Exposed!

Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 26:24-28 NIV

One of the reasons that enemies get the best of people is because trusting people simply trust until the enemy is exposed, but sometimes--the exposure comes to late. The very gullible--trust the lying lips and charming speech of those who have no soul and they seldom see beyond the surface of a person's veneer.

How do we know when an enemy lurks within and near? We watch--with guarded hearts and pay attention to whether their actions match their words. Do we see light in their eyes that exposes the transparency of their souls or is there darkness--veiling the evil that fights for control in their soul?

Does the person display paranoid tendencies, claiming someone is always out to get them, following them, or spying on them? Are they constantly complaining about the "false" perceptions others have of them? Are they open to multiple perspectives about issues or are they close-minded, seeking only those they know will agree with them for advice?

Do they think that only what they say is truth and everyone else is a liar?

Is there consistent blame and finger pointing when they refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions?

Years ago, a well-known comedian--Flip Wilson--always made a point of saying in one of his spoofs, "the devil made me do it." Some people--apparently took that literally and accuse the devil of all sorts of things he hasn't done. In fact, the devil can't make anyone do anything other than plant the idea and influence surroundings, but what a person does "their active engagement in anything" is entirely on them. The desire was already within them and they didn't need much to act on their thoughts. If we only do what is right, we never have to fear being exposed for doing wrong.

This is one of the reasons we can rely upon God's Word when we're told through James, that no one should ever say when they are tempted to do something that God tempted them because God will not tempt anyone with evil, but we are drawn into evil by our own lusts--those desires that don't align with God's Word. Reasonably speaking, if God won't make us do anything (we make choices), then the devil won't either. We do what we do because of the desire to do it.

Remember the adage about being able to fool some of the people some of the time, but never all the people, all the time? Those who have discerning spirits--always attentive to the alarms we sense in our spirits when Holy Spirit is warning--know how to recognize the enemy. We watch and take note of all that is not like God and then we warn others, cautioning them to watch as well and not trust a person based upon surface knowledge. Even when we don't know people on a personal level--we can ultimately determine who is leading them simply by paying attention to what they say on social media and how they say it.

The same traits and characteristics we can detect in a person with whom we encounter face-to-face, are detected through what we see said in a "tweet" or a blog post.

The secure individual is not afraid of what others have to say and never expects everyone to agree with them. In fact, they look forward to hearing opposing views and then take the time to scrutinize what has been said and objectively determine whether what was said has merit or not. The secure person is not paranoid and has no fear of what others might do or say to them--they walk in love and The Word tells us that perfect love, casts aside all fears.

The discerning person--hearing what Holy Spirit tells them--will share that insight in an attempt to foil the enemy's plans--exposing them for all they are. Sometimes, exposure comes through the enemy's actions and all the world can see them for what they are. Everything done in darkness or under cover--out of sight--will be exposed to the light of day and scrutinized and judged based upon what is exposed.

There is no cleaning up lies--especially when a person lies about the lies in an attempt to deceive--deliberately--out of greed for power and money.

Knowing in advance that when a person chooses to run for a political office, attempts will be made to "uncover or expose" a person's past, I can rest easy in my decision. There is nothing in my past that hasn't already been publicized in my books in one way or another. My blog posts for the past five years or more have been a mirror into my soul--introspectively--for all who read them. So, I'm continuing the exploratory process, determined to make a difference in America for all Americans.

Wisdom's Turn!

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10 NIV
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NIV
Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. Proverbs 13:13 NIV
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. Proverbs 13:14 NIV
Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction. Proverbs 13:15 NIV
All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly. Proverbs 13:16 NIV

If we are honest with ourselves about ourselves and look closely, we will see us in any of the Proverbs--not those just listed here, but any of them. When we are willing to see ourselves, we'll see others more clearly and understand we are standing in the room marked, "improvements needed" and won't judge others negatively simply because we have not shared their walk in life.

When wisdom speaks--we should certainly listen since this wisdom--comes from above and is not contingent upon what mere mortals think.

Lest We Forget!

“Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:22,23 NIV)

What is it that He wants us to consider? Meditating on the verses before these, should help us to understand that God is not fooled by those who do not claim to serve Him, spouting His Word, and living in opposition to it! Starting with verse 16, He asks, "What right do the wicked have to recite His laws or have His covenant on their lips? Especially those who hate instruction and cast His Word behind them when it doesn't suit their purposes?"

Once again, we see people can be snared by their own lips when--we say one thing and yet do another. How can any claim to understand how Jesus loves and wants us to love without accepting that He is the Father, come down to earth in the flesh, and He would not change His Father's Word to suit Himself or us?

