Saturday, November 24, 2018

November 24

Twenty three years ago, my relationship with Jesus changed. I had been a Christ follower for a long time, since I was nine, but sometimes the circumstances you are in will draw you closer to Him. My first husband was very sick with a dreadful disease and was drawing close to his death. We had nurses and hospice coming into our home and were very busy. Because of all the stress and uncertainty, I spent a lot of hours in prayer and reading my Bible. There is amazing counsel in the Word, and comfort in the Holy Spirit. There is nothing good about any disease, however, there is good in what it brings you to, if it brings you to Jesus. He was my safe place, my refuge and strength, a very present help in my time of trouble. Let whatever struggle you are dealing with today, bring you to your knees in the presence of the Almighty, and collapse under the weight of His love.


God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah Psalms 46:1-3

Friday, November 23, 2018

November 23

It had been a while since we use the electric knife, so when I got it out of the cabinet and it was dirty, I was surprised, because I know I wiped it down before I put it away. I either hadn’t cleaned it very well, or grime just grows! I cleaned it up and we used it. Before putting it away again, I decided to give it a really good cleaning, getting down in the cracks where it comes together. I got a wild hair and decided to take it apart, and much to my surprise, the inside was filthy! I was disgusted! It’s an electric device, I don’t think opening it up should be part of the routine! If that knife was human, I would say it was like a Pharisee, what Jesus would call a whitewashed tomb! If you were to look inside some “Christians,” the filth inside would disgust you.

The name “Christian” invokes the same connotation in the secular world as Pharisee does in the Christian world. Stop using Jesus’s name if you’ve not turned away from your sin. We are the reason our world is turning up-side-down. The enemy uses our behavior to trap us. We can’t turn anyone to Jesus until we turn ourselves around. 


“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28

Thursday, November 22, 2018

November 22

“All our disquieting fears arise from our ignorance of God and mistakes concerning him.” Matthew Henry Commentary. There it is in a nutshell, the reason we have fear! It’s true that in our minds, we don’t give God the power He deserves. Part of my daily praise includes the words: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.” From this verse it sounds like we are the ones who give Him power, which is not true, He’s certainly not powerless without us, but we need to be confident in Him. If we give into our fear, and let anxiety overtake us, we are ignorant of who He is. I’m in God’s word every day, and I still don’t take to heart who He is, and sometimes become consumed with fear of what man can do to me, when I should be more concerned with what God can do to the unholy one who is causing me the anxiety! Let go of your fear of man, and be confident in God!


"So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

November 21

When I worked at Publix back in the 80’s, today, the day before Thanksgiving, would be a big push! The grocery carts would be gone, and the lines to check out would be clear down the aisles. My shift would fly by because there was no time to pause, no time to think, it was hustle and bustle until the store closed. All of this frenzy for one meal, and one special day to give thanks to the Lord for all He has blessed us with. Because of that experience, I do not wait until the last day to get my groceries. The point is, don’t wait. If you are reading this and haven’t given your life to the Lord, it’s time. The time of His return is drawing near, and you won’t get more warning than this. There will be no last minute hustle, only chaos if you’re left behind. No one can do this for you. You will not be saved because of your heritage, it’s a decision that only you can make. Please accept Jesus as your Savior today.


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

November 20

What are we doing? The people of our country have gone mad! To try and say that there is no gender difference is a crazy notion, and we are playing with fire! God created us different, and each of us has our own role. You cannot decide to be the other gender if you are unhappy with who you are. To try and blur the line between the genders serves no good purpose. More often than not, we see men taking advantage of this craziness, posing as a woman in a boxing match, or as runners in a women’s race, where they go on to win. It only proves God’s point, that He made us different. The takeaway is, don’t try to be something you are not. God created you, and loves you the way you are. He created both genders in His image, and we are here to please Him. He is the only one that matters. In God’s eyes, we are not the same, but are equal in value and are to be treated fairly.


For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28

Monday, November 19, 2018

November 19

Let me start out by saying, I’m not much of a card giver. However, giving a card will fulfill two of the five love languages; gifts, and words of affirmation. On this particular day, I received a special card from a sweet little seven year old girl who wrote, “I love you Teresa Gonzalez.” She had decorated it herself with stickers, making it even more special. It was out of the blue, and for no particular reason. Then, a few moments later, I received a stack of giving cards made for our Sister Keepers for special occasions, or when someone is ill. First, I received a card, and then a prompt to give a card. I don’t know if this will change me into a card giver, but it does make me think about how the Lord gives us love, and wants us to show others the same love He gives us. Remember to be loving to other humans. One kind word given could make a difference, and brighten someone’s day.


"We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:19

Sunday, November 18, 2018

November 18

Sometimes I carelessly go about my day without a thought or remembrance of God. It’s not that I’ve completely forgotten about Him, I’m just living. He knows. He understands. Let’s be real, it’s like that with anyone that lives in your household; you know they are there, and you acknowledge them when you’re not busy, but we have certain requirements of life to fulfill. Am I like Paul and do what I do not want to do? Yes! I would prefer to live harmoniously with, and in the Spirit all day long, but because I’m made of flesh, I’m drawn to doing what the flesh calls for. Here’s the good news if you’re like me; you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you! He lives within you if you have surrendered your life to Jesus.  Stop worrying about your commitment to Him, your every breath is living for Him. You are not condemned, you are privileged, because you are a believer!


“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Rom 8:1 & 9