, "The joy of The Lord is our strength!"

When someone says we are already defeated our response is, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us!"

When our wallets and bank accounts are almost depleted our response is, "All my needs are met through Christ Jesus!"

When we receive negative reports from doctors our response is, "By His stripes we are healed and made whole!"

When someone attempts to make us believe we are nothing our response is, "We are children of the Most High God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus!"

For The Word says we are not ignorant of the enemy's devices--his MO. And when we recognize who's behind an incident, we simply say what God says and keep it moving. We don't have to argue about it--God has declared and we stand on what He says, not the enemy who was thrown out of heaven because of disobedience and rebellion.

Hallelujah Jesus! We are Yours and You are ours--our comforter, and guiding light; You reveal all Truth to us and we will hear and obey You--giving the devil no place in our lives!

Why Do We Do It?

"they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ (Matthew 15:6-9 NIV)

Vanity Teaching seems to be the rule rather than a demonstration of a right relationship with God. What do I mean? Fasten your spiritual seat belts and get ready for a ride designed to shake up the traditions that have nothing to do with relationship with God.

Vanity Teaching--which appears to be prevalent in certain bible colleges (and I don't know why they call themselves a "bible" college) do more instruction to refute the bible than to teach its intent. American Baptist College comes to mind who promotes homosexuality with its choice of leadership, who affirm their stance in public forums--having the audience participate. How anyone in their right mind--not clouded or deceived by the enemy--could say that same-sex unions are not an affront to God is beyond me. But when we have titled leadership who are in those unions, is it any wonder there is confusion in the Body of Christ?

Today--traditionally known to many as Palm Sunday--does not really represent what happened in the Bible. The Word says, the people greeted Jesus as He entered the city waving palm branches--a symbol of victory in some cultures. If the people greeted the arrival of Jesus waving palm branches, why do most churches distribute the fronds as either part of the service or as they leave the service? Are we not supposed to have the Spirit of Christ living within us? If so, why aren't the palm fronds given as people "enter" the service? Is it because we really don't know why we do the things we do?

Next Sunday--Resurrection Sunday--is celebrated by many as Easter Sunday. The term "easter" was really an indicator of spring (with its goddess) and had no significance to the resurrection of Jesus Christ--until man made it so. What we get with "easter" celebrations are: colored eggs, bunny rabbits, and new clothes, and the parade of people who attend worship services to show off the new clothes. Really? What I've seen is people who are so engaged in straightening out clothes during the service they cannot focus on The Word--if indeed there is a Word from The Lord being expressed.
Resurrection Sunday is a time of celebration, but not with colored eggs, baskets of candy, or new clothes. In spite of the debate over when He was crucified and when He rose, we know that He did rise from the grave and now sits at the right hand of the Father. We know this--if we believe what The Bible says and have a relationship with God.

Many churches today have become clubhouses rather than places of worship. People gather to socialize, entertain, and eat in the church, disrupting attempts to teach The Word for the sake of honoring others for various reasons (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). Is God pleased with our using the places we say are houses of worship for everything but worship? I doubt it.

Here's a thought. Why don't we spend time studying The Word and allowing Holy Spirit to teach us how we should conduct ourselves in the houses of worship. Why don't we change the traditions that negate the truth of God's Word. Why don't we seek God before we do anything that would deter the rest of the world from seeing Him in us. Why don't we have Bible Colleges that teach the Bible rather than man's philosophies. Why don't we? We need to understand why we do what we do and if we discover that what we do has nothing to do with The Word or honoring God, why do we continue to do it?

If we understand the purpose of His appearance in the person of Jesus, His crucifixion, and resurrection, and have accepted Him as Truth, repented of our sins and live to please God, we have the victory!

The Blood!

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18, 19 NIV).

We sing songs about the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us; we read that when He was crucified and the soldier stuck a sword in His side, both water and blood, poured forth. From the beginning--when Moses was given the commandments--there needed to be a sacrifice involving blood for the atonement of sin. We say we believe that.

Remember, Satan was a witness to the crucifixion--he also saw the blood--and probably decided then and there to influence the minds of people that the color red should be associated with evil. Sound a little far-fetched? I admit it's speculation on my part, but think about it! How many times have we portrayed the devil as a "red" demon? How many times have people, in the church, associated wearing red with being promiscuous, loose, and ungodly? Why is that some churches want people wearing white while serving communion (denominational) when we should wear red?

Why? The devil wants everyone to forget about "the blood" and its power! What better way for us to take our focus off the power of the blood than by encouraging us to associate the color red with evil!

Call this a revelation--or whatever you want--I believe Holy Spirit provided me with insight about why some people tend to look at people funny; especially women--who were red to church. We have been convinced that she must be a harlot, wearing red in the sanctuary. We frown upon red lipstick, think red cars are too flashy, and whenever children are dressed in a costume representing the devil--it's red. Well, red is also the color of the blood shed for our sins. There is power in the blood of Jesus because it was His shed blood that we now have access to heaven and in having our sins forgiven. His blood, that gives us strength, from day-to-day, shall never lose its power--as long as we remember--Red is not evil--it is the color of power in the name of Jesus.

So let's stop associating evil and waywardness with the color red and remember that red is to be celebrated--a constant reminder of God's love for us and the sacrifice He made that we might have abundant life--with His blood!

Don't Be Led Astray, Lead To Truth!

"I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.  As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (I John 2:26, 27 NIV)

Before true understanding of what is said in this blog can be attained, one must know and understand what John is saying, in the previous verses. He is warning us to not be led astray by those who profess to know truth, but they lie and the truth is not in them.

Anyone-- and it does not matter who they are or what title they hold--who tells people that sin does not upset God, lies! If they lie about what God says, they also lie about any title they hold because God does not promote liars since He hates all  liars. Apostle, Bishop, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist--no title held, given by man, is proof of God's promotion; especially if lies stream from the mouths of those holding the positions. The first sin they commit is--lying! Why do people lie about sin? Primarily, they lie to make themselves feel better. If they can convince others that their behavior is not sinful, they are more likely to continue engagement in sin and will encourage others to do the same. When a person is not willing to allow God's Word to rule in their life and they demonstrate it by living according to the world, it is an indicator that "flesh" (influenced by Satan) rules.

