June 17

We have two small dogs, Coco and Rudy. We had Coco for five years before we got Rudy. You would have thought the world had caved in on Coco; she was so upset about this new creature in our house. It’s been five years, and at some point, she grew fond of him. Don’t get me wrong, she is still very jealous of him and nips at him occasionally, but sometimes I see her snuggled up to him when he’s lying down. Richard and I love them both and want no harm to come to either of them, but we wish they loved each other more. 

Coco is like the Israelites who love Jesus, and Rudy is like the gentiles who love Jesus; because of our love for him, God has made us one people and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.

Don’t get me wrong; some vicious people claim to be on either side but believe me, they do not love Jesus; if they did, they wouldn’t be nasty or separate themselves from the other party. We are beginning to see the dividing line between good and evil; God is making it clear. Many will be shocked when the veil is lifted, and the darkness is brought into the light; people whom you thought were good will be seen as evil. The good people are on the side of Jesus, and Satan is the father of the evil ones. The truth is coming soon. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3b)

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility Ephesians 2:14

June 16

I’m slowly getting my house the way I want it. Little by little, I’m refreshing and renewing some of the areas that needed attention. Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the master bathroom. I restored the floor grout using Magic Eraser, which brought it back to its original color. Then I used a razor blade to scrape out the old caulking in the shower. Another trick I discovered was to use acetone on the light fixture glass to change them from a dated brownish color to white. I did the same thing to the chandeliers in the kitchen a few weeks ago. Using this one little discovery has saved Richard from having to replace all the fixtures in the house! 

The Bible is full of tools and valuable ideas about how to live life as if you are already in the kingdom of God. In many of the parables, Jesus would start them by saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like... “ and he would go on and tell a story. If you are dissatisfied with your life, open up the gospels and follow the steps of Jesus. He will tell you how to discover your original self, slough off all the old, become renewed, and begin living your purpose in him. Try it and see; you will be amazed at how good it feels.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

June 15

Over the weekend, I had the desire to spend some time on the beach. I gathered my things and headed to the sand, only to get there and find tiny dead fish and the air thick with algae bloom, so much that I couldn’t breathe and began to cough. I got to the edge of the water and turned right around to go back home. However, a woman, who had been behind me on the path, was still meandering on it and blocked my way, and it’s not that long; in the meantime, I’m about to hack up a lung!

When you try to turn and run away from your past, remember, the devil and his cronies will do whatever they can to block your way and keep you on the deadly path. You must keep pressing forward, slicing through the powers and principalities of the air to claim victory in Jesus. 

After staring at the woman intently, she finally moved. She took her sweet time, but I eventually made my way. With the devil, you must use the prescribed words, “The Lord rebuke you.” Be careful because the Bible also cautions us not to pronounce a blasphemous judgment on the devil. (Jude 9)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— Ephesians 2:1-2

June 14

I’ve been working very hard to get the yard of my new residence under control. We have a hedge in the backyard that became overgrown and covered by vines. I remember reading that God told Adam he would be required to tame the land because of his sin; well, that's what I was feeling yesterday as I began yanking the vines off the top of the hedges. After I got most of the vines removed, Richard started trimming them up to create trees; then he watered them because they were looking sad from the lack of it; we’ve been in a drought, though we are starting the rainy season, the sand is still quite dry. This morning they look a little perkier. 

If you continue to neglect yourself spiritually, the enemy will creep in as those vines did to the hedge. It may take some work after you’ve allowed fear, trauma, unbelief, and rejection to overtake you, but if you work carefully to eliminate them from the root, you will be free to flourish and able to get over your self-pity. Work diligently with the Holy Spirit to eradicate these encumbrances from your life. Ask him for help. When you ask him what is causing your issues, be ready to hear the answer, it’s probably not what you think. Don’t slough it off, saying it couldn’t be that because it probably is! Once you’ve identified your trouble, confess, repent, anoint, and pray!

I’ve just handed you the keys to a peaceful life, but it’s up to you to use them.

Problem: fear, trauma, unbelief, rejection

Answer: confess, repent, anoint, pray

I’ve had these written on my screen saver for years, so they are always in from of me. Once you are free, you never want to be enslaved by them again. Get to work, my friends.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2:4-5

June 13

We went to dinner last night with some of our friends, to a restaurant just off the beach. I noticed a sign posted, “No shirt, no shoes, no pants, no service.” It was the first time I’d seen the “no pants” part. You wouldn’t think you would have to say it, but you do because you are so close to the beach. We were sitting there waiting to go in, and right before my eyes was a girl with a shirt on that barely covered her rear; she didn’t have pants on! One slip, and I would have seen all her goods! No, there wasn’t a hidden swimsuit underneath. If only I had a picture to show you; she was standing under the sign! What compels a person to be so open with their intimate body parts? It’s the prince of the power of the air, there to stir to the desires of man to disobedience. As Paul says, we were once just like them.

