October 5, 2026

To the followers of Christ: The Pharisees were becoming salty because Jesus was becoming very popular, so after the feast he left for Galilee. 

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. John 4:1-3

 

My preacher is brilliant, and he teaches us what he finds in his in-depth studies. One thing he shared with us is that young men in line for the priesthood were not allowed to read the first part of Genesis or the Song of Solomon before age 30 because of the creation story and the Song of Solomon's sexual content. I'll be digging into this a little more because I don't understand why the creation story should be kept secret until they reach maturity. During his sermon, I looked it up to see where he got that information (I know I shouldn't be on my phone during a sermon, but if I don't look things up right then, I'll forget about it), because it's not in the Bible. It turns out that the scholar Jerome was the one who revealed that information. I'm sure it was well known back then. I find that significant because Jesus came back on the scene when he turned 30 because he was in line for the priesthood. The Pharisees probably thought he was too young to know what he was revealing. They were jealous of his knowledge and his miracles. If I find out more, I will let you know. 

What does this information tell us about God? It tells us that He knows our brains do not fully mature until age 30. I find this sort of extra-biblical information so interesting, so I thought I would share it. 

October 4, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Did you know that you have your everlasting life now? Those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will live in communion with him now and into eternity. Though what we have now is only a foretaste of what is to come, and though the future may be in a different form, we can relish our life in Christ now and enjoy our gift of the Holy Spirit as a placeholder for our later joy of eternity with him. 

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36

In this passage, John the Baptist set his disciples straight about who he was because they thought Jesus was upstaging him. He reminded them that he was only to introduce the bridegroom, not be the bridegroom. Speaking of Jesus, he said: "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30. You might hear these same words from a preacher before his sermon; now you know where they came from. John made it clear to his disciples that he was only the forerunner of Jesus, and that our salvation is through him alone. 

Pictured are some jalapeños and basil from my garden. The basil smells divine. I can't wait to make some poppers from the jalapeños.

October 3, 2026

To the followers of Christ: What better time to bring out John 3:19 than the month that the weirdos and witches come out of hiding? As a precaution, even they can be brought into the light and found not guilty when they trust in Jesus. Here is the verse:

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

This verse isn't just for the people of darkness; some ordinary people, like you and me, relish the things of evil. You know how it is said that the eyes are the light of the soul; well, one time there was a person in my Sunday school class sitting in the same row as me, whose eyes looked as if they were completely dilated, as black as total darkness. Little did I know that this same person was about to create havoc in our church. If my husband hadn't noticed it too, I probably would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. 

The truth is that to be pardoned of our sins, we only have to trust in Jesus and turn away from the evils of the dark world. He has given us the most precious gift: taking our sins away by paying for them himself, and all it takes is turning our lives over to him and seeking goodness rather than darkness. Here is the thing: once you put your trust completely in his hands, all you will want to do is please him, but you don't have to try; it comes naturally. So if you don't feel a natural pull towards him, you may need to reassess your relationship with him.  

Pictured is the fruit cocktail that I canned yesterday. I thought it was pretty. 

October 2, 2026

To the followers of Christ: A person of the flesh enters their new family by birth. You then become a member of that family and take on its nature, learning from them how to act and communicate with other members. However, to become a member of Christ's family, we must be born of the Spirit. You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without being born of the Spirit. How must we be born of the Spirit? The Spirit is sometimes described as wind, and sometimes as water. You must be born again by first confessing that you believe that Jesus is the one and only Son of God, then being baptized, going down into the water as flesh and being raised as a new creation that is now Spirit, born into the kingdom of God. Being born again means that you now have communication with heaven: "But this new birth has its rise from heaven and its tendency to heaven: it is to be born to a divine and heavenly life, a life of communion with God and the upper world, and, in order to this, it is to partake of a divine nature and bear the image of the heavenly." Matthew Henry.