If we profess to have the Spirit of God living within us, guiding us, and counseling us, we will not say anything other than what He says. Holy Spirit will never contradict God's Word because He speaks as God speaks. When we lie, steal, cheat, abuse and misuse others--Satan has influenced and in many cases, since people won't acknowledge Satan's influence, he rules in their lives. What better way for him to rule than to have people disavow his existence? Isn't this why people say God doesn't exist so they can live any way they want to live?

When God's Word is our guide to living, we demonstrate that by doing what He says and not what we feel like doing. We recognize counterfeit teachings and will not follow those who are counterfeits. We do not trust those who speak confusion--opposition to God's Word because we know God is not the author of confusion and we know who is. Any confusion in the minds of those who profess belief in God have been led astray--doubt about God, self, and The Word--confusion created by Satan so he can reign and destroy hope.

Don't be led astray by those who are actually counterfeits! Lead others into the truth of God's Word by knowing Truth and in recognizing when the enemy is trying to influence. Be bold and very courageous in speaking God's Truth, never wavering or fearful of what the enemy might do because he has no power over those who allow Holy Spirit to lead their lives.

Good Seasoning!

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." (Matthew 5:13 NIV).

Jesus speaking--to all who claim to be His followers--we are the salt--the seasoning that makes life more palatable--not only for us, but for all. What happens to salt that no longer has the capacity to make food taste better or to preserve it? It is thrown out, no longer useful for anything.

Those of us who know The Word and attempt to live The Word are responsible for making a difference in the lives of all we meet--as a living epistle of how God wants us to live. When we miss the mark, we need to go back to The Word and replenish our capacity to continue to salt--sprinkle truth--every where we go.

Now, if we are the salt--the seasoning that makes living worthwhile--why is it that many only want "sweetened" messages? In essence, they want to skip the meal--the seasoned meat and vegetables and get the dessert--with all the sugar that will make them sick when they over indulge on just the "sweet" stuff. In fact, in some churches, people never get a full meal--they get an appetizer and then dessert--it's as if the chef only knows how to prepare "tidbits" and "sweet stuff" which is bound to leave a body--malnourished.

And then we have those who preach and teach such bland messages that people fall asleep before ten words have been said. The saddest part of all is even the singing is bland--no life--and when people start staying away, the leadership wonders why.

God wants us balanced--seasoned just right! That's why He uses all types of personalities to promote His Word--the person who knows how to prepare the right proportion for an appetizer, leading to igniting taste buds for more and then serving up a flavorful, full of zest meal--has no need for a dessert, but if one is served, it is miniscule in comparison to the appetizer. These are the churches that grow because the congregation recognizes where they can get a good meal, with good seasoning, and not just a sugary dessert.

Not every church growing in number is actually growing in knowledge. There are some churches who only serve dessert and they grow, but not in knowledge, since they get nothing of nutritional value and get weaker with every meal. Those who are growing in knowledge, get stronger with every meal because of the balanced nutrition a wise leader promotes and serves.

We are the "good seasoning" not the sugar link that causes people physical problems, but we create environments in which people can know the difference between a message that does more than just tickle the tummy, it fills the spirit and helps people to soar to new heights in the knowledge of God.

The Perfect Way!

"You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:28,30 NIV)

In order to be perfect--flawless--there has to be no room for options or choice. Since we always have options, we can never attain perfection. Years ago, while I was praying, the Lord revealed to me that we achieve perfection when we are either dead or in a coma--not having the ability to choose anything.

There are no perfect people walking in the earth, but there is our perfect God--reigning in heaven--One who is flawless and incapable of error. His name is Jesus Christ, Our Lord! Since He is perfect--all of His ways are perfect and when we do things His way--we get closer to perfection--in living a life, pleasing to Him.

How do I know? I've tried living life on my own terms--doing everything my way--and sometimes in opposition to His way. The end result--havoc! And since I know what life is like without Him guiding me, I am so grateful for His being in my life now. My BC time, was filled with doubts and fears, one mistake after the other, one mess after the other that had to be cleaned up, but never cleared out. Now, in my AC time, I seek Him first and sometimes, even when I don't do exactly as He tells me to do, I know I can come back to Him, for another chance to get it right.

Living life our own way will sometimes eliminate the possibility of a second chance. With God, He gives us chance after chance, never leaving us alone or abandoned simply because we missed the mark.

We have a lot to learn from Him about how to treat people. We should never be so overbearing and arrogant in thinking we're perfect that we expect perfection in others. NONE OF US ARE PERFECT! NONE OF US ARE FLAWLESS! WE ARE ALL IMPERFECT, FLAWED HUMAN BEINGS! The difference between those of us who have Jesus in our lives and those who don't is simply that--He is in our lives, guiding us when we listen, loving us at all times, forgiving us for our waywardness, and continually--every morning--showering us with new mercy.

If we did things His way--then our ways would indeed be perfect. All we can do is try, for the perfect way--in living and knowing how to treat others.

Glad Heart, Rejoicing Tongue, Rested Body!

"David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope," (Acts 2:25, 26 NIV)

Knowing that Jesus was not defeated in death and that He rose with all power in His hands makes my heart glad!

Considering the history of God and Satan--when Satan was thrown out of heaven, along with a third of the angels (now demons), it is not surprising that Satan was defeated in his own territory (he is the god of this world). And because Jesus rose from the grave, we have been given the same power to keep the enemy defeated through Holy Spirit, when we allow Him to reign in our lives.

We are in a battle--for flesh will always war against the spirit--but since we have Holy Spirit living within--we can be victorious--maybe battle-scarred, but never defeated!

Since we know we have the victory over Satan's influence, we can share the good news with others so they too can know victory. Therefore, our tongues rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus and our lips are full of His praises--knowing He rejoices in our praises of Him.

While we're rejoicing in the victory of keeping Satan under our feet, and our heart is made glad because we know we are never alone, our bodies can rest in His peace and in the hope of His return! Glory to God! What a great day that will be when we all get together, caught up in the sky, ready to reign with Him for all eternity.

So, if our hearts are saddened by the events of this world, we can make our hearts glad when we rejoice in the knowledge that earth is not our home, we are merely passing through and while we are, we are never alone. Rejoice! We have a risen Savior who will not leave us and we can rest assured that He is going before us and has granted us favor with men, to do all He would have us to do.