“among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:3

Thankfully, Jesus yanked us out of the fire and seated us with him in heavenly places, and now we no longer follow worldly passions or open ourselves up to indecency. We didn’t do anything to deserve it; we were once naked, just like that girl, but he chose to be merciful and save us through our faith in him.

Public service announcement: Cover your body parts!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

June 12

How do we know that everything covered in darkness will be brought into the light? First of all, he promised it would; then you have this:

that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:20-21

I’m confident we will start seeing the reveal take place soon because it has already begun! Evil won’t keep hiding in the darkness; they get too excited about their accomplishments and must share them with the world, but the world is wising up and beginning to see their crimes. Now that we’ve gotten a peek at their misdeeds, like one tiny roach creeping out from under the cabinet, we saw it and turned on the lights, and over 200,000 roaches went scrambling for cover. It’s too late now! We saw you, and now the exterminator is here! The Christ-followers knew it all along because we discern the truth, and we keep our eyes open to new revelations! The United States is not going to hell in a handbasket; it’s coming to life!

If you have no clue what I’m talking about, here’s the news: the word is getting out that after a hand count of the ballots in Maricopa County, Arizona, approximately 200,000 were missing from the boxes, which is enough to recall the electors in the entire state. The beginning of the end has arrived!

Another note: when I looked to see if I spelled Arizona correctly, I found out that the word arizona means - glossy snake. Isn’t that interesting?

June 11

Is it just me, or does it feel like there was a break in the atmosphere? I have an overwhelming sense of joy, and I’m filled with happiness. I woke up overwhelmed with thankfulness and full of praise. God’s doing something, and I don’t think it’s only in my life; I think it’s worldwide. We’ve been wearing our armor for a while, fighting hard against the enemy, praising the Almighty through our trying times, but something is happening or has happened. The battle could be over, but don’t stop fighting with your praise, just in case it’s not; that’s how we fight our battles! If you’ve felt dead for a while, or overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world, it’s time to get out the worship music, unleash your voice and give God your wholehearted praise. We have our light, it’s Jesus within us! Take that light, and your praise and defeat the enemy today! As Michael W. Smith would say, “This is how we fight our battles!” 🎶 

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might Ephesians 1:18-10

June 10

We’ve been in our new house for about a month, and I’ve finally gotten the interior close to the way I want it. Now the fun begins; the yard! I started laying out the front flower bed yesterday and can’t make up my mind on the shape. I’ve decided on the plants, including a mango tree, an avocado tree, and maybe a pecan tree. Once our irrigation is in, we’ll add some grass; right now, it’s mostly dirt and weeds. It’s taking time, but we’re getting there at a steady pace. Good things take a little time, but remember God’s blessings are never late and come when they impact us the most. However, we must also be thankful for spiritual blessings; they are more precious than gold and silver and lead to contentment beyond any material blessing could ever satisfy. Don’t become disheartened by what is going on in the world. Be thankful the Holy Spirit has given you discernment between what is real and what is a lie; it will come in handy when people become fearful about circumstances that may appear to be devastating. Remember, God is in control; whatever happens in this world is part of his plan. I expect that we will all be blessed beyond measure very soon. It’s coming; wait for it!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:3

June 9

Paul, the inventor of the run-on sentence! Just kidding, we are all guilty of it sometimes. The translators have taken portions of scripture and broken it down into smaller, digestible amounts, but when you read it, you must read it together, to begin with, to give it context. Ephesians 1: 15-21 is an example; 7 verses make up one sentence! There is a lot of value in this one sentence, but today I will highlight two verses. 

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:17-18

My hope for all my fellow Christ-followers is that you understand who God is, know him and his love for you. We sometimes forget how much he loves us, especially when things get rough in our lives. If only we could remember who we are and that our discomfort and pain are temporary, we might become less discouraged and know that it’s part of our calling. When you get there, you will have indeed entered into the kingdom of heaven. Let us all try to walk through those gates; he’s given us the key; Jesus!