According to The Word--when we change the intent of God's Word for our own purposes--no matter who we are or what our "so called status" is in life, He will have the last word and it is He who will set out the evidence before the accused and find Him guilty.

Let's stop playing games with The Word--trying to impress others with our knowledge or ability to quote The Word when we are incapable of living The Word! No one is impressed by this and certainly God is not fooled by what we say when He knows our hearts!  Man-up or Woman-up and live like God wants us to live--according to His Word, not our fleshly dictates!

After all, this is the season we celebrate His loving us enough to join us--here on earth--to experience life--like we do and yet not sin, according to The Word!

The Lord, Our Security!

"You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap." (Proverbs 3:25,26 NLT)

If Believers actually believe The Word (and not selectively, but comprehensively), we would never fear--anything. We know that when it rains, it rains on the just as well as the unjust. So, when disasters approach, our response should be to communicate with the One who can keep us safe, not running through the streets--or blowing up the Internet with doomsday prophecies. The Lord is our security--He will keep us from being caught in a trap--when our faith is in Him and Him alone!

We have so much Word that supports our ability to see disasters and yet not be afraid. The phrase, "Fear not" occurs 144 times in the Kings James Version, "Be not afraid" 4 times, and then my favorite--"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." We are reminded by Jesus that, "In this world we shall have trials and tribulations, but He has overcome them all." Do we believe The Word?

Then if we believe what God says--we need to stop allowing media sensationalism to sway us in our thinking or behavior. We have the mind of Christ (if we are truly Born-Again) and I cannot imagine Christ being afraid of anything nor would He promote rumors or uphold the lack of journalistic integrity we are bombarded with on a daily basis.

We need to look to Him--the author and finisher of our faith-and not be overly anxious about anything, but exercise Godly wisdom in everything.

When we learn to completely depend upon Him--without leaning to our own understanding--then we can trust Him to do exactly what He said He would and we have no need to fear the outcome!  Hallelujah!

He'll Work It Out!

"The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.Don’t abandon me, for you made me." (Psalm 138:8 NLT)

Have you ever planned something--dinner, party, travel--and no matter how carefully you planned, there was still a glitch to upset your plans?

I've learned from experience that even though I plan with a checklist--there are some things we simply cannot anticipate--and that is why it is important to consult God about every aspect of our lives. When the glitches occur--He has the answer--when we listen.

But His plans for our lives--no matter how many glitches enter into the picture--will be fulfilled! The glitches that occur with His plans are us--when we choose to take another direction other than what He has planned. How do I know? I simply look back at my life and consider where I was headed and where I am now. Where I am now was part of His plans for my life from the beginning, I was just too obstinate to know it. So, when I think (and have actually asked Him), why I didn't reach this place sooner, He reminds me of the choices I made that had nothing to do with Him.

He is such a gentleman! He never forces us to choose His path, and He will honor our choices--allowing us go against the grain for as long as we desire. When we finally reach the end of ourselves and understand that our plans--without Him--mean nothing, He's right there--waiting to set us upon the path He wanted us on and if we listen carefully, we will see the results of His plans--that are far better than ours.

I know many people resist knowledge and belief in our Awesome God and go their own way and that's okay. God sees and knows when we'll turn back to Him and even when we won't. I encourage all to look at their lives, think about whether or not their plans have worked well and then seek God and allow Him to have full control of the direction of their lives and reap His many benefits.

I have learned from experience that His plans are always better than mine and I love seeing His plans fulfilled in my life. He is so awesome and because of Him, so is my life--no matter what others may think--I have an awesome life because He is an Awesome God! He will work it out!

Love and Faithfulness!

"For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds." (Psalm 57:10 NLT)

We are so grateful to You, O Lord for Your Love that never fails and Your faithfulness that never ends.

I am also grateful for all those who serve and have served this country in the military--in whatever branch or capacity. It is because of those who serve, protect and defend, putting the lives in peril, that we can know what freedom really means as it pertains to not having to bow to terrorists and dictators who think only of themselves.

While America may not be the perfect place or Americans perfect people, we are free to make decisions about who governs (even though that process makes one shake their head), and can worship whoever and whatever in any manner we choose.

For the most part, we can express our distaste, disgust, and difference of opinions without fear of retribution (except from those who think they are the only ones with a right to have an opinion).

My prayer is that we will bless God at all times and praise Him continually so He will bless us and when we pray, He will hear us and keep us in position to be--"The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave."