Even though we may think of baptism as a ritual, it was given to us by God for God, and not participating in it feels like rejecting His standards of practice. Many churches require it for membership if you haven't been baptized yet. However, these are my own thoughts on this subject; you don't need a preacher to baptize you, but a member in good standing with "The Church" will suffice. Whatever the case, I believe that baptism is a necessary part of becoming a Christ-follower. 

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:13

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

October 1, 2026

To the followers of Christ: When my husband's dad passed away, he had to take over his businesses and keep everything afloat until all the details could be sorted out. Without any legal documents to guide him, it was a daunting task. While we grieved, one of the first things I noticed was the parade of people trying to become friends with my husband: realtors, investors, and other businesspeople; somehow, they knew about his dad's portfolio of investments and property. I was very skeptical of some of them and their intention, and rightly so, because they were smooth talkers who seemed to be seeking a piece of the action. Eventually, he sorted out who were friends and who were foes.

Jesus attended the Passover Feast in Jerusalem and encountered people similar to what my husband encountered with his dad's passing. People of weak character flocked to him, seeking a first glimpse of the Messiah and following him to see his miracles and hear his preaching. However, he didn't commit himself to them because he knew their character. Imagine seeing people's intentions and walking away unscathed; that's what Jesus did during these high holy days. He already knew which ones would betray him and cave to the religious authorities, so he didn't trust their conversion. Jesus' ability to see through people's character was another picture of his divine authority. 

As Christ-followers, we also have a sense of knowing the difference between good and evil, but sometimes you don't see the truth until God is finished with what He is doing. Not finding out until later can make you question your discernment, but remember, it's all part of God's plan, so don't be discouraged; the Holy Spirit will open your eyes when it's the appropriate time.

But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. John 2:24-25

September 30, 2026

To the followers of Christ: When you turned your life over to Jesus, did you notice that he brought a whip to drive out the filth within you? Though the story of Jesus cleaning the temple and driving out the people selling sacrifices was physically true, the similarities in our lives are real, too. When you turned to Jesus and accepted him as your Savior, he began refining you; some of us experienced him taking out his whip to clean us up, but others may have experienced a gentler cleaning that took more time. No matter how it happened, it caused some stress. We don’t always understand what is happening; however, eventually we begin to see the process and appreciate the trouble we went through to get to a place where we begin to resemble our Savior and trust him to keep our temple clean. 

How do you keep your temple clean? Confess your sins daily; even if you’re not sure you sinned that day, confess anyway to cover anything you unintentionally did. The Holy Spirit will convict you if it’s something egregious. Keep your temple clean, my friends, because you never want to get to the point that Jesus brings in a scourge to chase out the filth that has built up within you.

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. John 2:16-17

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. Psalms 69:9

September 29, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Was the wedding at Cana a way for Jesus to show his new disciples that he was the real deal? Imagine their faces when he turned the vessels of water into wine! I’m sure it was quite astonishing. When Mary told Jesus they had run out of wine, he told his mother he wasn’t ready to show the world who he was. Many say calling her “woman” was just the language of the day, but I tend to believe he was being coarse with her because he wasn’t ready for what was coming next. However, like a good son, he did what his mother asked, and the governor of the ceremony said it was the best. So in this story we see Jesus’ humanity as well as his deity, which seem to be at odds with one another, which is a good thing for us to see because it shows that he understands us.

With Jesus as our bridegroom and in charge of the wedding ceremony, this miracle shows he wants only the best for his bride. If you are facing trouble right now, ask yourself if what you’re going through is a way for Jesus to refine you because he only wants what’s best for you. You are the vessel of water he is turning into fine wine. If you view your trouble this way, it may be easier to get through it. 

