October 5

There is a lot of hatred in the world today, mostly without cause. Lately, it is due to political differences, and the assumption that because you are a certain color, or nationality, you believe a specific way. The upheaval is mostly felt because people are living vicariously through the eyes of those reporting the “news.” The news is not truthful anymore, and you can’t count on it being reported fairly and unbiased, because each station bends it in their own political direction. Some stations are even biased against Christians, and cause hatred towards us because we love Jesus. There is some good news though, if you live and follow the words of Jesus to love others, and love God, you will find that all of that hatred is located right inside that box you’re peering into. Outside of that box, for the most part, you will find people genuinely caring about one another. Use wisdom, and search for the good that dwells within all of us, and don’t let the enemy win!

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. John 15:18

October 4

There are some hibiscus planted near the edge of my yard. They’ve been there for a while and are fully grown. The problem with them is that because they are planted in the shade of the oak trees, they lack sun and seldom bloom. If those plants were on my property, I would probably take them out and plant something shade tolerant. Their lack of bloom makes them nothing more than a hedge plant. As a follower of Jesus, we are planted in the sun, and should bloom and produce fruit, so the truth about him spreads to the world. Did you know that Jesus is the vine and our gardener is the Father? He will prune us and cut off any branches that do not produce fruit. That’s a little scary! Don’t worry! If you love Jesus, you will produce fruit. Some till the garden, some plant the seeds, some water, and others harvest the fruit. All are an important part of the kingdom of God. Remember, just because you are not active in ministry right now, doesn’t mean you are not producing fruit. Maybe you’ve brought up your children to love Jesus, and they are producing fruit. I know that I could quit right now without fear of being pruned because of my children. I don’t want anyone to be frightened, I just want you to know the scripture.

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."  John 15:2

October 3

We all have things we like to collect, I have a passion for plants, art, and decorating. All of these things require some amount of work, and toil. I’m currently studying Ecclesiastes, and John. They may not seem to go together, but the words of Jesus are all wisdom! Solomon says that the gathering of stuff, and toiling over it is vain, and Jesus says to store your treasures in heaven. How? It’s about redefining yourself. You can’t take your possessions with you into heaven, unless your possessions are stored in your heart. Jesus doesn’t give to us the way the world gives, his gifts are matters of the heart, and the results are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Rather than toiling over possessions that you can’t take with you, start collecting spiritual gifts. If you want to collect something meaningful that doesn’t rot, toil over the souls of your friends and family, and maybe a few strangers, and gather them into heaven. Those are possessions worth attaining. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  John 14:27

October 2

After posting a video yesterday, I began criticizing myself over some of the details, like, why was I looking off, why didn’t I do something with my hair, I need more makeup, and so on. Self talk can be such a downer. Then it hit me, I was criticizing one of God’s magnificent creations! Who am I to be critical of the Father? When you put yourself down, aren’t you also putting down his masterpiece? He created you! Who are you to judge the Almighty? We are created in his image, you wouldn’t tear God apart the way you tear yourself apart, would you? At some point in your life, the enemy whispered lies to you, and you believed him. Make it a part of your mission to praise God for his creation of YOU. You have a purpose, you belong to him, and he deserves credit for creating you. You have to take care of yourself, but let go of the things you cannot change, and praise him for the vessel he has given you. Also, remember that God is the creator of other humans too, don’t hurt them either.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Genesis 1:27

October 1

Thank goodness it’s nearing my birthday! I shattered the screen of my iPad! I use my iPad to do all of my writing, and will probably get Richard to buy me a new one as a birthday gift. I can justify this purchase with God, because it helps me move in my spiritual gift. Speaking of spiritual gifts, it just so happens that I’m in the study of John where Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit, imagine that, what a coincidence. The tragedy of my broken screen gives a way for me to bring up the gift of the Holy Spirit. Did you know that this gift, came with an “if?” Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, to be with you forever.” If you want the Holy Spirit to dwell within you, you have to love Jesus! And if you love him, you will keep his commandments. He makes it easy, but the key is that you must love him. The commandments will fall into place, as you build your love for him. The Spirit is a magnificent gift, and I wouldn’t want to live without him. Love Jesus, and the rest will fall into place.

