February 4, 2023

It's hard to separate yourself from your flesh and set your mind on spiritual things. I struggle with this, as most people do, but how do we combat it?

We are beginning to reassemble our house, so I've started looking for finishes like tile, flooring, and fixtures so we aren't waiting until the last minute to decide. Richard and I are on the same page most of the time, but I tend to like things reflective and sparkly, but he thinks they are too much. He is probably right, but I've always loved it, and my taste has stayed the same over the years. I had to start somewhere to help narrow the choices to get it right. I guess I will have to wait for heaven to enjoy the extraordinarily sparkly. We have a more significant challenge living in a world where the enemy pushes hard against us. Enjoying the world is okay, but it should not be our priority. 

If you run into a challenge of the flesh, stop and pray. Praying helps you reset your thoughts to the spiritual and focus on God.

for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 1 Corinthians 3:3

February 3, 2023

Until God gives you a specific mission, you have one job: to become so in tune with him that you know him intimately. God’s voice is in a whisper; learn to recognize it and act on his promptings. 

Here is a scripture I’ll bet you haven’t heard; this is for those who try to snatch people from the fire only to be met with, “don’t judge me!” 

The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 1 Corinthians 2:15

The person who says, “don’t judge me,” is probably doing something they are ashamed of and trying to make you feel like you are going against scripture by trying to help them. They do not have the mind of Christ as you do, that is, if you are spiritual and listen carefully to his voice. If you hear those words, listen to the Holy Spirit, walk away, and let them live with their decisions. One day, they will find out that you were right. You tried, so pray for them and move on.

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

These two verses have so much power; ensure you stay in tune with God, so you wield them carefully.

February 2, 2023

Have you ever tried to explain your job to someone only to have them glaze over because it was too difficult for them to understand? They’ve never received training, the tools needed or been immersed in that job, so it limits their comprehension. The same thing can happen when we try to explain spiritual revelations to someone who does not know God, has never accepted Christ, and hasn’t been given the Holy Spirit. And because they don’t have the mind of Christ, they consider our spirituality to be foolishness. Wait until they discover how foolish and out of touch they’ve been when Jesus returns! We know the truth; were not alone in this world. Not only must we contend with the unsaved, but we are also distracted by one-third of the angels/demons, tooling around here on earth and taking over the minds of the gullible and distracting us from our mission to help save those who are questioning what the truth versus the lies are. When the fog clears and the sun comes out, they will be sorry they rejected Jesus and for giving us grief about our beliefs. The ones who decide to open their minds and accept Christ will appreciate that we took the time and fought to tell them the truth. 

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

February 1, 2023

I got a new coffee maker; it’s called a Nespresso. It will make regular coffee or espresso. I’ve tried several varieties and settled for their Colombian brand because it has a slightly milder flavor.

Have you ever considered how fortunate we are to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? We have our own spirit, and it knows us inside and out. The Holy Spirit is God’s spirit; he searches and knows him intently. Because we have him indwelling, he reveals things that unbelievers won’t understand because they only have their own spirit to get their revelations. God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, is robust, like espresso. Our spirit is like blond coffee; it’s less intense. When you have a shot of espresso, it gets you moving and may cause you to feel jittery. I like to have coffee with the scriptures, but I get more out of it when I get a shot of espresso, the Holy Spirit. I love when he brings intensity to his Biblical truths. The same Spirit that searches God reveals him to us. Do you get it? I find that to be incredible.

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

January 31, 2023

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:20-21

When you read those verses, you realize that we are not the only generation that has dealt with the foolishness we are dealing with now. And then you have people wanting to debate you over the lies they believe about themselves! There is no debate; you’re not allowed to call them out because they will get their feelings hurt. It’s insane! Then to make matters worse, these intellectually challenged adults have journalists who can be compared to the scribes, encouraging them to be as outlandish as possible so the stories they tell about them draw attention. These people are victims of the sinister plot to take your attention away from the truth about what’s going on in society. It causes friction and divides us into categories, so we are against one another, weakening us. Keep your mind focused on God and his wisdom; if you don’t, you will find yourself distracted and out of touch with the truth, giving the devil room to attack. Focus on God; he is amazing! He can use this craziness to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus. We need his wisdom to take over. Eventually, he will open your eyes. Pray that you see the truth in each situation and don’t fall for the lies.

January 30, 2023

I may have gotten too ambitious for starting my seeds in their tiny terrariums so early. My okra and basil are already sprouting. It’s exciting to see, but I’m unsure if the cold weather is over yet. I guess it’s better to be a little early than too late. We should always be ready to plant the seeds of truth, whether in or out of season and to share our knowledge of Jesus. Those seeds we sow may someday save their lives. 

If only the world could see what we see in Jesus. When you look through his eyes, sorrow fills your heart for those who are perishing. We appear to be fools for believing in him. They don’t know what we know and haven’t felt his love or experienced the overwhelming peace he gives, knowing that we no longer have to live with the shame of our sins. Go ahead and plant those seeds, if the ground is not ready, they will remain dormant until the soil is cultivated and watered, and with the proper care, they will eventually grow into a healthy plant.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

January 29, 2023

Are you ready if God decides to call you home today? This body will decompose, everything you’ve ever had will be left behind, and you will have nothing but your spirit. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to start cleaning up your mind now and begin living like you are eternal since you are? We must prioritize focusing more on what is to come and prepare our minds for it. When you get your mind right, essentially, you are already living your eternal life. Rid yourself of the cares of this world; the best way to do that is to make an offering of praise to God. Worship him, and give him your time.

Have you ever considered that we should tithe our time? When we tithe our money, he is faithful and gives us more. What if he does the same with our time? What if he subtracts time when we fail to acknowledge him? He alone holds the power of life in his hands. Instead of living like you are the one in control of your life, remember that you are not. Worship and praise him like there is no tomorrow, just in case tomorrow is not granted.

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:14-15