And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. John 2:10-11

September 28, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Think back to your conversion to Christianity. When did you recognize Jesus to be the Son of God and King? Do you think you got there on your own? Toward the end of the first chapter of John, Jesus calls some of his disciples, and Nathanael is one of them. Before he met Jesus, Phillip told Nathanael that they had found the one written about in the law of Moses and the prophets. However, he mentioned to him that he was Jesus of Nazareth, which threw him off because it was written that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, one of David’s towns. So Nathanael says, “What good could come out of Nazareth?” Then, when Jesus met him, he said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” and said he saw him under the fig tree. Then he recognized him as the Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus opened his eyes to the truth of who he was, but because he told him something he saw in the Spirit, Nathanael believed. Here is what Jesus said:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. John 1:50

Some of us believe because the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the truth, but others need to see proof. It doesn’t matter how you were encouraged to turn your life over to Jesus; what matters is that you did. Jesus knew your turning point in advance and directed you to that path. Praise God that you recognized the truth. 

September 27, 2026

To the followers of Christ: One thing I've learned as a Christ-follower is that if someone who isn't a believer shows interest in Jesus, you take a moment to talk with them about him. You don't wait until it is convenient; you give them all the information the Holy Spirit leads you to share and invite them to give their lives to Jesus. You might be a little nervous doing it for the first time, but that's why you let the Holy Spirit guide and direct what you say. You strike while the iron is hot.

When John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God for the second time before two of his disciples, they turned to follow Jesus. The two disciples were Andrew, Peter's brother, and some believe the other was John, the writer of the Gospel of John. When they began following him, Jesus asked, "What seek ye?" which was an invitation. Jesus didn't wait to see if they were serious. They asked where he lived, and he told them to "come and see." They stayed with him, and then the next day Andrew went to find Peter to tell him that they had found the Messiah. As we can see, they immediately went to tell others about Jesus; that's why it is so important not to waste time when others show interest in him, because you never know who they may help bring to follow Jesus.  

As a side note: look how small the Church started as- only Jesus and two new disciples and look how big it is now!

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. John 1:36-37

September 26, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Do you have any cousins that you don’t really know? Maybe you know of them but don’t have a relationship with them. We know from the story of Jesus’ birth that when Mary met Elizabeth, her cousin, who was also pregnant, John, whom she was carrying, leaped in her belly when Mary came to stay with her. We also know that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, when he was a small child, had to travel and stay far away from their families to keep Jesus safe from being slaughtered by Herod. For that reason, they didn’t grow up together. So when John the Baptist says he didn’t know him but was told by the Spirit who to look for, he knew when the dove settled upon Jesus that it was a representative of the Holy Spirit, and that he was the one he was told was coming as the Savior who would take away the sins of the world. 

Now, we’ve been taught about Jesus, but have never even seen him, yet we bear witness that he is the Son of God who came to give us salvation from our sins. Until the Spirit introduced him to us, we didn’t know him; now that we do, we are witnesses to his goodness and faithfulness, and to the fact that he has taken away our sins. Because of that, we always have something to be grateful for. 

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1:33-34

September 25, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Baptism is an important part of becoming a follower of Christ. Have you undergone this ceremony? Have you ever had questions about water baptism because John the Baptist mentions this: 

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11

Is water baptism really necessary? Here is what I found:

When John the Baptist came on the scene, the Pharisees questioned him to find out who he was. They had no right to examine him because he was a priest and a descendant of Aaron. However, they expected one of the signs of the Messiah would be baptism because the prophets said he would come purifying by water. John denied being the Messiah.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezekiel 36:25

Where did baptism originate? When a stranger, called a proselyte, wanted to become part of the Jewish church, they would undergo a ceremony of circumcision and water baptism to cleanse them of their former lifestyle, leaving everything else behind. 

We are baptized into God’s kingdom of believers. 

In conclusion, I found that it is necessary because Peter, speaking of the Gentiles who had received the Holy Spirit, after Jesus had ascended to the right hand of the Father, says this:

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. Acts 10:46-48

Baptism is not just ceremonial. Don’t deny yourself this part of the process; it’s an outward sign of the interior change. 