"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

September 30

When I have guests coming to visit, I become a crazy person, working and cleaning to make my home more presentable. For the most part, I maintain it daily, but the anticipation of guest encourages me to go beyond, and clean things that they probably won’t notice anyway, like the top of the refrigerator and baseboards. I know I’m not the only person that does this, but why? I think it’s so we can relax without worry of being labeled a slob. The thing I notice most when I’m a guest in someone’s home is how they treated me upon arrival. Was I welcomed by them, or were they pre-occupied with preparations? When I have guests over, I have everything completed before their arrival, so they have my full attention, and I’m not off in the kitchen making preparations. I went to a party one time, where the host never greeted me, and I’ve never forgotten it. People are more concerned about how they are treated, and accepted by you. Make it a point to clean up your personality, and put on a friendly face; that’s what people will remember the most about being your guest.

"Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ."  1 Peter 5:14

September 29

You are not going to reach your God-given destiny and purpose if you continue to listen to the accusations of the devil. It is very important that we deny Satan power over us, by seeking forgiveness of our past sins, and accepting that forgiveness. Some of our potential is diminished because we are chained to him, and he keeps reminding us of our captivity, and his hold over us. You will continue to be tormented by your past unless you seek the counsel of Jesus, and go before the throne of God to silence your accuser. Until you have dealt with your past sins, the devil will continue to throw them in your face. There is a simple way to find out what the enemy is holding against you; ask God, and he will tell you. Ask, then listen, don’t keep babbling on and on. God will impress upon your heart the areas of your life that need repentance. You may have asked forgiveness for your unknown sins, but the enemy will use whatever he can to throw you off track, and keep you under his power. Ask, listen, seek heartfelt forgiveness, and this will silence your accuser.

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."  Proverbs 28:13

September 28

I take a bath every night, I can’t sleep with filthy skin, but my dogs are not done for the day and still need to be taken out for a walk. I slide on my flip flops and walk them around the neighborhood right before bedtime; I’m a little selfish because I don’t want them waking me up too early in the morning to go out. Being I’ve already had a bath, I don’t need to take another one, but may need to wash the dust off my feet. Jesus used the symbolic gesture of washing the feet of his disciples as an example for us to follow. If you are saved, baptism is usually the next step as a public profession of your faith, and is symbolic of washing away your sins, and is a ‘one-and-done’ ceremony. The reason it’s a one time thing is we’re clean, however, we still live in the world and will get a little dust on our feet. That dust is sin and we need to repent of that sin, but you don’t need to be baptized again. Confess your sin, and repent daily, because we all get a little dust on our feet, and need Jesus to wash it off.

"Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”"  John 13:10

September 27

There are times during the month when the tides become unusually high, like during the new moon and the full moon. I’ve noticed that the Holy Spirit works in a similar fashion. Most days you will have normal high and low tides with the Holy Spirit, but then there are times when He fills you to capacity, and even overflow your banks. 

God does things on purpose. For instance, he has holidays and Sabbaths that are set aside for the nation of Israel. The Bible refers to these holidays as feasts. I’ve noticed the flow of the Holy Spirit is stronger during these times, including the weekly Sabbath, Saturday. My writing becomes much more fluid and improved during those times. Though we are not all of the Jewish lineage, we have been grafted in, according to God’s Word. It seems fitting that we, in the very least should acknowledge those feasts. We are coming into the Jewish high holiday season; as an experiment, see if you notice a difference in the power of the Holy Spirit during those holiday feasts.

This year, The Feast of Trumpets spans September 29-October 1

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. Leviticus 23:23-24

September 26

The shift of the light during the fall, brings a perfect glow, especially during the mornings and in the evenings. It filters through the trees and wakes up the day, and then brings it to a close. The shadows shift so that even in Florida, though the heat is oppressive, you can still tell that fall has begun. It may only be a subtle change, but if fall is your season, then any change will do. Just as the earth has seasons, our lives have seasons. As you enter a new season, your view changes, and what was once important, now seems trivial. For instance, when you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you entered a new season. The drinking and rebel rousing become a thing of the past and should no longer bring you pleasure. Within your life in Christ there are also seasons. You begin as a baby and grow to maturity by feeding on God's word. The more mature in Christ you become, the sooner the folly of your youth will fade, and you will set your sight on the good of the future and a more pleasing life following the precepts of God. 

