January 14, 2023

Our little guest house had a half-bath but no shower and no room to put one inside the house, so we installed an outdoor shower. We had been going into the main house to bathe, but now we can’t use it because of the construction. If it was any month of the year but January, it wouldn’t seem like a bad thing, even though most Florida Januarys have mild temperatures, but right now, it’s cold! You wouldn’t believe me unless you’ve tried it, but once you get into the hot water, you don’t even notice how cold it is outside. It’s not bad at all! The warm water somehow insulates you from the freezing temperatures. It was a bit intimidating stepping into that shower for the first time and not initially within my comfort zone, but after trying it, I was pleasantly surprised. 

Before Jesus returned to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, he instructed his disciples to tell others about him and make more disciples, teaching them to observe everything that he taught. We must follow that same command so that everyone hears about salvation through Jesus. Obeying for the first time can be intimidating, like jumping into an outdoor shower on a cold day, but once you get over the initial shock, you realize you should do it regularly. Don’t ignore the Holy Spirit when he instructs you to tell someone about Jesus. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:10-12

January 13, 2023

Some scripture verses trigger my thoughts. Here is an example:

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8 

We are God’s children, children of the inheritance, but it is not God who dies for us to receive our heritage. Yes, Jesus died but came back to life, so when we also pass to eternity, we will enjoy our inheritance with our Father and our Savior because they are still alive. While in the earthly realm, we must work hard so that when we are old, we can rest from our striving, but that’s how God trains us to rely solely on him. Working hard is good for us; we learn submission because there is almost always someone to whom we must report. The sooner you learn to submit to God’s ways, the easier this life will become, and you will appreciate what he has given you here on earth. When we learn to rest our minds, we receive our earthly inheritance, which we can do at any age. Sin is the trap for imprisonment, and when we discover Jesus can save us from that trap, it is only then we will rest peacefully. Rest easy, my friends; we are children of God, and Jesus took the penalty for our disobedience, so God doesn’t hide his face from us anymore.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

January 12, 2023

Freedom in Christ comes from eliminating sin. You cut off the devil's stronghold upon you when you realized that Jesus was the way and accepted him as your Savior. Are you still striving because you haven't let it go and are still fretting over sin from the past?

As I began to pray my usual prayer this morning, I kept moving about restlessly. I decided that I needed to start over and pray again, only this time, I needed to sit still. I should preface this by saying that I wait to open the scriptures until I've prayed, so when I opened my Bible, I realized that the next chapter of Hebrews was about rest. Did you know that the rest spoken of in scripture is about resting from striving over sin? We all need rest from work, but you will never truly rest until the devil no longer imprisons you because of your sin. Stop letting the enemy accuse you! You have Jesus, who was sacrificed to pay the price for your sin; the devil can't get to you anymore. Let go of your guilt and shame! It's time to rest.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. Hebrews 4:1

January 11, 2023

I want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith. God's plan is not to harm you but lift you out of the mire. Stay humble before him, being careful not to accuse or rebel against him. If you feel like you are in the wilderness, now is not the time to blame him; he is the one to lead you out. He will give you water when you thirst, feed you when you're hungry, and heal you when you're broken. It's a mistake to shake your fist at him; ask his forgiveness now if that is something you've done. 

Do you remember the story about the Israelites who rebelled against Moses in the wilderness, accusing him of leading them to their death because they were thirsty? None of them were allowed to enter the promised land and died in the desert. Their unbelief provoked God and grieved him, and he promised they would not see the land of Canaan. We have all experienced trouble and hardships, but God will show us the way out; he is not the enemy, so don't break his heart by becoming angry at him.

As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? Hebrews 3:15-17

January 10, 2023

Today, we are getting a water treatment system. The water currently coming out of the faucet is rusty, and it turns everything orange. I’m still bathing in the main house because I don’t want my silver hair to turn orange. I haven’t even used my new washing machine because my clothes will change colors. My water should be crystal clear, clean, and pure by tonight. 

Before you became saved, you were like my rusty water. However, you are now clean and pure, not because you did anything special, but because Jesus purified you. If you were to take Jesus away, you would return to being rusty. Remember from where your purity comes. We are inherently rusty and filthy, like the water from my faucet. Jesus is your filter. Make sure you maintain your filter and add chlorine (Bible and prayer) if necessary so that only water filtered by Jesus comes from you.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Hebrews 3:12-14

January 9, 2023

We attempted to add a few more motion-detecting cameras a little further away from the house to cover the entrances to our barns. In doing so, we needed to use Wi-Fi extenders because the barns are far from the house. Certain areas on the property do not have electricity, so I had to find a source of power for the Wi-Fi and camera’s sync module. For the time being, I had to run a long extension cord and plug it into an outbuilding until we get the power permanently connected. The cameras are battery-powered, so as long as the Wi-Fi and sync module stay connected to the power source, they work perfectly. 

This camera system is a good example of how we stay connected. God is like the power supply, Jesus is like the Wi-Fi connection, and the Holy Spirit is like the sync module. We are like the cameras; as long as we stay close to our source of power, our vision is clear, but if we get too far away from him, we will lose our connection. Stay connected, my friends.

For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 2:11-12

January 8, 2022

I find it interesting that there are angels assigned to minister to those of us who are to inherit salvation. 

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

This verse talks about us, those who have accepted Jesus as Savior. We haven’t received our reward yet; that will happen in the end. Right now, we are children and have yet to receive our inheritance. So the Father sends out his angels to guard us and fight off the enemy. They are spirits without bodies but can take on a bodily form to guide us away from danger. We are surrounded by angelic beings that we cannot see; the enemy, his cohorts, and those guarding us. So when a fight starts, relax. We are covered by powerful beings who will fight for us every step of the way. Who do you think wins? 

I would love to hear your stories about angel encounters whenever you have time. I’ve had two I will probably share with you as I get further into Hebrews if it’s God’s will.

The photo is of Cassidy Adamcek and Zachary Gonzalez; they are at Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park