October 16

I’m intrigued by the waterfall beside the cabin. One thing that can be seen is two small creeks that run into a small lake that then spills over to create the cascade of the waterfall. You would expect that a raging river would make such as this, but that is not the case for this fall. What is the explanation for it? The lake is merely a pool that holds the water before it is funneled toward a dam that directs it to run in a specific direction, which, in our case, is right by our cabin. It creates such beautiful scenery that I can hardly get enough of it. If you think about it, that’s how the Holy Spirit works; he begins as a trickle when you first become saved, but as you increase in the knowledge of God, your faith increases and in turn the Spirit within you advances. The sound is soothing, and because it’s flowing down from a mountain, it’s cold, crisp, and refreshing. I hope to someday become like a gushing waterfall, spilling over, and flowing into a raging river of living water. It’s a worthy goal, and will be accomplished as long as I keep my eyes on God. Consider setting a spiritual goal, and watch as God works with you to achieve his purpose, and sends a rushing flow of living water that spills on everyone you meet.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

October 15

My mom and I are headed up to the mountains to see the seasonal color of the changing leaves that we don’t get to see here in Florida. So as I prepared, I decided to clean out my car and run it through the car wash; because I don’t want complete strangers judging me on my filthy car. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat in my car as it goes through the cleaning process. As it began, I glanced down at my phone for just a second, and when I looked back up, it was dark and scary! The brushes, foam, and the water spraying caused the car to become completely covered, and I couldn’t see a thing. It finally rolled closer to the end, and the sprayer began to rinse the suds, and the blower began to dry it off, and I could see the light at the end. What a grueling process! If I didn’t know what was going on and where I would end up, I would have been full of fear. 

Here is the lesson I learned; living in the world is not easy, and it’s becoming a lot harder to live in, especially as a Christian, but God has us encapsulated, like me being safe inside my car. In the end, we will be clean and living in the light of Jesus. Put your fear away, and trust that God is in control.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4

October 14

We’ve had some trouble with the reception on our television lately. It’s a smart TV, but its connection to our internet seems a little sketchy. It’s getting a bit obnoxious when watching, and suddenly you get that twirling ball and a blank screen.

There are days when I feel like I’m getting that twirling ball and a blank screen when trying to hear God’s voice, and I’m unsure of myself and question my reception; am I tuned in or out of tune? On those days, I rely heavily on the scriptures and the perception of a trusted commentator and Bible scholar. That keeps my teaching on-point and truthful. Consulting the scriptures is the right thing to do; even when you are sure you hear God’s voice, it helps to confirm and keeps you from taking God’s Word out of context. The scriptures are God’s voice, and you can guarantee that what you hear him say to you will not go against what the scriptures tell you. 

I don’t mean to pry into your lives, but I’m seeing a lot of twirling balls on your screens, and believe you need to plug in the cable and consult the scripture for clarity. Don’t go another day with a fuzzy screen and a twirling ball.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

October 13

Lately, those who’ve come out fighting are doing it to disguise their lies. The darkness is being uncovered and brought into the light. Scandal after scandal on the evil side of politics is exposed. When real journalists begin following the money, the truth comes out and what we are experiencing here in the United States becomes clear. For too many years, the American people have been gullible, and taken advantage of by the political swamp. Now that we have a no-nonsense leader, the swamp is getting drained like the Everglades. Soon we will build on prime property. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. I’m blown away by the number of Christians who have fallen for the deceit. God has a plan for all of the turmoil we are experiencing, and like it or not, he will prevail, and his plan will go forward with or without the help of so-called Christians. Pray that you are on the right side. Pray that you’re following biblical principles as you maneuver through this political climate. Pray that you have ears to hear. God help you if you follow the murderous into hell. 

Remember the lynch mob sent to get Jesus? They had nothing but lies to find him guilty, but eventually, the truth came out and the darkness was brought into the light. Our President is not Jesus, but he has been sent to help the real Christians.

The following scripture is happening right here, right now, just like in biblical times!