September 24, 2026

To the followers of Christ: I’ve watched as my husband interacts with our grandsons and it’s precious. Our youngest grandson is 6, and he’s the most like him, a little “off-the-chain,” but loving. The two of them are like “peas and carrots,” to quote Forrest Gump. He will sometimes sit with him in his recliner and play games with him, even though it’s a tight squeeze. You can see the love oozing off of them as they enjoy one another’s company. We both get a thrill watching him drive his little truck or electric bike down our driveway coming to see use nearly everyday. We are living our best lives for sure. One day, after we are gone, these boys will likely have to jump in and help manage the businesses we’ve left to their parents, and uncles and aunts, but they will be ready to help because they’ve grown up watching and learning how it’s done. Other people don’t actually know what goes on in our families, but the children are there and see the interworking that no one else see, not that any of our lives are a secret, but some things are only for our families. 

The relationship between the Father and His Son Jesus, is very similar to the working of the family, I believe He designed it that way on purpose as a way to explain how they work, through that relationship dynamic, meaning, the way God the Father and God the Son respond to one another. We can see the truth in that by the way John explains their closeness. That’s why when Jesus tells the people of that day, that if you’ve seen him, you’ve seen the Father we can relate to it with our own families. I suppose that why when I see my husband’s relationship with our grandsons it reminded me of the verse where it says Jesus is in the bosom of the Father. It’s precious and something that many of us can relate to. 

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:18

September 23, 2026

To the followers of Christ: If you've ever met someone with the gift of prophecy, or you may be that person, you will recognize them because they are quick to call out sin, and they don't hold back. If they do hold back, it's purely because the Holy Spirit restrained them. They may not have refined grace. For example: John the Baptist was a prophet sent to introduce Jesus, and while he was baptizing, he called the Pharisees and Sadducees a generation of vipers; they earned that distinction, but you can see that he was quick to call them out, and he was brutal with his words. Sometimes the best way to get your point across is to go straight for the truth. However, what may be lacking, especially when it comes to speaking to those who are saved, is grace. Grace has many definitions, but the one that seems to go best with this lesson is this:

Grace: The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. 

Isn't that good? We would all do well to understand it this way. Grace is preferred above the Law of Moses. I know that's a bold statement, but it's the truth. Moses' law is terrifying, threatening, and full of penalties to make people comply, but the Gospel of Jesus is happier, and "it has all the beneficial uses of the law, but not the terror, for it is grace."

The point is that if you are tempted to call out someone's sin, and sometimes it's necessary, remember to apply the righteousness of Jesus to the sinner. Tread carefully; you don't want to venture into sin yourself while correcting someone else.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17

The quotes above come from the Matthew Henry Commentary.

September 22, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Have you ever been a witness, sat on a jury, or been questioned by a judge in court? It can be intimidating and make you a nervous wreck. Once you realize the judge is just another human trying to uncover the truth, you calm down somewhat. As Christ-followers, that is what we do daily. We are witnesses to the grace and truth that came through Jesus; we study the evidence as a jury, and we answer questions about his deity like witnesses in a trial. Not only do we have the evidence in our hands, the written Word of God, but our experience of his grace and mercy serves as the truth of who he is. 

Did you know that there are usually twelve jurors seated in either a civil or criminal case, chosen randomly from everyday people? Did you also know that Jesus had twelve disciples as witnesses who were typical, relatable, everyday people? He didn’t call priests or kings as his disciples, but people who could spread his message of grace and truth. They may have been intimidated at first, but once they realized that Jesus was God in the flesh, they willingly submitted themselves to whatever challenges they faced because they believed in him. Because of your faith in him, you can hold your head high, knowing the One who holds your everlasting life in his hands, and you can fiercely testify to the truth that Jesus Christ is our Savior and King. 

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

September 21, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Have you ever dug into your lineage? I traced one of my lines all the way back to the 1500s, but that’s as far as I could go; it stops abruptly after that. What was I looking for? Royalty. I didn’t find any in my lineage, so why have I always felt set apart, even as a child? 