Resting therefore in the peace of God, never shaken by the chaos in the land, keeping our eyes on the prize--Jesus Christ and His return--knowing our mansions await, we can continue this journey in life with a glad heart, rejoicing tongue and rested body! Hallelujah!

I Will Sing!

"I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." (Psalm 104:33 NIV)

The birds of the earth sing their praises every morning, their chirping so loud that sometimes, it becomes annoying, until one realizes they are simply doing, what they are meant to do.

The crickets sing their praises and when we forget--they remind us--they know our awesome God.
Every creature in the earth and those in the water have a song of praise for the God of all creation who gives them food when they are hungry and shelter in which to rest.

I am a uniquely created being, created in His image and He does supply all my needs and when I please Him, He gives me the desires of my heart. What an awesome God! He who set the moon, the sun and stars in their place, to give light and hope against darkness and loves me enough to provide all my needs--even when I didn't deserve it.

What love He has for us, His creation made a little lower than the angels,
Yet giving us opportunity to judge them for their care of us.
What other god can claim to know how He exists or explain,
All He has done and will do, for those who trust Him and obey?

He, who was before time began in the minds of man
And will be--long after the dust has accumulated every hand,
That ever made anything with what He provided, before it was ever needed.

Oh yes, I will sing His praises, loud and long
My voice I'll raise, whether weak or strong
There is none like Him, no one who can compare,
With Him or His Love, Mercy and Grace,
I will sing until I see Him face-to-face, and
Even more after, since all will be finished,
I will accomplish all He has planned
To His Glory, and everyone I meet shall know,
When I tell them of His goodness, everywhere I go.

I will sing, though many may cringe at the sound of my voice,
I will sing, He chose me and now it's my choice,
To serve Him and sing His praises, forevermore.

This is my song, and like the critters who sometimes annoy us, this song may annoy since it has no rhythm or melody other than what's in my heart. Since I am not alone in my quest to please Him, He'll give a song to any and all who desire to sing His praises--loud, long, and strong--reminding all creation--He's given us a song!

No One Else!

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

There He was, from the very beginning
He was there in the midst of all turmoil and strife,
There through the persecutions, and executions,
Of all who dared to believe and express their faith
In the Father and Son, whose Spirit He left
To guide, comfort, console, reach and teach,
Those of us who understand,
He's 100% God and 100% man.

There from the Beginning and will be to the end,
The author and finisher of our faith--
To Whom we look, expecting great things,
Knowing, who He loves, His blessings will shower,
And by His Spirit, we are filled with His Power,
To do--what is right at all times, no excuses we make,
For our sins, He came and hung on the cross,
Having done nothing wrong, never making a mistake,
But loved us enough to sacrifice Himself so we might
Know the thrill of victory in our every day lives,
How to keep the devil under our feet, defeated
Nullifying all of his plans, making sure we survive,
To teach our children to whom to look for all things
Perfect, mighty, and right, to do all things well in His sight,
So, they too will have a life in heaven for all eternity.
Looking to Him alone, for there is no one else,
Who can do what He has done, is doing, and will do,
For all who love and obey Him, day and night,
Knowing He sees it all and there is no one else,
No other name by which man can be saved, Jesus!

Don't Let Him Cut You Off!

"Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:22 NIV)

Like any good parent, God is more than a one-dimensional parent. He can stern, but also kind. His sternness appears when we disobedient children won't conform to His ways. For those who are quick to obey, they receive the benefits of His kindness.

If we remember when we were kids, most of us wanted to receive the benefits from being a good kid. Kind words from parents, privileges, and even special treats--the benefits of being obedient. Few of us--if normal--ever wanted to be on the receiving end of a parent whose anger was directed at us because of disobedience. There is no pleasure in the benefits of disobedience if the result was a loss of privileges, being grounded or severely punished (not abused).

What makes us think that God does not operate in the same manner? He does. The benefits He has for us are immeasurable when we are obedient, but the punishment for disobedience, could be a little difficult to handle. But in the midst of His sternness, grace abides--providing us room to improve our attitudes and behavior, becoming obedient and being brought back into a position to receive His benefits.

However, if we continue to disobey, He will cut us off and leave us to fend for ourselves. He told the prophet Jeremiah to stop praying for people because He would not hear his prayers. I don't know about you, but I never want to think He is not hearing my prayers because I've been disobedient. I do not want Him to cut me off!

Walking through this journey called life leaves us in position to make many choices. We can choose to follow the straight and narrow path and receive His guidance and benefits or we can take the broad path, depending upon the guidance and counseling of man and get cut off from God's benefits. Which will it be for you?

Following the crowd--going along to get along will get a person cut off from receiving God's best in their lives. Don't let Him cut you off!

He Sees It All!

"But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." (John 3:21 NIV)

What we do in the dark,
Always comes to the surface,
Whether, evil or good, truth or lie,
He sees it all!

What's the point of doing things under the cloak of darkness? Do we not understand that not only does God see it all, but He knows our hearts, and whether our thoughts are good or evil? Is it because we think we are wiser than He?

For the Believer who knows the Truth and has been brought into the marvelous Light of Truth, we know nothing is hidden from Him. But for those who choose to not believe, they think their unbelief will shield them from God's sight. Nothing is ever hidden from the One who created all things and without Him, nothing was ever created.God has said in His Word that He created the evil for His purposes. In this way, He has allowed us options. Choose good or choose evil. Whatever our choices are, they will the basis or foundation for the verdict we receive at the end.

I want to be found guilty! Guilty of believing everything God says; guilty of giving my heart over to Jesus; guilty of living a life that was pleasing to Him, guilty of presenting the Gospel to others at every opportunity; guilty of loving all unconditionally; guilty of standing tall and refusing to budge in agreement with His Word; guilty of proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, our Redeemer and Risen King! Guilty as charged! That is all I want Him to see!

Others who disavow His existence will hear another verdict--especially when they had opportunity to hear, but refused to accept. That is their fate because He sees it all!

No Believer can ever determine where anyone will reside for eternity--that is not our role in life. Our role is simply to tell all we meet that God is and forever will be--the only One who has established the verdicts we will--whether we walk in darkness or in the Light--He knows--He sees it all!

If anyone reading this post is yet walking in darkness, I pray they will allow the love of God to fill their hearts to overflowing and make a decision today, to walk in the Light as He is the Light!

