May 12

The stages of a child’s growth are much like our growth in the things of God. Your parents help you through each stage, guiding you along the way. You start out defenseless, relying on them for your food, and care. You then get teeth, begin to crawl, and then walk. You are a little more sturdy and beginning to do a few things on your own. At no time were you without the help of your parent or someone else experienced in life. This is the same way we grow in the knowledge of the Holy. The Lord is our guide. He never leaves us on our own. He slowly takes us into the living water, first in the shallow where it’s only ankle deep. Then He takes us a little deeper so the water is knee deep. It’s not as easy to walk, but you’re in a little deeper. Then He takes you into the water past your waist. He measures again and then takes you in over your head where the water is so high that it’s not passable and you must swim. Then He leads you out. He’s with you every step of the way. Growing in the knowledge of the Holy doesn’t happen all at once. Be patient with yourself, it’s a process. You’re growing and eventually you will be swimming in the living water that’s flowing from the temple! 

Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. Ezekiel 47:3-5

May 11

My daughter and I had some business in Tampa, ate lunch and then decided to take a drive through the Bayshore area. It’s like traveling back in time to a past era. The homes are exquisite, well appointed, and meticulous in design. Many are of the old Florida style which is personally my favorite style. I can just imagine myself sitting on the front porch drinking a cold glass of sweet tea, watching the day go by. Then reality sets in! We’re in a different time where everything and everyone is fast paced and there is barely any time to stop and smell the roses. A girl can dream, can’t she? Life goes on and things change, people change, and mindsets change. There is one thing that remains the same, Jesus. He is the same today, as He was yesterday, and will be the same tomorrow. Isn’t that comforting to know? If you long for the days of old, take the time to rest comfortably in the arms of the Father.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

May 10

Sometimes I get so bothered and distracted by the things going on in my life, that I forget who’s in control. Will this turmoil have any effect on my eternity or the eternity of others? Certainly not on my own eternity and hopefully not on that of others. There are some things that I wish I hadn’t committed to at all and other things I wish I were more committed to. I think about some things too much then there are other things I don’t think about enough. My mind is working overtime and all I want to do is turn it off for a while. How do you decide if what you are doing is a profitable undertaking for the kingdom? Will the light of the Lord shine through me even though it is secular?  Most jobs are like this, where you don’t know how it could make a difference other than your bottom line. I guess it all comes back to doing all things for the glory of God. Besides, it’s just a minor blip on the screen of life.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

May 9

My grandson, Trey is finally big enough to peddle his John Deer tractor that we got him a couple of Christmases ago. Every time he comes to my house he asks to ride it. Up until yesterday, we had a rope tied to it that we used to pull him with. I think he had more fun when we pulled it. It’s amazing how quickly children grow and learn to do things for themselves. It reminds me that as Christ followers, we should be growing in our strength in Jesus. We should be peddling our own tractor rather than having someone pull it for us. We should now be eating solid food, feeding ourselves, rather than being fed from a bottle. Just like Trey, it’s easier to have someone pull you, you don’t have to think and you don’t have to work for it. As you continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus, someone else feeding you will only serve as confirmation for what you’ve already learned. Feeding yourself is very satisfying and it fills your belly.

for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:13-14

May 8

There is a story in the Bible that kind of hurt my feelings a little bit. It’s in this story that you realize that Jesus may not have always been polite. It’s about a Greek woman, referred to as the Syrophoenician, a Gentile. Jesus was in a home, most likely for some rest, away from the stir that He had caused in the Jewish areas. Her young daughter was possessed by a demon and she was asking Him for help. And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." He called her a dog! But, her reply was awesome! "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Thank goodness the Jews had their fill and there were some leftovers! Are you humble enough to eat the leftover scraps? I’ll take whatever I can get from Jesus. His crumbs taste better than anything else we could ever eat. We must humble ourselves before Him, because whether we are Jew or Gentile, He is God. 