"So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going."  John 12:35

September 25

Have you found what you were looking for? You wake up every day, go to work, or go about your business, eat, drink, sleep, then do it again the next day. What’s the point? To stay alive? If so, for what purpose? Life has no point if you’re not living for Jesus. You chase after a dream in your youth, and once you achieve it, you’re too old to enjoy it. The only thing that makes sense is living a life for Jesus. He gives meaning and purpose to those who love him. You might say that when we die while living for Jesus, our goal is achieved, and that is true, however, you should do your best to live your best life while you have it, by serving him. This world is not easy because it is ruled by the enemy, for now, and because of that, around every turn there are new challenges. If you want to live just to live, go ahead and continue without Jesus, but if you want to make a difference in your life, and change the world around you, then you must live for him. 

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. John 12:26

September 24

Back in July I sprained my foot and it swelled up like a balloon, and then turned black and blue. It took me a while before I could get back to normal activity, even then a portion of my foot was still swollen. Now it’s September, and we had one of our grandsons over to spend the night and to go to church with us the next day. We have a car seat, and I was transferring it from the truck to my car on Sunday morning, I lost my balance and fell, twisting it again! I laid on the wet ground, crushing some of my caladiums, writhing in pain. I made myself get up, because no one saw me fall. You may say that this was just an accident, but I say that it was part of the enemy's plan to keep us from attending church, because as I laid on the ground dressed, and ready to go, my first thought was that church might be out of the question. I pushed through, got up, change clothes, and went anyway. The enemy lost. We will be fighting him until the end, but he will not win every battle, and he definitely lost the war in the end. Our best life is yet to come, hang in there until Jesus returns.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25

September 23

When my son’s father passed away in 1995, I prepared for his funeral. My pastor asked if I wanted the gospel to be presented, and of course my answer was yes. Before he passed, he was quite zealous for Jesus, and was thankful for his salvation. He had lived a rough life, and got caught up in the things of the world, which made his salvation all the more sweeter. He told everyone he knew about Jesus, and when he died, a seed was planted, and a vine began to grow. The funeral was unlike any that I had ever seen, the church was packed to capacity with standing room only! People from all over Florida, and some from out-of-state attended. Then, as expected, the gospel was presented, and we saw the vine produce fruit; hands went up all over the church. It was something that I will never forget. The truth is, that was his second death, because while he lived, he had died to self, and lived for Jesus. When he met Jesus the day of his passing, I know he heard the beautiful words, “well done.” Live your best life and die to self by living for Jesus.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24

September 22

Mary took a pound of expensive ointment, and poured it over Jesus’s head, and then wiped his feet with her hair. He said that the whole world would be told what she had done. Are you so worried about what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear, that you deny giving the Lord what rightfully belongs to him? Do you steal from him by withholding your tithe? The truth is that you are not robbing God, but yourself, he already owns everything, but he gives you the opportunity to trust him, and receive further blessings because of your faithfulness. Judas was in charge of the moneybag and would help himself to whatever he wanted. When you withhold your tithe, you are just like Judas, a thief. Judas was full of greed, and questioned why Mary’s perfume was not sold and given to the poor. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” It is never a waste when you pay your tithe or give an offering. You can look at it like you are anointing Jesus, and should treasure that more than your own material wealth.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. John 12:4-6

September 21

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he came out of the tomb bound with death clothes. He instructed the people to release him and let him go. The story of Lazarus is much like us coming to know Jesus. Before we knew him we were dead, and bound. Though Jesus has made us alive, many are still bound by the sins that our body of death carried from the tomb, keeping us from moving about freely. When are you going to let go of your past? Your sin and painful past has been removed from you and you are no longer tainted, yet because you haven’t changed your mind about it, you keep carrying around those filthy linen death strips. Whether you realize it or not, others can see them; they are exposed every time you are triggered, or get a painful reminder. Do you know who does that to you? The enemy! It is beneficial to him to keep you bound, because it renders you useless to the Kingdom. If you are living with fear, unbelief, trauma, or rejection, it’s time to let it go. Each time these chains show up and cause you anxiety, confess, repent, and pray. It’s all a matter of changing your mindset.