We Have To Trust Him!

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him," (Nahum 1:7 NIV)

How many times do we see the word "trust" as it pertains to trusting God? The word appears 134 times--either to say trust in God or not to put our trust in man or things.

For those who are apt to refute God's goodness by pointing to all the ills of the world, I would have to ask, where those problems are--is it because of a lack of trust in God or too much trust in man?
For those who have never acknowledged Him, how can He help them? For those who refuse to obey Him, how can He help them?

The reality is--God is good and for those who know Him, not just about Him, they know they can trust Him, implicitly. Does that mean that we get everything we want? Absolutely not! Sometimes, the things we want are the very things that would take our focus off Him and because He loves us, He not will give us those things.

People have been skeptical of my faith and trust in God, but when I pray, I pray for wisdom--not things. I proclaim the promises fulfilled, even though I may have to wait to see them. I thank God always for providing everything I need and the desires of my heart when I please Him. And He answers every prayer.

We have been thanking God for 1 + Million readers of my books. We believe that God will honor our request and fulfill it. When He will honor it--is on Him; we are simply confident that He will. And it is because of that confidence in Him that I keep writing. He blesses the works of our hands when what we do honors Him.

There are no magic bullets that will increase our faith, trust or confidence in His Word. That only happens within the relationship and all relationships take time to develop. If you haven't started developing a right relationship with God, now is a good time. He's waiting just for you because He loves you and only wants the best for you!

Our faith and trust in Him, results in seeing the blessings He pours upon us, when we least expect it. He responds to our faith, not our tears--though the tears may cleanse us when we repent--they do not move God, our faith and trust in Him--results in Him acting on our behalf.

Chicken, Hawk, or Eagle!

 If someone was to ascribe to you the attributes of a bird—which of these would it be?

Are you grounded, digging in the dirt for what you can find to eat, being manipulated by others to be “a tasty meal” for all to enjoy?

Are you a predator, always on the lookout for that “live one” who’ll be your next victim?

Are you flying above the fray of everyday life, looking down, seeing what’s going on, but not allowing the events to distract or deter you, knowing that sooner or later, the predators will leave behind a morsel that will meet your needs?

Think about these birds. The chicken is food for the hawk and the hawk could be food for the eagle, but the eagle—soaring in the sky—refusing to be caught up in the mundane—seeks elevation for safety, but can hone in on the details below and strike with efficiency—what is intended for them to have.

Which are you? The mediocre chicken—just waiting to be eaten; the hawk who preys upon its live victims or the eagle—who can wait for what is rightfully due them when they can see it from above?

Students Need Wisdom

"Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways." (Proverbs 2:12-15 NIV)

All too often, high performing kids in school will be led astray by other kids who are merely attending. Why? A momentary lapse of wisdom, ignited by a temporary need to fit in with others, can and will cause irreparable damage to a person's reputation--especially when they were once viewed with great esteem.

Getting a little personal--as it pertains to my grandson--I hope to steer parents to paying attention to their kids. On Monday, my grandson was asked, "When you gonna do your 30?" The question was asked by table-mates at lunch, just before the start of his next class. Instead of going directly to class, he and others went into the boys' locker room to do "30 seconds" of fighting--a direct violation of school policy. Both boys were suspended for 10 days.

When I was called to pick him up and he told me what happened, I was floored. My grandson had never been involved in a physical altercation and when I saw the disappointed looks on the faces of his counselor, the assistant principal, and the principal, I knew they were just as surprised as I was. A parent of another student--not involved--contacted me because they said, "he is our mild-mannered, most respectful honor student."

Before we could get home, a six-minute ride, he was disappointed with himself and said so. He realized that he had messed up majorly. I was so quiet he asked me if I was angry and I responded that I was more disappointed than angry because of the disciplinary action permanence on his transcript. He didn't realize the impact of his 30 second action. He does now. I had to sleep on a punishment because it needed to steer him into thinking before acting and in not allowing other people to mislead him.

He's written an essay about the dangers of not paying attention to "time" and the fact that a person cannot get it back. He's missing out on learning, playing in the school band, being with his "real friends" and he knows the absence could result in losing his class ranking, which up to now--was #3 with a 4.154 g.p.a.

We've had all "the talks" before, but he forgot what he was taught and now, he's learned a very valuable lesson about redeeming time. 30 seconds was not worth what he's lost, including privileges at home and an increase in responsibility with household chores--during his 10 day hiatus, which is certainly not a vacation.

We really have to know "the language" of kids to help them avoid the snares and pits the enemy plans for them.

Writing, Believing, Speaking!

"It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak," (2 Corinthians 4:13 NIV)

Sometimes, what we say we believe is not necessarily true. It doesn't become true for us until we see it, in writing so we can analyze what we see, especially when it comes to living The Word. What we see that has been written, we believe and therefore have the courage to speak what we believe and to write even more to expound on that belief.

When we read something for the first time, we may understand the letters on the page, but do we really understand the context and inference those letters are alluding to?

Every time I read a passage of scripture, God reveals something new to me. It wasn't that I didn't understand the words the first time, but the more I read, the more I believe, and the more I speak what I believe, greater revelation comes to me because I am reading even more.

The perfect example to illustrate this is when I read John 17. I had always heard, "The Lord's Prayer" and even sang it on more than one occasion. However, when I read the entire chapter, more than once, I began to realize that what we call His prayer is not and this chapter is. What is amazing to me is that not many people reference this chapter as His prayer, they are not memorizing it, and most don't even realize that in the 20th verse, He's praying for those of us who were not present with Him then, but for those He knew would follow those who taught His Word. How long is going to take for others to get a "revelation" about what is truly His prayer?

I've written about John 17 before and how we have mistakenly, used the model prayer as a foundation for praying. Here's the truth of the matter--if Jesus had meant for us to pray the model prayer at all times, for all things, He would have said the same prayer, when He was in garden, knowing what was about to happen to Him. Our foundation for prayer is simply this: "Whatever we ask of the Father in Jesus' name, He will do." We are limited to a few trite phrases, most of which have already been fulfilled, in order for God to hear us and act on our behalf.

What we read from what is written, we believe and what we believe we speak (or write) to the glory of God so others may also come into knowledge and truth about Our Risen Savior.