For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Mark 4:22-25

October 12

My computer was malfunctioning; it became locked in a thinking state with a twirling rainbow ball spinning and spinning. It sat unused for months because the Apple store shut down because of COVID, and the repair business they refer to was too backed up to take on new clients. Apple finally opened, and I made an appointment to have it checked; there was good news and bad news. The good news is that it was repairable; the bad news was that the memory would be wiped clean. Now I start fresh, but because most of my business files were on that computer, I will have to retype all my lease forms and create all-new spreadsheets, financial statements, and property lists. The good thing about this is that everything will be fresh and up-to-date, and I will have clean, verified information going forward. 

When you became a Christ-follower, your slate was wiped clean; fortunately, but unfortunately, we get to keep our memory. That’s why it’s up to you to reprogram yourself and start clean. Just like me rewriting my forms, I will use them as a guide, but will make them better, and learn from them; you must also rewrite your life, using your old life as a guide, but now you have a clean copy, without the sin from the past blocking your blessings. Isn’t it amazing what Jesus can do? Learn from him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

October 11

As a Christian, you are a servant of Jesus; he is your master. Each of us has received a substantial gift from him that he expects us to invest in others. If you think Jesus is passive, you have mischaracterized him! He doesn’t chase us around with a whip, but he does expect us to be obedient and invest our gift to increase his power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise. He is worthy of all of these things, and every faithful servant should increase them. Some will increase the gift, but unfortunately, many will bury it and bring it out when he comes to rule on the earth, but that will be too late; those who hid the gift may end up in hell. 

I know what you are thinking; what gift did he give us that we haven’t invested? The Holy Spirit! We each received the special gift when we accepted Jesus as Savior, but if it sits dormant and doesn’t increase, in the end, he may say that he never knew you. It would be like receiving a ticket to the Super Bowl, but locking it away in a vault and never using it to get into the game. Is Jesus’s investment in you increasing? If not, it’s time to use that ticket to get into the game!

How do you get into the game or invest the Holy Spirit? It’s steps of faith. The more you trust him, the more trust he gives you. When your confidence in him increases, you are less likely to worry about what others think of you, and you will tell everyone about him. The more people you bring, the more they will bring, and so on. That’s how the Kingdom increases. Start with your children and family; they are your first order of business; it’s like putting money in the bank!

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 25:29

Read the full parable in Matthew 25.

October 10

I don’t know much about solar energy, but I do know that it takes the sun to create it. The sun is converted to usable energy when the panels absorb the sunlight. No sunlight, no power. The sun is vital to our lives; it helps our food to grow, and it provides heat.

Like clockwork, the sun rises daily and on time. There is a period of darkness before the glory of the light is seen. We must fuel up while the light is shining because night will come again. What will happen when the sun no longer rises? Will you have enough oil to keep your lamp burning, or are you only bringing enough for the here and now? I can tell you that we are facing a coming of darkness, and it is here; and though we may fall sleep, we must have a tank full to light our way when Jesus appears to take us home. I prayed a prayer as a child, “if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord, my soul, to take.” That may have been enough to fuel me as a kid, but my knowledge has grown, and I, therefore, need more fuel to keep me alive. 

We must fill up while the sun is still shining, just like solar power, we need to absorb the light of Jesus so our oil tanks are full when he appears on that great and glorious day. We don’t want to buy more after he calls us; he will shut the door, and we will be left behind.

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matthew 25:10-13

October 9

Bible truth alert! No cute story today.

Why did Jesus say, when speaking to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”, in Matthew 24? His disciples had asked him what the signs would be for the coming of the end of the age, and this was a part of his answer. You see, this answer could lead to some confusion because Jesus is speaking only to the Jews, not the Church. What does he mean by “this generation”? Many, many generations have passed since he spoke these words. The answer is in the term “generation.” It would be nice if the translators would use words that make things plane and not appear to be contradictory. When I looked up the word, here is what I found:  

From (a presumed derivative of) G1085; a generation; by implication an age (the period or the persons): - age, generation, nation, time. 