This story is found in Mark 7:24-30

And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. Mark 7:29-30

May 7

We all have neighbors that aren’t exactly living up to our standards. Just the other side of the perimeter wall and fence are some well meaning people who decided to clean and clear their back yard. In most cases that would be a good thing, however, they stopped. They left piles of debris and leaf filled bags everywhere! It’s a sight for sore eyes! Because the whole area is shaded and would take too long to grow vines as a cover, we decided that we would fill the chain link portion of the fence with slats. What a job! It’s amazing the work one will put in to have things the way we want. What are you willing to do to clean up yourself? Your sins are forgiven if you know and love Jesus, but is there something that keeps drawing you that is not pleasing to Him? If there is, you need to work as hard at cleaning up your life as I did cleaning the fence. You don’t want someone putting slats in their fence so they don’t have to see you anymore, do you?

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Roman 12:1

May 6

I bought a new full length mirror for my bathroom. It’s not high end nor is it the dollar store variety. My concern is that I’m not seeing myself as I really am and that my image may be a bit distorted. As I thought about this, I decided to press on the center of it, when I did, my shape changed! My waist appeared to be longer! Now, I don’t trust it! This is comparable to how we see our innermost being. If we see ourselves through the lies the enemy has told us along the way, our self image becomes distorted and does not show us who we are. We are a new creation in Jesus and we are hidden within Him. If you don’t see Jesus when you look at your inmost reflection, your mirror is lying to you, don’t believe it! He didn’t just take away a few of our sins, He took away all of them, so don’t let the devil keep throwing your past in your face, your flesh doesn’t define you anymore.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

May 5

You know how it is said that freedom isn’t free. That’s true of our freedom in Christ. It may sound like a bad thing, but in this case you are giving up something heavy from your past. So today, if you feel you need to break a chain, here are a few steps you can take. Ask The Holy Spirit to reveal to you something from your childhood that may have set you on a path of destructive behavior. Mine was a simple comment from a girl when I was in first grade. It didn’t seem so bad, but in my heart, I had been rejected. She told me I had a ski sloped nose and asked me if it grew when I lied. REJECTED! My thoughts are, to ask the Holy Spirit to take you back to the first moment the devil decided that you were a threat and threw a stumbling block in your path. If He reveals that moment, you will see the path that he set you on and the behaviors that stemmed from it. Then go back and break every chain that resulted from it. 

Some things that you might look for are: spirit of rejection, spirit of unbelief, spirit of fear. Here are some words you might use as an example: Spirit of _______________ - flee from me, be gone in Jesus name! Embrace your freedom today!

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

May 4

After taking my dog out this morning, I noticed a couple of my new plants looked wilted. It caused me concern, being the other plants around them were standing tall as if nothing was wrong. I immediately stopped what I was doing, turned on the water, and showered them, hoping they would stand tall again. That’s just a plant, what do you do when you see someone looking like a wilted plant? My first instinct is to try and console them and maybe help them carry their burden, but more often than not, they will say all is well. It’s important to make an effort. We don’t know what might be on their plate, or the load they are bearing, but just offering some help might be just the encouragement they need to continue on. When Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, He healed every disease and affliction among the people. He didn’t leave them to deal with their issues by themselves, He offered healing and hope. We may not be able to heal them, but we can offer hope.

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23

May 3

The past few days have been quite interesting. The other morning, I heard a screech and a crash. I didn’t think much of it because we are close to a main artery and there are wrecks all the time. We live in a small community, and word began to spread fast that some crazy driver ran into one of the neighbor's garage door and then sped off. Someone saw him and reported it to the police. 

Though many of us had suspected it, no one knew for sure, but it was thought that it was my daughters next door neighbor, she also lives in my neighborhood. They knocked, the police knocked, but no one answered. My daughter, just like any mom, was concerned for the safety of her son. This guy drives like a lunatic all the time. She and her husband knew the time he leaves for work, so yesterday, Doug my son-in-law, piddled around outside waiting to see if he had damage to his car when he opened his garage door. Low and behold, he did! Doug intended to take a picture, but something came over him and he stopped him. He approached him in a gentle way and encouraged him to do the right thing and go tell the neighbor. He didn’t demean him, yell, or accuse. The guy was sorrowful, apologetic, and offered recourse. Watch the God connection here! The woman had prayed the night before that he would come to her and admit his guilt. God told her his name! She didn’t know him! He was shocked and she was shocked when she said it!