Keep Hope Alive!

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:25 NIV)

We do not need to have faith for what we already have and can see and since we already have it, we need not have hope for it. It is the things for which we do not yet see, but believe we have that sustains our hope and with patience, we wait until it comes to pass.

Our hope is in Jesus' Return and in being caught up with Him to reign with Him forever. Keep that hope alive, it will occur!

Some are hoping to be cancer free. We must do all we can to live right and healthy, seeking treatment and have faith that treatments will work and with patience, we wait--keeping hope alive.

Some are hoping for financial blessings. We must hone the gifts and skills He has given us and have faith that whatever we put our hands to doing, will prosper, with patience, waiting to see it, keeping hope alive.

Some are hoping to see loved ones saved. We must live the life in front of them, igniting in them a desire to have what we have and with patience, drawing them closer to Jesus, keeping hope alive.

Some are hoping for peace in the land. We must be willing to receive the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, exercise having peace in our homes that overflows into our community and saturates our nations. And with patience, we keep hope alive, spreading the love of Jesus every where we go.

For The Word has said, "In your patience, possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19 KJV). We must have patience as we live this life, maintaining our faith in God's Word and the hope we have in Him, to do all He said He would do.

Now, while we wait, patiently to see those things we hope for come about, we focus on doing the work He has put into our hearts and when we focus on doing what He desires us to do, He works out everything we hope for and when we least expect it--we have all we have hoped for in Him! Be patient--knowing He's got this and keep hope in Him alive!

Rejoice In The Lord!

"Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness." (Psalm 96:13 NIV)

If we are part of God's creation, we should rejoice--He created us, He loves us, He willingly died for us, He rose from the grave and gave us power through Holy Spirit--Rejoice in The Lord and again I say, Rejoice for all He has done, is doing and will do!

The Lord lives and blessed are those who love Him enough to obey Him!

For our soon coming King will judge the earth and everyone in it--Believer or Unbeliever and He will judge according His righteousness, not our opinions, and our faithfulness to Him, not man's continual revisions of what He said, trying to change God's Word to suit their lustful desires.

Wake up and know--the end is not yet, but will be and when He returns--what will His judgment of you, be?

When we know we have done all we can to please Him, we can be like the birds to chirp in praise of Him and all other creation who raise their voices to rejoice in The Lord of our salvation, grateful for every opportunity to share His love and know of His goodness.

Rejoice for His mercy!
Rejoice for His love!
Rejoice for the grace He gives us!
Rejoice for all lessons learned from disobedience to walking in His Light!
Rejoice for another opportunity to tell someone else how good God is!
Rejoice--sing a new song that praises Him with a melody that will be a sweet, sweet sound to Him!

Rejoice--for He has given us life, love and liberty to live for Him!

How Many Times?

"Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26 NIV)

No matter how many times we commit sin, the ultimate blood sacrifice has already been made with Jesus on the cross.

Do we really understand the sacrifice He made for us--the love He has for us?

If we truly understood the role of the high priests under the law, then we would better appreciate the fulfillment of the law, with His appearance, death, burial, and resurrection.

But no one can force anyone to receive knowledge. We can speculate, refute, and ignore information, but acceptance is an individual choice and action. For those of us have received and accepted the knowledge that He has made sacrifice for our sins, we should not willing continue to sin--after all, exactly how many times, do we expect Him to sacrifice Himself for us?

Shall we expect Him to appear over and over again to be persecuted and misunderstood, lied upon, treated abominably, judged by sinners, scourged with whips designed to maim and kill, crucified, and died, buried and resurrected--over and over again--just to satisfy the skeptics and those who don't want to live right? How many times, must we crucify Him in order for us to understood--ONCE was enough?

If we believe that ONCE was enough--then sin should no longer reign in our bodies--we have the ability to defeat the desire to sin--so why don't we? How many times must we commit sin just to ask Him to forgive us?

When we repent of sin--turn away--run from--all the temptation to sin, we don't actively, consciously sin any more. Perhaps, the real problems with us mere mortals is that we do not understand--repentance--if we did, we would not keep going back to the cross to gain understanding.

"Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee!" How many times do we submit? All day, every day, 24/7, 365 days of the year--that's how many times and when we keep our bodies under the governing reign of Holy Spirit--we will not sin.

Sin is a choice like anything else we do. Now, how many times will it take for us to understand the one-time sacrifice so we would have power not to sin? How many times?

The only person who can make a decision about sin and choosing to live the life that Christ died for us to live--is us!

Drawn With Kindness!

"The LORD appeared to us in the past,saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV)

I will be the first to admit that sometimes, trying to expound upon God's Word does not always seem like we're trying to draw people with kindness. But then, I have to think about what kindness is.

Is it a kindness to let people follow a path, blindly, when we know there is danger ahead?
Is it a kindness to give people incomplete instructions and hope they'll figure it out?
Is it a kindness to let people think there are no consequences for disobedience?
Is it a kindness to tell people they must do, "as we say" or "do?"
Is it a kindness to let people wander through life believing there is no hell?

Loving parents always have rules to protect their children and since God is our loving Father, He has rules to protect us from harm. The rules are simply this--love Him with all our heart and mind (spiritually and naturally) and to love others as ourselves.

To truly love God would mean that we understand Him, in order to understand Him, we have to know Him and in order to know Him, we have to know how He wants us to live, and in order to know how He wants us to live, we must get into His Word. That's how we love Him with all our heart and mind.

To love others as we love ourselves, we must think about how we treat ourselves. Do we abuse and misuse us? Do we lie and steal from ourselves? Do we sabotage our own progress? Do we manipulate ourselves and cause harm to us? Now, while I know the answer to these questions is sometimes--a resounding yes, that yes for Believers should be in our Before Christ (BC) time. Now that we know better, we should be doing better. I have learned that we cannot truly love anyone else until we first love us. We cannot give what we do not have.

Now, do we have all the tools we need to draw others to Jesus Christ? We do, if we love Him and love self. When we allow Holy Spirit to lead us in all we do, He will instruct us in how to speak truth, without it being a lie, but will convict of sin and ignite desire to please God. That is being drawn with kindness!

Anointed Truth!