The Bible is not contradictory; the translators may be using words that we understand differently. If they had included the word “nation,” we would understand the text to mean the Jewish nation would not pass away until all these things take place. 

Why do some people think Christians will face tribulation? Because he also mentions “the elect,” which are the saved. If all the saved are ruptured, it can only mean those Jews who accept Jesus as Savior after the rapture of the Church. 

Forgive me for rambling this morning, but if I’m a little confused by some words in this chapter, I’m sure others are too. I’m just trying to clear up the muddy water. 

And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Matthew 24:22

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34

October 8

I had coffee with a friend yesterday. She and her husband live in a community outside of town; it’s a sprawling development that has attracted many businesses because of the sheer size and the excessive number of homes located there. The people that had occupied that area before the developers came in were there to get away from the city, but when this subdivision popped up, the city came out to them, and the rural country was eaten up. It’s a beautiful area with trails and other amenities that attract families, but the location is odd. My friend loves it there, and I don’t blame her; their home is beautiful. 

Speaking of developers, after having our coffee and chitchatting, her husband brought out Donald Trump! I know, it shocked me too! Here I am posing with him; unlike what we see on Twitter, he was reticent. All joking aside, we must all vote in this upcoming election, and hopefully, most of you will align yourself with the party that recognizes the value of all life, including life in the womb. Both parties are corrupt, but only one believes in life and freedom. No matter the result of this election, God is still on his throne, and Jesus is still in charge of the government, even if you don’t like it.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

October 7

It’s been a grueling process, but we are finally moving forward! I spent the entire day yesterday running all over Tampa, picking up permits, delivering blueprints, and recording a notice of commencement so we can start building duplexes. Richard has been clearing trees, installing a fence, and preparing the ground, among other things, for this project. We started this over a year ago, and we haven’t wasted a moment, but we must depend on others to fill in where our abilities end; such as architects and engineers, who don’t always work at our pace, and then there are the county employees, who could care less about us or our project, so they intentionally make it difficult. Not only that, but then COVID slowed the process by more than six months! But we made it! Now the fun begins! This process is much like our growth in Jesus. It starts in its simplest form of accepting Jesus, then as we grow, we must contend with the enemy throwing roadblocks in our path. There is a lot of clearing out of trees and underbrush to prepare the ground; then, we begin to build on the foundation of Jesus. When all is said and done, we will have created a magnificent mansion! Don’t give up when things get difficult; it’s all part of the process, and it will work out in the end. You are not alone in this life; you have the Holy Spirit as your companion; his guidance and wisdom is what will help you as you move forward; so keep building up your life in Jesus; it will be worth every challenge you face.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

October 6

So, about that bird feeder, it’s just as I suspected, a maker of weeds! My perfectly manicured yard is now a weedy mess due to the birds spilling their food out of the feeder! I may have found a solution; we’ll see if it works; it’s a tray hanging under the feeder to catch any extra seed that’s dropped. 

For this same reason, the Pharisees got carried away with instituting rules, making it impossible to be righteous in the eyes of man. I’m sure they had good intentions, like me wanting to feed the birds, but the rules got out of hand, so Jesus came to straighten them out by teaching us what God had intended by the original rules. Jesus taught that when you love God and love people, the rest will fall into place, and the need for other regulations becomes unnecessary. 

If the birds didn’t spill their food, then it wouldn’t be necessary to have the tray below the feeder, and there would be no evil weeds growing among the intentionally planted shrubs. When you love Jesus, your mind changes, and it’s easy following God’s rules because everything falls into the place he had intended. 