Do you realize that it was God that gave Doug the courage to handle this situation? Here is the big deal, this guy waited for Doug to get off work so he could thank him for doing what he did. The guy had been riddled with guilt for leaving the scene and was relieved to have it off his chest. The guy asked him how he remained so calm, and Doug explained that it was because of his trust in God. Then Doug invited him to our church. I’ll bet he will come one day. Doug made a new friend and our neighborhood is safer for it. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

May 2

As you read and study the scriptures, you begin to see patterns of teachings that flow throughout. It speaks of a man leaving his father and mother to hold fast to his wife and a wife to leave her family and become one with her husband. When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, essentially they were doing the same thing. It says that they left their boat and their father and followed Him. Though the Bible couldn’t possibly record everything that Jesus did, the Holy Spirit made sure that certain details were told, and this detail is important to note as we are called to follow Jesus. He wants our wholehearted devotion to Him. We cannot hang on to the things from the past. The things you were taught, the way you were raised, the religious training many endured as children, or any other habits you’ve picked up over the years, must all be left behind or measured against the teachings of Jesus. We are the bride of Christ and must hold fast to Him.

 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:22

May 1

When Jesus called His first disciples, it wasn’t His first encounter with them. Peter and Andrew had been followers of John the Baptist. They knew Him. He also gave them proof of who He was without saying it. Peter and Andrew were fishermen and had a rough night with no luck catching fish. Jesus came along, gave them instructions to pull out into deeper water to cast, and they filled up their nets! It was then that Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah and fell at His feet asking for mercy. I’m sure they thought He was crazy because He wasn’t a fisherman! But, because He was a nice guy, they accommodated Him. Jesus had a purpose for everything He did and maybe He wanted them to cast a little deeper to show that they would be going deeper into the teachings of God. That’s just what Jesus did. He took them deeper into the things of the Kingdom. Jesus is the way into a deeper relationship with the Father. Follow Him! See Luke 5:1-11 and John 1:40-41

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4

April 30

Over the past few days, I’ve been expanding the scriptures from Matthew. I haven’t been telling cute stories of my life, just giving a lesson from the scriptures and giving examples of how we can use it today. Some of my posts have been received well and others have been ignored. I completely understand because I also respond to topical teaching as well, but at what point are we going to learn to love God’s Word, in and of itself? When will we get to the place where we can open up our Bible and feed on the words? I enjoy reading and studying the Bible; what it brings is more interesting than anything I can tell you about my life, and there is power behind it. My words, though I believe they are guided by the Holy Spirit, because He’s my constant companion, are not living or as sharp as a double edged sword. If you have trouble reading the Bible, pray right now and ask God to help you love His Word.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

April 29

When Jesus began His ministry, He was kicked out of Nazareth and had nearly been run off a cliff. After John was arrested, He took His message to the country to continue where John had left off. John was His forerunner and He came in with the same message, but with the power of the Holy Spirit. He decided to make His home in Capernaum by the sea. He brought His message to those who were living in darkness, in the shadow of death, and they received Him. When He was run out of Nazareth, He shook the dust off His feet and left them in the dark. I found it very interesting that that the area He decided to dwell in was referred to as the “shadow of death.” This is the same area that we dwell in! Every day we must bring the light of Jesus into the darkness of our surroundings. Though the sun is out, it is filled with darkness. If you are not received, leave just like Jesus did, and take the Light with you! Their loss!

the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4;16-17

April 28

Before Jesus began His ministry, He spent time in the wilderness alone, praying and fasting. At the end of His forty day fast, He was hungry. It was the perfect time for the devil to come in and throw temptation His way. This is tormenting! This is what the enemy does to us! He comes when we are weak. At every turn, Satan came after Jesus with the things he knew about Him. What did He do? He fought him with scripture and truth! After He did this a few times, he left him. So, there it is! The key to winning the fight! Don’t waste your time crying over your situation if you haven’t pulled out the truth/scripture and used it in your defense. What are you dealing with today that you haven’t trusted the LORD to handle for you? What scripture have you left closed up in that Bible sitting on the shelf that you could be using in your fight? Take your weapon out of its sheath and brandish it! 