For our veterans--we salute and commend you on a job well done! Thank you for your service and bravery in defending our rights!

Who The AntiChrists Are!

"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."(I John 2:18 NKJV)  "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. (I John 2:22 NKJV) . "and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (I John 4:3 NKJV)

The prefix "anti" means opposed to or against "whatever it is attached. So with this dictionary meaning, or logic, we can conclude that anyone who denies Jesus, God, is opposed to them or against them--hence--the atheists are antichrist. From a spiritual perspective, that would mean that anyone who is influenced by Satan is "antichrist."

We see the influence of the antichrist working in the world right now! We see it on a global level where chaos and violence reign. We see the influence in entities who wish to "change" everything that God has established, including biological functions and who is male or female. We see the influence in politics when politicians choose to promote their own ungodly agendas in lieu of making decisions that benefit all people and not just those of their ilk. We see the influence when colleges have to change their "language" to be more inclusive of those who are confused about their gender. "God is not the author of confusion," and we know who is. We see the influence when teachers are asked to "ignore the biological assumption of gender classification" and allow children to believe they are "its" (penguins are things).

We see more of Satan's influence on a daily basis and it is amazing that they do not realize who is influencing them. That's blindness! Deception is one of Satan's favorite devices to control and manipulate people. We have to remember he hates mankind and will do anything he can to destroy us because God loves us.

There is an antidote to counteract the influence--His name is Jesus and our response to anything the enemy has started is to proclaim The Name and not back down from anything the antichrist attempt.
The antichrists use "science" as their rationale to oppose God, not realizing that it is God who gives wisdom to those who research and explore, trying to understand why--things already exist! Science has not created anything from "nothing" and even the scientists are muddled with their finds that support biblical records of history. I praise God for the scientists who explore and for the inventors who invent things from those things that already exist.

And for those who say we cannot rationally believe in something we cannot see--God--here's my answer.

I cannot see their thoughts--therefore they must not exist.
I cannot feel their thoughts--therefore they must not exist.
I cannot smell their thoughts--therefore they must not exist.
I cannot hear their thoughts--therefore they must not exist.
I cannot taste their thoughts--therefore they must not exist.

We see the "results" of a person's thinking, just like we see the "results" of the wind--which we cannot see, but believe it exists. We cannot see oxygen, but we know it exists because we are still here, living, breathing human beings, with an established gender--male or female, biologically determined by God.

"The greater one lives in me" and therefore, since I have the mind of Christ, I will proclaim Him forever! There is none like our God, no one in the earth can do what He does or loves like He loves! Hallelujah, Jesus!

Our Tasks!

“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons." (Isaiah 42:6,7 NLT)

Anyone who proclaims the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior has a job to do. We are called--to be true representatives of Him--who called us--to demonstrate His righteousness (not our own). We are to be a light, guiding nations. We are responsible for making sure the eyes of the blind (spiritually) are opened and those who are held captive by the darkness of their minds are set free. And we do all of this-in the name of the Lord, giving Him the glory for all things accomplished.

Every time the enemy raises his ugly head with lies and half-truths (which are actually whole lies), we must be in position to declare God's Truth. In order to do this, we must stay in The Word and be ready with an answer for anyone who questions our faith--based on The Word.

The enemy's strategy is to create scales on the eyes of those who say they believe, but are actually weak in their faith walk. We know these people when we see them because they waver--wobbling between God's Truth and man's political correctness in making decisions. They have been blinded to the Truth and then they promote--what they cannot fully see--the Truth of God's Word over the "constantly changing" landscape of political correctness. It is our job--our task--to keep telling God's Truth until the scales drop and they can see clearly how the enemy has manipulated them.

One of the reasons people find themselves in the darkness of depressed minds is because the enemy has planted seeds of doubt in their minds--causing them to doubt their own self-worth and doubt whether they are loved or not. The enemy plants seeds of negativity in the minds of all who waver--not understanding that their lack of total faith in God--has opened the door for Satan to enter.

The Word says, through John, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." We must keep telling, and keep telling, and keep telling until we can tell no more--the Truth of God's Word so we can see captive minds set free--and the seeds of doubt are replaced by seeds of Love--His Love and ours--leading them to a path of His plan.

We have tasks to complete before He returns. The world is turning dark as it succumbs to the enemy's manipulations and we are the only ones who can be a beacon of light in the midst of all the darkness. Are you up for the task? Then let's get busy--promoting God's Truth like never before--to His glory by allowing Holy Spirit free reign in our lives!