If those birds don’t stop spilling all that seed onto the ground, I’m going to take away the trough, just as God will eventually remove his followers from the earth, then there will be no one to feed the world.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

October 5

 

Any sin against the church and Jesus Christ is an offense that could damn someone to eternal hell; if two or more believers agree together, whatever they bind on earth, will also be bound in heaven. In my opinion, Plann** ******hood and child sex traf****ing fits the description. I know this is unconventional. We may not be gathered physically; however, I ask that you agree with me today that these two industries be stopped by God and sent to the eternal pit of hell and that the enemy be forced to release these children from his grip. Let’s work together within the spiritual world to stop this travesty against the children of today and the generations to come. Wouldn’t it be incredible if our simple agreement on this issue dissolved it from the earth? I would love to see the hand of God move quickly on these issues, and see all the people involved pay the price with their lives. 

If you agree with me on this, please indicate by commenting “agree.” I will then know that you have prayed and that we have an agreement in the spiritual world. I don’t know what this end will look like, or how quickly it will happen, but rest assured they will pay the price for their heinous acts against the children.

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:18-20

October 4

My brother gave away his daughter yesterday. In many cases, the family of the bride may not find anyone to be worthy of their precious jewel, but God blessed her with a man we have all grown to love as our own. We had to contend with the weather, so my sister and I prayed with the bride's uncle that the rain might go around us. God kept most of the rain at bay, but it sprinkled just enough to anoint the celebration with the presence of God and wash it clean for a beautiful new beginning. 

God gave away his precious son as a groomsman to us; we are the bride of Christ. We are adorning ourselves just like Esther when she was given beauty treatments for her wedding to the king. We are now awaiting his return from the Father’s house where he has gone to prepare a place for us and is adding on to the house so we will be comfortable there. I think we can all say that we are anxious for that day and are waiting at the gate to hear his call. 

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:2-3

October 3

 

If you don’t know Jesus, my posts are not for you. I’ve been sent to minister to the lost “Christians” to help them renew their faith, or even gain trust that they never had. If you learn something and accept Jesus as your Savior through these posts, then good, I will then help you strengthen your faith.

If you are happy, or even smirking over the situation going on in our country and the illness our president is facing, you are not saved, so keep scrolling, and remove me from your list of friends; we don’t see eye-to-eye.

To the followers of Christ: How serious are you about Jesus? I’ve watched those whom I thought trusted in him fall apart over the situation going on right now in politics, the terrible debate, and now President Trump and Melania with COVID. The lack of faith in the Christian community is astounding! Are we going to fall in line with the evil people of this world and trust man over God? Last night I watched as a news commentator nearly began to cry as she told of how nasty people were over the president’s illness; she almost had me in tears! I am concerned about his health too, but I also know that God is in charge. God loves me; he is my protector, my counselor, my peace in the chaos, and the one whom I place all my trust. I’m blown away by the lack of faith. If you are distraught, get over it! Cry out to Jesus to help you shore up your faith and trust in him, and then get on with your life.

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Matthew 15:24-27

Look it up if you want the rest of the story.

October 2

Have you ever felt refreshed and exhausted at the same time? My husband and I have worked hard while here in the mountains, but somehow, though we are both quite tired, the cold air, the trees, and the scenery have left us feeling energized. We are heading back home today, and though it’s been nice, it will be good to get back to our routine and our own bed. 

I get this same feeling after waking up early to meet with the Lord. I may feel too tired to get up, but once I begin digging into his Word, I become refreshed and rejuvenated. Reach out to Jesus, even when you don’t feel like muttering a word; he will give you the will and the energy to continue doing the things you need to do. 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

October 1

One of the things that makes me happy is gardening and landscaping. We are still in the mountains. Because we aren’t here very often, the yard if you can call it that, has become overgrown. Near the bottom of the mountain, there is a waterfall, but because of the overgrowth, you could barely see it. I intended to cut away the branches overhanging the staircase so we could easily get through, but after seeing how amazing it looked by only cutting a few, I couldn’t stop. I spent the entire afternoon cutting down and trimming trees off the side of a mountain with a small clipper and a saw, all the way down to the waterfall. The transformation is dramatic! 

Jesus has transformative power, and it only takes our willingness and trust in him to receive it. Like the waterfall, there is a flood of powerful living water that’s available to us when we submit to his will. The transformation is similar to the mountain submitting to my will and tools when I cleared out a few trees and weeds; it opened up a whole new view.

