Saturday, February 5, 2022

February 5, 2022

I recently sold a home for a friend Richard had made years ago; he passed away, but his wife kept in contact with him and called us to help with the transaction. They were much like us with rental properties, and the property I sold was one of them. The house was just average, but the location was perfect for investors. She immediately received two cash offers more than $20,000 over the asking price, and I had it priced right for this market! This transaction is not the point I want to make; this woman was the kindest seller I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve sold some of my own properties! She has other rentals that she will sell, and I can’t wait to work with her again. God sees the struggles we will face in the future, so I believe he sent a ray of sunshine to brighten up a gloomy time. God blesses those who bless us and curses those who curse us. I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of his wrath! I thank God for the kindness of others.


Remember your friends and family when it comes to business; they need us, and we need them.


Because we are children of God through Jesus, we are also blessed by the promises he made to Abraham. The enemy knows this is true but will continue pushing the issue and making us feel like his promises don’t apply to us. Don’t believe his lies, and accept the promises as your own.


I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3

Friday, February 4, 2022

February 4, 2022

Things are looking up; I’ve gotten over myself and have begun to change my thoughts to something more positive. The most positive person I know right now is Jesus! I can always count on him to get me through a trying time. 

I’ve finished most of the sorting and a good portion of the cleaning at my father-in-law Leroy’s home. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from this experience is that things don’t matter. All the beautiful items that he collected and surrounded himself with are still here, and maybe they kept the memory alive of his past, but they are meaningless to almost everyone else. Do you know what I love finding the most? Photos! I’ve seen more pictures of Richard in his youth than ever before. Then there are youthful photos of Leroy that cause me to tear up as the memories flood back and remind me of why I’m doing what I’m doing. So, today, if you get nothing else out of this devotional, get this; stop wasting your money on useless items, and downsize your collection for the sake of those who come after you. Take a picture of it if it means a lot to you, but make sure you put your face in it! The best gift you can leave your family with is memories. 


There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.


As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.


This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Ecclesiastes 5:13-16

Thursday, February 3, 2022

February 3, 2022

I usually feel the Lord carry me through when writing each morning, but this morning, for some reason, I felt exhausted, and without direction, so I prayed for help. Forgive me for complaining. The intensity of everything going on in our family's life is more overwhelming than I expected. I know that I’m spoiled; Richard and I had everything under control with few complications, but now, we face challenges with something new every day. The enemy is hot on our heals in pursuit and is trying to shred us to bits, and if I didn’t know that we were under the direct protection of God himself, I would probably crumble. Now that I got that off my chest, I will buckle down, take each day minute by minute and rely upon the Lord’s direction and comfort to get me through.


I feel like David and his writing; he would start with immense pain and would end by resolving that the Lord was his strength and shield. I may not be a David, but I have this in common with him; neither is perfect, but we both rely on the Lord to get us through challenging situations.


The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalms 28:7

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

There are a lot of two’s today, 2/2/22! Too many twos. In honor of all the twos, I will cover the following verses:

Revelation 2:22
Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,

Revelation 22:2
through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

There is such a contrast between the two that you can see God’s intention for us in verse 22:2; he wants us well fed and healed. We, who are the followers of Christ, are not intended to be subjected to “the tribulation,” though each of us must contend with some tribulation, it is not God who will bring it against us. Even those God brings to justice have the opportunity to repent; look at verse 2:22! In that verse, God is referring to the church that allows Baal worship because it explicitly mentions Jezebel, who was a Baal worshipper. These people probably thought they were worshipping Jesus, but it was so convoluted and unbiblical that Jesus thought it was necessary to point out their mistake. 

Make sure the Jesus you follow is the real Jesus and not some imposter - JINO - Jesus in name only.

I can’t wait until 2/22/22!

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

February 1, 2022

And the hits keep coming. It will be okay, though. Defeated, we are not because we are more than conquerors! While I was sorting through belongings in the doorway of my father-in-law's home, a hornet kept flying around me. I didn’t think too much about it or let it deter me from what I was doing. On one of my trips back into the house after carrying some things outside, it hit me in my hand, and I couldn’t sling it off for a few seconds. The sting was painful, and now this morning, it is swollen and still hurts. Unfortunately for the hornet, he came buzzing around me again, and my nephew swatted him down to the ground, and I squashed him under my foot. Another victory against the enemy! 

This story is a living prophecy. The enemy attempts to overtake us; though he is small in stature and number, his sting is quite powerful, and he gets angry when Christ-followers win! We must acknowledge that whatever the worldwide governments have planned against the people will fail because we are bigger and stronger than they are. We must join together to defeat them. When one country is under attack, we join with them and swat the enemy to the ground and crush them under our feet!


If you are still getting your news on the television, you may not know of the truckers who have rallied together in convoy to defeat the mandates in Canada or the truth about why. Big trucks are coming against the few government officials who have overstepped their authority and are using their power to terrorize the people with unconstitutional orders. I expect the big trucks to win. Though it may sting for a minute, God’s plan never fails. 


And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5


As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:36-37

Monday, January 31, 2022

January 31

Saturday morning, my husband and I made plans to go to his dad’s house to do some cleaning. He was quite a collector of many things, and we needed to begin sorting them out. I was a minute or so behind him as he went to unlock the gate and the door to the house. When I got there, there was something odd; the garage door was partially opened. Just as I noticed, he called me and told me to meet him on the next road over, and he was out of breath. So, I hurried over there to find out what was going on. He had chased a thief who had tried to steal some coins that were hidden in one of the many barns on the property; the coins were too heavy for the thief to carry, so he dropped them so he could run. However, he also dropped his phone, and it was found!

Many unscrupulous actors are out there trying to steal from the vulnerable, but not in the way you might think. The most precious thing we have is our salvation through Jesus. There are people out there hiding in the shadows with nearly the same message of “salvation,” but only slightly off so the unsuspecting don’t notice their thievery; I’m referring to the false teachers and prophets. We have our salvation, but it’s the people who don’t know Jesus that are subject to their lies. The devil has been around for a long time and has infiltrated some of the most popular church denominations. We must be careful, and we must know the truth for ourselves and chase the bad guys out so they drop everything they’ve stolen so we can recover those he tried to carry away.


But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Sunday, January 30, 2022

January 30

Is heaven a holding place for our soul until the earth is redeemed by Jesus when he comes to rule and reign? 

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:10


But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’ Daniel 7:18


Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6


Another question; who will we reign over? Evil? The land and the creatures like God had originally designed for Adam and Eve? We certainly do not rule now; if we did, the world wouldn’t be in such shambles. I would like some answers and, I hope, after digging a bit, we find out.