Somehow, lately, the algorithm has been sending me videos of the British royal family, and I couldn’t help but watch them. Turns out, they don’t do anything. Their purpose seems to be to show off the royal jewels and show up to be seen. They don’t seem to be in charge of anything but themselves. 

Jesus, who is royalty and always was, was rejected as such. The people who gave him his royal lineage rejected him as King. Remember, only a few accepted him as their King; the rest crucified him. They crucified his body, but couldn’t get rid of him! He came back to life, proving that he wasn’t ordinary. 

Look at this: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

We are royalty, not by flesh, but because we have received Jesus and have been born again into God’s royal lineage. We are not just ornaments like the British royal family; our royalty comes with responsibilities, and we have a purpose. We are commanded to tell the world about Jesus, and how could you not brag about what he has done for you? It’s as simple as sharing your testimony. Tell your story of redemption, brag about your royal family, and show off your jewels- that sparkly light of our Savior. 

September 20, 2026

To the followers of Christ: Remember the children's song "Deep and Wide"? I remember singing it way back in Sunday School. We did the motions with our hands, which helped us learn the song.

Deep and wide

Deep and wide

There's a fountain flowing deep and wide

Deep and wide

Deep and wide

There's a fountain flowing deep and wide

Jesus is that fountain. I posted a picture of my new, old fountain a couple of days ago; we recently placed it on our back patio, and it's dry and still needs a good cleaning. Without Jesus, we are like that dry and dirty fountain, waiting to be filled from his overflowing grace.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16

Jesus is so full of grace that it bubbles over onto us, fills us up, and spills onto others; we are the vessel, like the fountain, that shares that grace with others. So, when you are offended by others- and believe me, it happens all the time- remember that you are full of the grace of Christ, and it's your job to let that grace spill onto the offenders. You don't have to be their punching bag, but if you offer them grace and they reject it, they will pay the price. Jesus will top off that grace you gave them with more. That is grace for grace. 

September 19, 2026

To the followers of Christ: How seriously do you take your temple? If our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, the special gift sent to us by Jesus after he departed from earth, why do we continue to treat it as if that wasn't true? Jesus entered the temple at two different times to drive out the merchants who were using it to make money. What might you be doing that would disappoint him in the way you use your body? If you go back to the Old Testament and read about the temple services, you will see the importance placed on keeping it holy because it was where God dwelt among the people. A priest had to be thoroughly cleansed, both inside and out, before he could enter the Holy of Holies. If he weren't clean enough to minister before God, he would be struck down, and the other priest would have to drag his body out by the rope attached to him. Yet, here we are treating our own bodies as if we weren't carrying the precious cargo of the Holy Spirit. Today, let us consider what we do, reflect on the Holy Spirit's indwelling, and begin honoring him as he deserves. One specific thing you can do is repent quickly when you sin, so your temple stays clean. 

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. John 2:15-16

September 18, 2026

We have the building plans for a small strip center. After we finalize the plans and submit them to the county for approval, we have to remove the sheds and prepare the land. But before that, we still have to clean out the stuff my father-in-law had collected before he passed. He loved going to auctions and buying whatever his heart desired. So one of the first things we had to do was find places for all those things. We wanted to keep some things, but others had no place and might end up in a landfill. One thing he had collected was a huge fountain, which we decided to keep.

God has a plan for your life, just as we have plans to build a shopping center. The process has an order. You must submit your life to Jesus first; much like getting your plans to the county for permitting, though it’s easier to give your life to Jesus. Only after salvation do you begin cleaning up and removing junk, such as past hurts, sins, traumas, and more. Jesus is the clean-up man. You were given gifts from the beginning, so you want to keep those, like the extra nice things that won’t end up in a landfill, like the fountain. That fountain is like the Holy Spirit; for it to flow, it needs a good cleaning and a new pump to get it going, and so, like the water, the Holy Spirit can flow through you.

So think about this story if you are still on the fence about turning your life over to Jesus. There is no better time than now. Don’t leave this world without him; that would be a tragedy that you will regret for eternity. 

Jesus said:

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18