October 19

Just like the prophets of old, there are those who have been sent to point out the sins of the day, and encourage the sinners to repent. You will recognize them as unrelenting, and judgmental, but the truth about them is what’s in their heart, and the passion they have for righteousness. Isaiah was one of those sent to try and turn the people back to God. Don’t get mad at those pointing out the truth, or calling out your sin, you may be in the presence of one of God’s prophets. If you continue in a lifestyle forbidden by God, and you claim to be one of his own, you will be called out! You cannot live in sin on Friday and Saturday, and expect to be in the good graces of God on Sunday. When I see this type of behavior, I question whether a person is truly saved? Someone who has repented of their sin, and now follows Jesus, tries to avoid sin or the appearance of sin, at all costs. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, he will make you aware of your wrongdoing, and the pressure felt to live up to his standards will weigh heavy upon you. So, take note when you’re about to do “a thing,” and see if there’s a twinge in your heart reminding you of whom you belong; then don’t do it! You will be known by your fruit. Don’t produce sour, or rotten fruit!

What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. Isaiah 5:4-5

October 18

We sit under the rule of a great and glorious Savior who once walked the earth, then returned to his throne in heaven. Isaiah reveals the beauty of his presence when God allowed him to see a vision of Jesus sitting in the throne room with his robe filling the temple. How wonderful it must have been to be given such an image of him. He then put a hot coal to his lips to cleanse him of his sin, and then commissioned him to tell the world what God wanted him to share. Though our conversion may not resemble that of Isaiah’s, it is similar in that our hearts are pierced when he reveals himself to us, causing us to become undone, so we feel the weight of our sin. It is like Jesus touched our mouth with the hot coal, and made us clean, only our cleansing is seen in the image of his blood washing us of our filth. Don’t be afraid to do what God tells you to do. Though you may feel that your role is not as important as Isaiah’s, I can guarantee you that God’s love for you is not any less. You have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and are commissioned to tell others about him. Go and tell the world how good he has been to you, so they might have a share in eternity.

And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:7-8

October 17

I looked at the clock and thought it was 6:15 am, so I got up. After setting my mind on being up, I looked at it again and it was only 5:15 am! It was too late to change my mind, I was already awake. Wake up sleepy heads, it’s now time to live your life. Time keeps on ticking away, and I wonder if I’ve spent it wisely. After reaching the age of 55, I realized how much time I’ve wasted on unimportant things. Cultivating relationships should be our number one priority, especially our relationship with our Savior. How do you cultivate a relationship with someone you can’t see?  The answer: the Holy Spirit. He left us with a connection to him that only those who’ve accepted him get. Through the Holy Spirit, our soul is restored, and he reproves us so we become holy. This process brings us closer to Jesus and makes us want to do what is right in his eyes. As we draw closer to him, we also draw closer to his children, thus relationships are formed, and treasured. Today, focus on what really matters, the bond of love and friendship; it’s the only treasure you can take into Heaven.

"“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."John 15:12

October 16

Much of what is spoken of God, by those trying to bring others into the sheepfold of Christ, is his love. Little is made known about his wrath, though the Bible speaks of it more than it does of his love. He has made himself known to everyone through his creation. You cannot look at the intricate details of the creatures of this earth and not see God’s hand. He deserves the utmost respect and genuine love. When he doesn’t get that love, and we reject him, he pours out his wrath. He loves his children, and because we love Jesus, he will take vengeance on our adversaries. Those who continually deny him, spit in his face, and shake their fists at him, can expect his wrath. I’m not trying to make you afraid, you are not subject to his wrath, but you should have a healthy fear of what God can do, he is not to be toyed with. Honor, love, and respect him. If you need to encourage someone in this, take a look at some of the stories in the Old Testament. Those who rejected him were punished. Remember, one of God’s attributes is that he doesn’t change; he was wrathful then, and he is wrathful now.

“Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land.” Deuteronomy 32:43

October 15

Though it may seem like I’m an open book because of how much of my life I share, the truth is that I’m closed up tighter than a drum. I find it hard to give myself over to others, and reveal my deepest thoughts to someone other than the Lord. It may be because I’m more of a listener than a talker, and most people want to talk about themselves, and that’s okay, I probably wouldn’t say anything anyway, it’s just my nature. I’m thankful that God knows me deeply. He knows things about me that I don’t even know about myself. I may say that I want this or that, but he knows what I really want. He’s able to cut through to the heart, and knows my true desires. If you’re not getting the answer to your prayer, there may be something deeper going on within you that only God knows about. Relax and know that he has everything under control, and that he has your best interest at heart. He will give you the desires of your heart, but he may be the only one who knows what those desires are. Trust him.

Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. Psalms 139:4

October 14

As a part of my ministry, I will sometimes keep people on my social media friends list that are obstinate, and against everything that I hold dear, by that I mean Jesus. There are scoffers and onlookers, there just to cause trouble with me and my friends. My heart breaks for these people, because I know that hell is hot, and I do not wish that on anyone. However, there comes a time when their presence becomes disturbing and I realize that they are the dogs, and pigs that Jesus speaks of in Matthew. As I try to highlight the precious gift of Jesus, and impart pearls of wisdom, they shake their fists at Jesus claiming unbelief. They linger in the background waiting to witness sin, so they can call me or my followers hypocrites, and say “I told you so.” These same people have no idea how merciful Jesus is, and even if we are caught in sin, we are forgiven. However, they are not, and every sin that they commit becomes kindling for their own everlasting fire. The Lord is not to be toyed with, nor are his children, and he will come down hard on anyone who scoffs at or ridicules his followers. I wouldn’t want to be the receiver of his fury. I say all of this so you know that it’s okay to walk away, and shake the dust off, when others make the decision to reject Jesus. Their blood is not on your hands.

"“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." Matthew 7:6

October 13

Do you ever wonder why someone was blessed with good looks and an incredible personality, and you wish you were like them? Sometimes we get overly concerned when others are favorably treated rather than minding our own business, and worrying with ourselves. The same type of thing happened between the disciples. John was favored, and he called himself the one that Jesus loved. During supper, he leaned against Him, and made himself comfortable next to the Lord. John was the only one of the disciples that lived to a ripe old age and didn’t die a martyr's death. He still had to struggle, but the Lord kept him to finish up the scriptures and write the Revelation. Peter may have worried too much about Jesus’s relationship with John, but the Lord made it clear to him that he should only be concerned with himself. Stay in your lane! Don’t envy anyone for what they have. You don’t know the price they had to pay to get it. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and follow him, and let him be the one who deals with them.

"Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”" John 21:22