And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Matthew 14:35-36

September 30

The cabin in the mountains is a new environment, and I’m not used to the layout of the house. When I got up this morning, I couldn’t see anything; it was dark without a glimmer of light to be seen. I felt my way past the bed, but after that, I was on my own. Suddenly, I found the door by running right into it! After opening it, I felt free to move and ran into another wall and nearly put my eye out. Now that’s a rude awakening! I’m surprised I didn’t wake up the whole house. 

When Jesus came into the world, he became our glimmer of light in the darkness. Imagine the people who’ve never heard of him; they are just like my experience this morning, groping around in the dark, running into walls, and doors, with no light marking their way. Jesus had compassion for people like these, and healed as many as were brought to him, and gave them food to satisfy their appetite and spiritual sustenance to nourish their soul. Remember, you may be the only light someone sees; refuse to allow your testimony to be tainted by unfruitful works, because you may be the only thing that stands between that person and the darkness of hell.

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

September 29

When my father-in-law purchased the mountain cabin, it came with all the furnishings. He’s probably owned it for ten years and hasn’t changed a thing. Each time we come, he comes with us, and he likes to keep everything! The last couple of times, we traveled without him, and it has allowed me to sort through some of the old stuff. The last time we came, I sorted through the kitchen, and there were four or five pitchers for beverages, an assortment of ancient small appliances that had seen better days, and an abundance of other things that we didn’t need. This time I’m going through the closets; I’ve only seen more blankets than what we have here in stores! The woman who lived here before us was a packrat! Up until yesterday, it had curtains that were lace ruffled with fabric from that 80’s style country decor; they were so old that the material stuck to the curtain rods! I hope he doesn’t get mad when he notices that they are gone! It’s amazing how refreshing it is to get rid of the things of the past. 

When Jesus comes to rule in his kingdom, he will send angels to sort the people and remove the evil ones who’ve been allowed to grow with the good; much like I’m sorting out the good stuff from the bad stuff. The old stuff, much like the evil of the world, will be gathered and eventually be burned. Then the righteous will shine like the sun.

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like th

September 28

 

I’m sitting in the mountains of Georgia right now at a little cabin in the woods that belongs to my father-in-law. It sits right on the side of a mountain, and it is constantly wet here, so the mold grows rapidly on the stairways and walkways. The first order of business was to clean those areas with bleach to keep us from slipping and falling. We had a method to our madness and needed to get it done before the rain so that it could wash away all the debris and filth. It’s incredible what bleach can do; the number of walkways compared to the amount of bleach it took to get the process started can be compared to a little leaven added to flour that causes the dough to rise; not very much. 

For those of you who think you’re not doing enough for the Kingdom of Heaven, let me stop you from feeling guilty. All it takes is a word or phrase to spark a heart of sin. That spark can sit there a while, working into full-grown repentance, and all it took was a simple word from you. People will fill Heaven that came to know Jesus because of your obedience to speak what the Holy Spirit placed on your heart. What’s funny is, you may not even know what you said that brought about their salvation; it works secretly within them and manifests into the most beautiful thing a person could receive. 

Just as we planned, it’s raining this morning, washing away the filth and making it all new again.

He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:33

September 27

We planted a crepe myrtle tree a few months ago. It was grown in a nursery in the shade amid other trees of its same size and protected from the overwhelming harshness of the sun. It was very well taken care of in the nursery and looks healthy and robust, but in the late-day sun, it begins to wilt; this is a twelve-foot tall tree! As soon as I notice, I rush out and give it some water, hoping the water will help it survive the trauma. Just as my crepe myrtle tree, we were grown with special care; then we were planted in this world to bring life to it. With all that’s going on in the world, I feel like we might be wilting under the pressures of today, but God, with all his love keeps giving us a drink of the Living Water to quench our thirst and give us hope. Don’t wait until you are entirely exasperated to reach out and take a drink from the cup of Living Water; drink often, so you don’t become dry and brittle.

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14