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:11

April 27

Here is a thought for you: Jesus, who knew no sin, submitted to baptism for repentance. He had nothing to repent, He had never sinned! Yet, many of you, who have accepted Jesus as Savior, haven’t been water baptized! Baptism is your public profession of faith. Jesus humbled himself, was brought low, started from the bottom and worked His way up! I know what you’re thinking, “this is just symbolic.” Yes, it is, but there is so much truth in symbolism. The Bible is full of symbolism, many times used by Jesus in parables to help teach a lesson. This physical act is a beautiful act of humility and obedience. I urge you to submit to water baptism and publicly proclaim your faith in Jesus. As you can see, this is not a denomination thing, it’s Biblical! You’ve heard the words “Buried in the likeness of His death, raised to walk in newness of life.” It’s time for you to follow the steps of Jesus and be like Him through this act of obedience. 

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. Matthew 3:13

April 26

Did you know that John the Baptist was just a country boy? What the Bible calls the wilderness, was just the outlying area with small towns dotted throughout. He was preaching to the country folks! He didn’t come dressed in the fancy garb like the scribes of the day, no, he dressed normal. I wouldn’t call camel hair and a leather belt normal for today, unless you’re a cowboy! They like exotic skins for their coat and boots! I found it interesting that John was a priest, a descendent of Aaron which should normally be in the temple, but was in the country. Jesus, on the other hand, wasn’t a descendent of Aaron, was often found teaching in the temple. It was as if this was symbolic of what was to come. The lineage of the priest was taken out of the temple and sent to the wilderness and replaced with a new monarchy, that of King Jesus! The real country boy came to rule and reign! Just know the King we worship came as a common man, like us. He knows us and knows our struggles, you can trust Him.

Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:4

April 25

The pieces are falling into place. A great revival is just on the horizon. When the enemy comes in and tries to remove God’s word, His people will finally step up. A nation, whose children have been spoiled by the luxury of being free to worship, may soon find themselves and their speech being stifled as the Bible and any other religious material becomes forbidden. I know that this kind of thing will cause some to have fear, but fear not, God is with us and what can a mere mortal do? In countries where the Bible is banned, the people begin to run toward God and hunger for Him. This is a wake up call for our nation! Our nation and our freedoms are under attack, but we must remember that those who are with us are more than those who are with them! You can try as much as you will, to remove the mention of God from existence, but you can’t remove Him, that’s impossible! We only exist because of Him, He is our creator and our Sustainer. 

He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 2 Kings 6:16

April 24

In all my life, I have never been accused of unethical behavior, that is, until now. The enemies fingerprints are all over this! The one accusing is the one who’s actually being unethical. Isn’t that just like the enemy! I have no fear or worry over this because I’m innocent and because I trust in God. Just this morning, during my  study in the book of Matthew, I ran across this in the Matthew Henry Commentary, “Note, those who take care to keep a good conscience may cheerfully trust God with the keeping of their good names, and have reason to hope that he will clear up, not only their integrity, but their honour, as the sun at noon day.” Wow! It’s like God is saying ‘I know you trust me, but here’s a little confirmation!’ We weren’t promised that it would be easy following Jesus, and we can expect to deal with some of the same things that He did, but you can be sure that He will be there to bring us to justice! He is a just God!

since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 2 Thessalonians 1:6

April 23

The big thing to do right now is ancestry searches. Many years ago, my dad and I did some digging around on his side of the family and found some interesting things. My cousin has gathered all kinds of information on my mom’s side of the family and we even have a family Facebook page. I have more cousins than I can count! Well, today I began a study of Matthew and right away he gets down to business by telling us the lineage leading to Jesus. Did you know that Boaz, the husband of Ruth, one of my favorite love stories, is the son of Rahab the prostitute? Matthew didn’t play any games and told us all the dirty little secrets! Though Rahab was a prostitute, she was able to overcome her past because of her act of kindness towards the spies who were scoping out the promised land. Don’t get caught up in your past! As you can see from this, God can use anybody to bring about His plan!

and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, Matthew 1:5