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth." (I John 2:20,21 NIV)

One of the reasons that I love John's passages to us is because they are so personal. In the Gospel of John, he reveals to us the person of Christ and all of attributes. In his continued letters, he constantly reminds us that we are loved and because of His love towards us, we walk in His anointing and in Truth.

If we are filled with Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Jesus Christ--then we walk in Truth since He is Truth. When we allow Holy Spirit to guide us in all things, we speak only what He speaks and do only what He wants us to do.

Are we perfect people? Not hardly! We are people who love the Lord and want to please Him, so we are growing in grace and in the confidence of His Word in our ability to know when Holy Spirit speaks beyond what we understand and are open to the revelation!

This is why John tells us, we know the truth and there is no lie in truth. Now, this is where some people miss this. There is no lie in truth. A half-truth is a whole lie. There are no white lies, red lies, black lies are any other kind of lies that have any kind of relationship with Truth. Paul tells us to speak the truth, in love. Love the person to whom you're telling the truth,, but tell the truth, confidently, not harshly.

One of the reasons the Body of Christ is in the shape it is in is because no one really wants to hear truth from the pulpit so preachers--sugarcoat truth--to maintain a congregation. I'd rather hear Truth, according to God's Word (not man) and be convicted of wrong doing than to hear a sugar-coated message that makes allowances for sin. Yes, God forgives our sin, but repentance means we have turned away from doing those things that sever a relationship with God.

God is not mocked! He is not fooled by the preachings, dripping with syrupy meanings and rhyming rhythms that do nothing but entertain the flesh. The only person who is fooled by this is the one who does not know the Word.

I encourage every Believer to walk in the anointing of Truth and tell no lies--even if it means no other mortal walks with you, you are never alone!

Practicing What's Learned!

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:9 NIV)

"Whatever" you have learned--practice--and the God of peace will be with you. If there is always an opposing perspective that is equally true, then whatever people have learned from watching others, and put into practice that is in opposition to God, there will be no peace with them.

If others see a married couple with children, struggle through the trials of life and yet remain faithful and committed to the relationship, they will learn to do the same and practice what they have learned.

If others see married couples move in and out of marriages as quickly as they change their clothes, they will learn to do the same and practice what they have learned.

If others see people doing good--always doing the right thing--no matter what their circumstances--they will learn to do the same and practice what they have learned.

If others see people taking advantage of others, misusing and abusing others, they will learned to do the same and practice what they have learned.

If others see people living their lives according to The Word, they will learn to do the same and know peace in their lives and practice what they have learned.

If others see people living their lives any way they want to live, they will learn to do the same and never know peace in their lives and practice what they have learned.

This list could go on and on, but the bottom line is that whatever people see and hear us do, when we are the influence in their lives, that is what they will learn and practice.

Perhaps, this is why there is no peace in the land. Not many people have seen others practice what they preach (in many cases) and so they practice what they see and God is never in the midst of foolishness or evil, so chaos reigns.

So, if we really want to see change in our homes, in our communities, in the nations, we must do all according to The Word, so that all will see and hear what we do, practice what we do and then the peace of God will reside with us and there will be no more confusion in our midst.

I encourage every Believer to watch what they do and say because others are watching and what they see us do and hear what we say, they will put into practice. It's up to us to influence living according to The Word.

I Will Tell It!

"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Psalm 73:28 NIV)

Now, where else have we heard, "As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord?" Joshua reminds those around him that they have a choice and if they chose evil and not to obey God, they could, but he chose to serve The Lord.

Good choice for all who love the Lord and want to stay in position to receive all of His many benefits. What are they? His love and mercy begin the story. He loved us enough to come down from heaven to save us from ourselves, even when we didn't deserve it--having mercy upon us.

We healed by His stripes--received on the cross.

We are delivered from being tempted to do evil when we function with the mind of Christ.

All of our needs are met through Him who loves us.

We are more than conquerors because of His great love for us.

We can do all things well through Him who gives us the strength and courage to do so.

We know that no one weapon formed against shall ever prosper--Satan's plans are null and void--because of God's hand of protection around us.

He hears us when we call upon Him and never leaves us alone.

When friends and family forsake us--we can look to Him who is our help.

All of our help, comes from the Lord.

We have been provided the means--through receiving His wisdom--to amass wealth and prosper as our soul prospers so we may help others.

There is no body like The Lord in all the earth who sees our need and responds.

There is no body like Jesus to will uphold us, protect us, strengthen us, love us, forgive us, and give us favor with men and women in every station of life.

There is no body who loves us enough to speak to us in the midnight hour to encourage our hearts, bring back to our remembrance all we have been taught and show us things to come--like Holy Spirit.

We are blessed beyond measure and our imagination because His spirit dwells in us and we hear Him when He speaks!

As for me--I choose to serve our living God and I will tell of His goodness at all times and at all times, He will demonstrate His goodness through me! I WILL TELL IT UNTIL I CAN SPEAK NO MORE!

Glory Hallelujah to our God--our Father, our Savior and Comforter!

This Present House!

‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9 NIV)

Though the prophet was speaking to the priests who wanted to rebuild the temple, what He prophesied was not just about a physical building, but building the Body of Christ.

Are we not the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells? Are we not supposed to be consecrated and worthy of His presence in our lives?

For those who think that Old Testament scriptures are "literally" just for that era, I encourage you to look again and not just see what is said regarding the Law, but for those who are living according to the grace shown us so we might know how to honor our bodies in reverence of Him.

In previous versus of Scriptures, the prophet tells the priests that God owns all the silver and gold and He hears the cries of the nations and the nations will receive what they desire--peace in the land. But we cannot have peace in the land until we have peace in our spirits and peace overflows from within to without--into homes, communities, and then the nations.

What we must do now is clean house--clean our spiritual house and rid it of all debris--thoughts that grieve Holy Spirit and cause us not to hear Him. We must rid of ourselves of hatred and biases that do nothing to bring people into a right relationship with God. And being the catalyst--to steering people into receptivity of God's mercy and grace, is what we're really supposed to be building--not the physical edifices that bring glory to us--but the spiritual edifices that bring glory to God.

What about us--right now? Are we ready to see the glory of this present house--in our spiritual temples--be filled beyond our imaginations with God's goodness and His peace?

As long as we harbor bitterness and resentment, unforgiveness and grudges against others, His peace cannot abide within and if there is no peace within, there will be no peace without. Let's clean house--leaving only room for the glory of the Lord to fill it and then know peace!

