October 26

We are so bombarded with the presence of the enemy during this time of year, and he struts around openly flaunting his presence, but if memory serves me correct, every day belongs to God. When in Tampa, you can’t help but drive by this huge billboard with the picture of a creepy clown, advertising a festival for those who like to be scared. Why do people like to be frightened by those masquerading as ghouls and goblins? The people instilling fear find it powerful, and use it as a tool for mischief. The devil loves this, he doesn’t have to hide in the shadows, or disguise himself as a beacon of light, he can just be himself. The only people who need to fear, are those who are unsaved. The rest of us can go about our day, knowing that our future doesn’t consist of a daily dose of torture, or the sting of melting flesh from the pit. My preference would be to see the works of the Holy Spirit, and even that can be a little frightening, because it’s real, and you realize how close God is to you. The fear of God is healthy fear; get some!

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" Psalms 111:10

October 25

Have you ever kept looking at something and knew you had to change it? I walked past this room every day and didn’t like what I saw; it’s not a room I use, it houses the workout equipment that sits idle. For days I shopped, trying to find the perfect picture, and maybe a small table to go under it, but nothing appealed to me. I had a couple of things that might have worked, but their color was all wrong. Then it hit me, and I said to myself, “why don’t you paint them the color you want?” And that’s what I did, and it looks great. This same idea will work when you see something about yourself that you don’t like; you keep searching for ways to fix it to no avail. Even if it’s your appearance that you don’t like, God can fix it! Now, he’s not going to miraculously change your looks, but he can change your attitude about your appearance, and help you to live peacefully with yourself. Just like me finding items in my house to decorate with, you also have it within you to make changes to yourself to become the best you can be in the eyes of God. Remember, the things God looks for in a person, is entirely different from what mankind expects from us; he’s the one who counts! Seek God’s council, and he will help you.

"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”" 1 Samuel 16:7

October 24

When darkness looms over you as the blackness of night, there is hope. The storms may rage, but you still have peace. Our Savior is there, giving you comfort, and urging you to press on. Sorrow and brokenness can wrap you up in its clutches and take you deep into a pit. I’ve dealt with this in my lifetime, and felt that I might be slipping into it again, but this time I recognized who was luring me in, and rebuked him, and I pulled away from that thought. There is hope for a new day, even if your days seem like doom and gloom right now, there is a Light on the horizon, and hope for life beyond this realm. Seek the Lord with all your heart, know that you have a power within you that gives you the strength to rise up. Wield that power! Fight back against the power of darkness! Get up and put on your armor! Never let Satan beat you down! The battle belongs to you. You are a mighty warrior, but you don’t have to fight to win; you need only to be still, and know that God will fight for you.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:4-6

October 23

If you are not for Jesus, you are against him. There is only one way to be saved and it’s through him. You cannot drive down the middle of the road; if you don’t stay in your lane you will get hit by oncoming cars. You must be aware that the enemy requires payment from us when we veer off course and turn to the dark side; this is why it’s imperative that we keep moving forward with Jesus without looking back to our past. We once lived a life of sin, but now we’ve found new life in Jesus; the old life is gone and we are a new creation. To keep looking back to our old life as if it was something to be proud of, is like going to the dump, it’s buried under litter and debris, and it stinks. The devil will dangle his ways in front of us like a shiny silver object, to try and take our attention off the truth, don’t fall for it! Trouble is just around the corner for anyone who gives-in to his enticements. Fill your life with the goodness of God; knowing God is the best way to keep from falling in the trap of the enemy. Don’t go a day without communicating with him, when I say communicating, it’s not only praying, but it’s listening, and that means opening up his Word.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Luke 11:23

October 22

I know God’s word is old, and seems out of date, but you would be surprised how relevant it is today. My stories may help get your attention, but if I could bring you biblical truths without such stories, and have them relatable to your own experiences, that’s what I would do. I am so in love with God’s word, I know that if you would fall in love with him, you would also hang on his every word as I do. Every time I read it, I find something new about him, his truths, or tidbits of information to help me live my best life. My mission is to teach those of you who are saved to live free from the weight of the baggage placed upon your shoulders by the world. Not only did Jesus save us from eternity in hell, but also to make our lives better while living in the world. I’m going to tell you what I was told years ago by the Holy Spirit; follow the footsteps of Jesus through the New Testament, there is freedom in his teachings. Even if you read nothing but the words written in red, you will be blessed, and find direction to becoming free.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."  Galatians 5:1

October 21

Some may wonder why I would sell my house on a lake and then buy in a townhouse neighborhood. The truth is, I like the looks of the perfectly groomed landscaping, each building being maintained the same, and never having to worry whether my neighbor is going to use an old toilet as a planter; and yes, I saw that happen. The lawns are all mowed on the same day, and someone else takes care of the landscape pest control, and makes sure the sprinklers are always up and running. Now, what’s going on inside the house is a different story; my neighbors may be living in filth, but no one knows because they are not allowed to let it overflow to the outside. I would say that it’s much like my faith in Jesus; his followers are all cleaned up, and perfectly groomed, because their sin is hidden in him. However, some are still living in their filth, and haven’t trusted him to clean up their past. If that’s you, stop beating yourself up; you’re forgiven. You can be clean on the inside too, but it’s up to you to surrender it to Jesus. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

October 20

I was looking back on pictures of Rudy, my little Bewier Terrior, trying to figure out how old he is. Today is his birthday, and he’s four! It seems like we’ve had him much longer. I wasted so much time looking for the year that it pushed me to posting very late. I went on a wild goose chase just trying to track it down. Sometimes we become distracted and lose our sense of time, and it slips away. There are important things that you need to tend to, and the enemy will do anything he can to move you in a direction away from the Lord’s will. Pay close attention to the things that consume your time. If you are spending an excessive amount of time on worry, or fear, you do well to turn those things into prayer. It will never be a waste of time to talk to God about the things that are the cause for your concern. God doesn’t want us to get bogged down in strife, it’s not helpful to you or to Him. Pull yourself together, and do what seems best in the eyes of the Lord. We are here to please Him, and when we become self-consumed, we aren’t doing Him any good.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:33-34