October 22, 2022

The most beautiful gifts come from Jesus. First, he gave us life so that we may live forever in eternity. However, he gave another gift as a placeholder until the time of our eternity comes; the Holy Spirit. Though these gifts are spiritual, if you follow Jesus's commands and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, they can become tangible through his direction. We know this is true because he answers our prayers for physical things like health, safety, food, shelter, and beyond. 

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:21

Many people strive for power, but those who know Jesus don't have to because we have his. You cannot get more powerful than that! Here is the lesson: don't become overwhelmed by your circumstances. You have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, and his power gives you the ability to overcome adversity. Relax and follow his lead. 

October 21, 2022

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

We know that Jesus is The Way to the Father, but I think we overlook that next part where he says he’s the truth. In this day and age, we don’t hear much of the truth. Our programming started in childhood and has conditioned us to accept everything told to us on television. Most of what we believe are lies. To find the truth, we must go to the Truth, Jesus. Stay connected to him through the Holy Spirit, and test everything you hear to see if it reflects the truth found in scripture. 

Today, all you hear about is the mid-terms. Now is a good time to seek help in determining what is true. Remember, most politicians have the backing of unscrupulous financiers and must do what they are told to keep the money coming. How else did they get so rich holding public office, most having never held a real job? The Truth always wins! Eventually, the liars will be exposed, but until then, we must do our do-diligence to make the best choice possible because our way of life is at stake. The powers currently holding office are chipping away at our freedom and must be replaced before it’s too late. Test everything and everyone; see if they pass the smell test. If it smells like garbage, throw it away. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit; he will lead us down the path of righteousness and reveal the Truth.

October 20, 2022

I’ve learned to move big and heavy things around myself. It takes strength, but mostly wisdom, so I don’t get hurt. I had everything the way I wanted; however, we have no closet space in the “pool house” where we will stay during renovations. After searching for weeks, I finally found the exact piece we need to store our shoes and clothing. I expect it to be delivered on Saturday by FedEx, but you know how they are; it will probably be Monday. I had to move all the heavy pieces around to fit them in. It was challenging. Two men moved these pieces in, and one little person moved them around. At one point, I wondered how I would upright a bookcase, and then it almost felt like someone helped me. It was the chair that helped, and the Holy Spirit for giving me the confidence I needed to use it. 

Two words to remember today - relinquish and release. Moving the furniture was a test of physical strength and wisdom, but spiritual strength and wisdom come from God through the Holy Spirit. If you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances, don’t try to go it alone because you’re not alone. You have the power of the Holy Spirit with you, so make sure you relinquish your strength to him and rely on his power to get you through the difficulties you face. It’s a matter of surrendering to him and following his lead. You will be surprised at how much easier your problems become when you release everything to him. 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10

October 19, 2022

I often hear this question: "Is Judas in Heaven? I expect he didn't make it, and we will probably never meet him. Do you know why? Not only did he betray Jesus, but Jesus didn't choose him. Remember the scripture, "For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14? Judas wasn't chosen; Jesus said it himself. 

"I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'" John 13:18

We know from other scripture that he speaks of Judas in this context. Do you know what else? He was probably baptized, and in this same portion of scripture, Jesus washed his feet. As a side note, foot washing is symbolic of our daily confession. We aren't dirty because Jesus has washed away our sins, but we still sin, symbolic of our feet getting dirty. 

Now that I've cleared that up, you have some scripture to use if someone asks you, "Is Judas in Heaven?"

The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so." Matthew 26:24-25

October 18, 2022

One of the things I love about being on the property where Richard grew up is that my kids played here. We lived across the street, and they traipsed all over it as children, and now our grandchildren will have the same experience. I spent yesterday with my youngest grandson, Ethan, and we did a bit of exploring, and he got filthy. Do kids play outside and get dirty anymore? I don't know about the others, but Ethan gets dirty! It's good for them to see how their parents lived and hear stories about the history of their families; it will help them comprehend why they are the way they are.

Much of the Bible is about learning to listen to God so we know the right direction to take in our lives. He tries to teach us to follow his commands, so we don't make the mistake of going down the enemy's path. That's why the Bible includes the details of the lives of the godly and ungodly people so we make good decisions. We need to teach our children the right way to go so they don't repeat our mistakes; more than that, they need to learn to honor God by accepting Jesus as their Savior. Tell your kids and grandkids your story; they need to hear how you've overcome adversity, and now trust in Jesus to get you through. One day they will thank you for it.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

October 17, 2022

It is not enough to believe in Jesus; you must confess your belief. Salvation is loud and obnoxious, especially to the unsaved.

“Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” John 12:42-43

They believed to a certain degree but didn’t want to face the truth of what it meant that their Messiah had entered the world and was about to change everything, including ruining their financial gains. They may also face certain death. Because he died for us, we must be willing to give up everything for him, even if it means death. 

Get ready! When he came the first time, he came to save us all from utter destruction and eternity in hell. When he comes back, he won’t be so nice; it will be time for judgment. The opportunity is now to accept his free gift and confess it to everyone you know. Those people who believed in Jesus, but didn’t come forward and choose his side and confess him as Savior, had accepted the status quo and will have to live with their decision for eternity. Now is the time to show everyone whose side you are on; otherwise, he may reject you on the last day.

October 16, 2022

How often do you get to ride in a helicopter to lunch? Probably never, but yesterday, that’s what we did. The views were phenomenal! The pilot is a dear friend who lovingly teaches as he flies; I’m not sure if it helps him remember what he’s doing or if he wants to make sure someone else knows how to fly in case trouble occurs. After he explained the details, he gave me a pop quiz, and I failed miserably. Though I was listening, I wasn’t soaking it in. It was too much for my brain, and I felt utterly ignorant. Flying a helicopter is not something I desire to do; I’m not even crazy about riding in one; it seems very risky.

The problem with me not listening to understand and learn, if something had happened to our friend, I wouldn’t have known how to maneuver the aircraft, and we would have crashed and probably died. 

The same is true about learning God’s Word and listening to scripture. We cannot merely read it, but we must understand it, meditate on it, take it to heart, and put it into practice. One day, it will help save our life.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22