No Weapon Will Work!

"no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17 NIV)

When God declares a thing, it is what it is. He tells us through Isaiah, He is the one who creates all--the material for the weapons and the destroyer who wreaks havoc upon others, but no weapon made will work against those who love and obey Him! Hallelujah!

The enemy tries to use all sorts of weapons (literally and figuratively) against those who love God, but he has not managed to create a weapon that will work against us.

Poverty is a weapon influenced by the distractions that keep us hearing God and the using His Wisdom to amass wealth.

Sickness is a weapon when our bodies are attacked and we don't receive the healing already made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Persecution is a weapon instigated by the bold stances we take against the enemy who seeks to scorn and devour us..

Self-hatred, depression, oppression are all weapons ignited by a lack of knowledge of who we are in Christ.

When we get into The Word and allow The Word to dwell richly within us, we can overcome any attack and quench the fiery darts of the enemy, every time he launches an attack against us. We are overcomers, victorious in all things, and since the battle is not ours, but The Lord's, in the end, WE WIN!

We are never told that we would not be attacked. In fact, just the opposite is true. Jesus tells us, "In the world, we will have trials and tribulations, but He has overcome The World. What He's saying to us is that the god of this world--Satan--will influence, instigate, and ignite situations in our lives that may make us want to cave, but we don't have to cave, because the victory is ours in Jesus' Name! All we have to do is live according to The Word and see the results of our obedience to God's Word.

When there is sickness among any, we call upon those who know the power of prayer and the power of the healing virtue that flows from Jesus just as powerful today as it was in years past and we are healed.

When we experience lack of anything, we seek God's wisdom and He gives it liberally, and we know how to operate in the gifts He has given us and have more than enough--for ourselves and others.

When we stay in the Word, understanding who we are in Christ--knowing that we are children of the Most High and He will withhold no good thing from us because He is a loving Father and wants only the best for us and we can and should operate with the Mind of Christ, not our own and never be enticed into depression and self-loathing.

This is the will of God for us--No weapon--contrived by the enemy--will work against us!

Teach The Children!

"All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace." (Isaiah 54:13 NIV)

Have we dropped the ball? Are we know longer demonstrating what The Lord has taught in our own behavior? Are we the reason the children are the way they are?

We have all been "children" at sometime or another and unfortunately, some fully physically grown adults are still children. They were not taught the basics of socialization--common courtesy, sharing, consideration, respect, self-control, and self-respect. If we didn't learn these as children, chances are we never will.

I remember when I first started working at one of the high schools and I was trying to squeeze past a young lady blocking my path. I said, "Excuse me." Her response was, "Excuse you?" and then she sat there staring at me like I'd grown horns. She had no idea what I meant.

Too many of the children in schools, at home and in the general public take their "anger and frustration" with them, everywhere they go.Why are they angry? Their home life is less than desirable. We have kids going hungry, being abused, sleeping on mattresses without linen, sleeping in their clothes because they've never had pajamas, and then they have mamas who have different live-in boyfriends every other week, there's never enough food or money, some in the dark without heat or light and then mama's boyfriends are abusing the children and daring them to tell it.

It is not their fault that their parents never learned to parent, but someone has to teach them right from wrong and how to get along with others in this society because we do not live alone in isolation.
This happens because the parents were not taught when they were children and so they cannot teach their children anything worthwhile, but those of us who know, can and should teach them whenever we find a need to do so, wherever we are; it is our responsibility to teach the children in the ways of the Lord, by example not just by what we say!

So, let's make a pledge--a commitment--to correct lovingly (if we can) and show those children who were never taught the things that they ought to know and do, so our communities and school and homes, too will know peace and harmony will reside in the midst of it all--Let's Teach The Children!

My name is Mary M. Hall-Rayford. As an educator, parent, grandparent and child of the Most High, I approve this message!

Comforted To Comfort!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3,4 NIV)

In the midst of being persecuted and treated badly, Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, praising God for being the God of all comfort, for comforting those in chains with him, so they could comfort others in times of trouble!

The best way to "wait on The Lord to learn patience" is to take our focus off our own problems and concentrate on others who are going through trials. If we cannot see the solution to our problems, we should help others and while we're helping others, God reveals the solution to those problems we face and sometimes, He works it out and we simply see the problem solved. Glory Hallelujah!

There have been so many times in years past that I did not know what to do about situations that arose because of car accidents and mountains of bills piling up. I've been rear-ended twice and both accidents totaled cars, but I am yet alive to testify of God's goodness. The first accident was caused by a sleeping driver and the second accident caused by a drunk driver. I was "in front of them" and they crashed into me from behind. I saw them coming--both times, but had nowhere to go before being hit. Waiting for resolution--in particular behind the last accident--I was in pain, could not see well and could not work. The first attorney supposedly working on my behalf was only interested in amassing as much as he could. I fired him. The second attorney resolved the issue as quickly as he could and warned me that I did not have to take what was offered in a settlement, but it would take years to get what I deserved. This was three years after the accident. I realistically could not wait years, trying to get more, so I settled.

In the three years I waited, I did not work, but God had a plan I knew nothing about. He arranged for my bills to be paid through the kindness of others, who wanted nothing in return. During this time, I encouraged others by helping them do whatever I could. Sometimes, that was simply being available to talk to them over the phone. I assisted children by tutoring them, I did whatever I could to help others because I could not help myself through this ordeal. But God could.

While we're going through--take heart and be encouraged--help someone else in their time of need and watch God handle your business like no one else can! He is a comfort to us so we can comfort others!

Fool's Delight!

"Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating." (Proverbs 18:2,6 NIV)

The words fool or fools is mentioned in the Bible 108 times and predominately in Proverbs--the book of Wisdom. Hmmm! Now, we know that if we lack wisdom, we can ask of God who gives it to us liberally (James 1:5), but what happens when we lack wisdom and don't realize how foolish we are are?

How many times have we seen evidence of fools through their behavior? You know, those folks who do really dumb things and think they can get away with it. There was even a show on television about "dumbest criminals" that a number of people watched, just to laugh at the foolishness.