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:44

September 20

Have you ever made a regretful mistake that became hard to repair? I’m sure I have many, but the most recent one almost cost us a good amount of money. I read a count date wrong and found out too late to attend. We scrambled the next day to try and repair the damage. Thankfully, there was a way to hold off judgment for time to regroup. We had two options: 1) accept the final judgment and pay the fine, or 2) do what it takes to get a new court date. We chose option 2, and began the process. It’s nothing major, just a tenant issue, and part of being in real estate. The process is now longer; it would have been less stressful if we had shown up on time, and it would be over with, but now we are paying the consequences for my mistake. We all make mistakes, and sometimes we sin, but in the case of sin, God is the judge, and Jesus stands in as the defendant for those who’ve put their trust in him. Aren’t you glad you have him! It takes the stress off of us and places it firmly in the hands of Jesus. I’m so grateful for him, aren’t you?

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 john 2:1

September 19

I grew up believing “once saved, always saved.” I still believe that, however, I question the salvation of those who go on sinning intentionally. It’s possible that they prayed the sinner's prayer out of fear of hell, and it seemed reasonable to recite it to secure a place in heaven. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath that was blind from birth, and the only thing that the Pharisees could think about was that Jesus broke the Sabbath! They were not in awe of this amazing miracle. They were so jealous of his ability to captivate the people with his wisdom, and his signs and wonders, that all they wanted to do was to condemn him. But because of this miracle, which no one had performed since the beginning of time, it was obvious that Jesus was sent from God, yet they continued to deny his deity. Their eyes had been opened to who he was, yet they were blind. Now that they know the truth about Jesus and reject the gospel of grace, the guilt of their sin stays with them and they are not forgiven. Watch out that you don’t continue in your sin, because you know the truth about Jesus.

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. John 9:41

September 18

Jesus is no weakling! He is a mighty warrior, strong, and able to take out the enemy, and has already weakened him and numbered his days. You may need to get a full view rather than the narrow view that most see. I wonder what would happen today if Jesus were to show up in the flesh and begin hurting peoples feelings like he did back when he walked among the Jews. The same thing that happened then, would happen today. Jesus was not afraid to speak his mind, and call out the sinful nature of those around him. I’m sure he would be crucified again. He didn’t hold his tongue, he ripped through the Pharisees, and called them sons of the devil. How many servants, pastors, of Jesus do you think are willing to put their life on the line and call out sin? Most are too worried about offending the people that pay the bills. Offend them! It’s the only way to set them free! Our life is not our own, we have been bought with a price, if you lose your life, remember it’s not yours to lose, you belong to God! If you read John 8:31-59 you will understand. He made the Pharisees so mad that they were ready to stone him right then and there! Jesus is not weak!

but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. John 8:40

September 16

Who argues about helium? My daughters, that’s who! I saw them standing just outside the door at a family gathering. I noticed one doing the bump with her hips, and wondered what in the world she was doing; so I began filming her so she could see herself and her actions. I couldn’t see what her sister was doing, until suddenly I see her pretending to bang her head on the door. It was quite a sight, and gave me a good laugh. Thank goodness it was just family, otherwise people might think we were crazy! Christians are not dull and boring just because we are careful, and try not to sin. We are free from the wages of our sin, free from the fear of the afterlife, and are free to enjoy one another while we are in this dismal world. Stop being so serious about your life and the things of the flesh. Work on your relationships, and matters of the heart, and tighten your connection with the Almighty; these are the treasures for today and the treasures that won’t rust and be destroyed by the end of time. 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal

September 15

When a season comes to an end, I tend to get busy cleaning and refreshing. When I bought my house two years ago, it was nearly perfect the way it was, so I hadn’t changed anything on the interior, except to add my furnishings. One of the bedrooms, had a dark paint on the doors and baseboards; it wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t my preference, so I set out to cover it up. Believe me, trying to cover the nearly black color with white paint wasn’t easy, and required multiple coats of paint. 

This story reminds me of when Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs.” He did not let up on them, and told them exactly what He knew was in their hearts. There are many preachers and churches today, who are full of greed and excess, just like the Pharisees. Be careful that you don’t get caught in their trap, and follow a teaching that cannot be measured by God’s Word. Just like me covering the dark paint with the white paint, it disguises the darkness underneath, but with careful observation, and a heart full of The Holy Spirit, you will be able to discern the truth.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27