I've often said stupid people think everyone else is just as stupid as they are. They don't realize they're incapable of having a rational thought and so they think no one else can either. A perfect example of this mentality is a young woman trying to cash a 94 million dollar income tax check. Really? Of course she was caught! No one in their right mind would attempt to cash a 94 million dollar income tax check when they walk into a bank looking like they just rolled out of bed. Seriously?

But in her mind, the foolish mind, no one would be the wiser and she'd walk away with all that money. I don't even think she had a bank account which proves her inability to have a rational thought. Fools delight in their own opinions, devoid of understanding.

I've had students who tried to turn in papers they didn't write and thought I wouldn't know. If a student can't write a grammatically correct, complete sentence in class, why would they be able to write an entire paper that is flawless, outside of class? Really? Do I have stupid written across my forehead? I think not. And when I give their papers back with comments across the top of the paper about plagiarism, they start stuttering, trying to explain how they didn't have time to do the work, so they had someone else do it for them. Uh huh! Then I tell them to re-read their syllabus which explains the consequences of plagiarized work.

And the same is true for those who run their mouths without thinking--especially in situations they do not understand. They talk and talk and talk, ignoring the warning signs from people who don't want to hear what they have to say and then, when they get in someone's face--the wrong someone--they get the beat down of their life. I'm not condoning violence, just referring to why some things happen to people. Wise people walk away from strife, fools simply continue stirring it up until it explodes on them.

If I, a mere human being, can detect foolishness and a lack of wisdom, how much more so can God detect the fools who delight in stirring up strife?

It is better to be quiet and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and let everyone know--yep, there's a fool in the house!

I encourage all reading to consider what's being said even in a humorous light and encourage others to seek God and His wisdom before doing or saying something foolish that will result in severe consequences.

No Jesus, No Peace!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

What were the things Jesus told them? Jesus said so much to His disciples that it would be time consuming to try to explain them all, but if we start at verse nineteen, Jesus sensed the questions they were about to ask Him and He answered them before they spoke. He told them in a little while they would not see Him, but a while after that, they would. How confusing is that?

Seeing their confusion, He used the birth of a child and the pain the mother experiences and the pain she forgets because of the joy of seeing her baby. Jesus reminded them that He had been speaking to them about certain things figuratively, but the time would come would He would speak, literally and they would understand. He was trying to prepare them for His arrest, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. After His resurrection, they would ask whatever they wanted from God in Jesus' name and they would have it. But with the benefits also came responsibility and in the world, He warned, we (His disciples by faith) would have trouble, but He would be with us and therefore we can have peace in the midst of trouble.

Do we really believe this--there is peace with Jesus?
When we are scorned and ridiculed because of our faith, do we have peace within?
When we experience hardships and grieve over the loss of loved ones, do we have peace within?
When we experience angst on our jobs or in our homes, do we have peace within?

If we are not able to experience peace in the midst of the trials we face, do we really have Jesus in our lives and do we really believe what He said?
The world is in chaos and much confusion and that confusion and chaos is a result of there being no peace in the hearts of those who refute and deny Jesus!
If we want to see peace in the land, we must promote Jesus!
If we want to see peace in our homes, we must establish Jesus as our source of peace!
If we want to see peace in the world, we must pray that all will receive Jesus as their Personal Savior and rest in His peace!

We can enjoy peace within as long as He reigns within our hearts. No Jesus, No Peace!

Deep Things Revealed!

"But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2:9, 10 NKJV)

I encourage all who are reading this to read entire chapters to maintain the context of what is being said. What I find truly amazing--is every time I read a passage of Scripture, again, I get new insight and understanding.

I remember how excited I was when I first read this chapter and understood that God has not revealed all He has prepared for us to those who do not love Him, but through His spirit--when we listen, Holy Spirit speaks--and does just what Jesus said He would do--"bring back to our remembrance those things we've learned and reveals to us those things to come!" 

The key here is in understanding that it is to those who love Him, not just anybody. For those who either continue to deny His existence--no problem; for those who claim to know Him and yet in opposition to His Word--no problem. This promise is only for those who love Him because when we love Him, we obey Him and when we obey Him, we please Him, and when we please Him, He gives us the desires of our hearts! Glory!

When people say--out of ignorance--there is no God and they know more than God--we can ignore them, not argue with them. For there are many who refute that He is and scorn and mock those of us who believe Him. They spend a great deal of time searching out those they think they can manipulate by engaging in foolish debates. "Argue not with a fool because we do, we become like them." So let them keep believing that they believe--they will not be in position to have the deeper things revealed to them and we will.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't share the Gospel; I'm saying we should not debate our beliefs. When someone is sincerely interested in what we have to say about Jesus, let's share. But don't get caught up in "false sincerity" designed to engage into debate so we can be ridiculed. "Be wise as a serpent, but gentle as a dove"--hear Holy Spirit when He speaks, exercising discernment of spirits and know which spirit is operating in your conversations. "Try the spirits, by the Spirit to see if they are of God."

Holy Spirit reveals things to those who love God and we readily admit we have no other way of knowing what we know. He shows us future events and the end results. If we are willing to hear and obey Holy Spirit, we will have the deep things revealed to us.

An Open Letter!

Dear Hater Without A Reason:

I’ve heard that you don’t like me and never did. I also understand that you spend a great deal of time trying to persuade others to hate me as well. That’s not a problem for me, but I’d like to know how you can have such feelings for me, when you don’t even know me.

What did I ever do to you? What did I ever say to you that stirred such hatred?

Is your distaste of me because I have a brain and use it to amass knowledge and to create wonders with words?

Is your distaste of me because I am health conscious and care about how I look and feel?

Is your distaste of me because I’m not impressed with you?

Is your distaste of me because I am not dependent upon your limited knowledge?

Is your distaste of me because I know who I am in Christ and you’re still trying to figure it out?

Is your distaste of me because I remind you that you are not me?

Is your distaste of me because nothing you ever do will change who I am or what I’m capable of doing?

Is your distaste of me because I know how to love, unconditionally, even those who hate me and you don’t?

I am who I am because God determined it and I am living it, to His glory.

Are you living life to His glory? If that’s true, you don’t have room in your life to hold onto hatred towards me when I’ve done nothing to you or said anything about you or to you to warrant such strong emotion. If not true, then perhaps, you may need to reexamine your life and understand your own shortcomings before trying to lay them on someone else and ask God to help you overcome them.

Love,

The Object Of Your Distaste