June 8

I’m late getting started today; the dog woke me up three times to go out, beginning at 3 am, 4 am, and then again at 5 am! I finally went to sleep after that but should have gotten up! Then, after settling down with the perfect cup of coffee, I knocked it over, and the mug broke! That devil will not steal my joy because this is what I know; I am overly blessed to have salvation through Jesus and the guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Though I’m not getting as early a start as I wanted, I expect to get a lot accomplished today. I’m also thankful the God chose me to lavish his grace upon, and that each of you is also receiving it and are a part of his kingdom where we will reign together with Jesus as our ruler in the millennial kingdom, which I hope is soon. If you feel dismal or disappointed, think about our wonderful it is to have our Savior, then stand firm in your faith that he will rescue us from the ruler of this world. 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:7-10

June 7

Many men and women have needlessly lost their lives fighting unnecessary wars. They were brave and stood up for the countries they represented, and we are fortunate to have such as them, but most of those wars were built on lies to add gain to the few elites who are ruling the world. In other cases, it may have been a ploy for population control; they want enough people to serve them, but not too many. These people are corrupt and sow corruption, but they will pay the price! Food, pharmaceuticals, and other necessary businesses are all under their control. They use politicians, media, and Hollywood like a prostitute to sell their lies; many of them have sold their souls to the devil and have his mark. If you are still watching them, your mind is under their control, and they are under the control of Satan; find something else to do! 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8

June 6

I saw a video clip that made me realize that I don’t have enough information to understand everything I read in the Bible. I feel like I’m studying when all I’m doing is reading. I’m pulling apart the scripture verses one by one, as the Holy Spirit leads me; though it’s phenomenal information and words we can live by, I’m beginning to think that my knowledge of it only scrapes the surface; the depths of it are beyond my comprehension. God has given us everything we need to know, but because of our lack of accurate historical information, some of its meaning is lost. The Bible has a lot of rabbit holes, and I don’t think I’ve gone down any of them! It’s time for me to dig deeper and learn some history! If I can stay on one trail, maybe I will discover new information that sorts out the meaning of what I’m reading in scripture; this could take a lifetime. My recommendation for you is, if God gives you a curiosity concerning a biblical matter, stick to it until you get your answers, follow the rabbit down the hole, and sort out the details until you understand the strings that are attached.

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. Galatians 6:3-4

June 5

If we would all exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, all the issues we are dealing with in this day and age would disappear. But of course, if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, these attributes might not be easily attainable. Don’t get me wrong, people who don’t know Jesus can still have them, but it’s guaranteed that if you don’t strive for these, you don’t know Jesus. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus changes who we are. You cannot continue to live as you did before you came to know him. Once saved, you do an about-face, and you turn away from your former way of life, looking to Jesus as an example of who you are to become.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25

June 4

Is anyone else put off by the sexual perversion on full display? Not only that, but we must continue to have it shoved in our face for an entire month. I don’t care what they do in their private lives; they need to keep it to themselves. Trying to normalize something that God has labeled as works of the flesh is insanity. Why is a small percentage of the population controlling everything we see? Because we have allowed it! We fear stirring them up because they are so vocal and have the media in their pockets. We have all dealt with our own sin, but we don’t try to make it normal; we fight against it, seek forgiveness for being involved with it, and try to go on with our lives. One day they will see that Jesus paid the price for all of it, broke the chains of slavery, and they don’t have to live feeling guilty for a past full of regrets. They know it’s wrong, but they want Christians to tell them it’s okay; some have, but not this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love these people and have a lot in common with the artsy style many of them have, but the Bible states that it is a work of the flesh, it’s wrong, and makes it clear that they are not followers of Christ if they are a part of it. Love them, but pray for their salvation through Jesus.

That’s not the only sin we must contend with; take a look at this list:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

June 3

Do you ever wonder how the wealthy live? I want you to think this through for a minute. Think about being raised in a home where you never had to worry about money because your parents provided you with everything you ever wanted. Not only that, but you were given things that others could only dream of owning. These are good parents, and they allowed you to make mistakes and suffer the consequences of your actions, but in the back of your mind, you know you’re heir to their fortune, so you don’t worry. 

We are children with a wealthy Father! We are heirs to the promise. And though we may sin, we have a Father who is eager to forgive. It doesn’t mean he will take away the consequences of our actions, but it does mean the penalty will not lead to our eternal death. We don’t sin intentionally, but we do live differently knowing we are safe. That’s pure freedom!

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? Galatians 4:9

June 2

According to the scriptures, the Jews, the natural branch, do not hold an advantage over those of us who are grafted in. The promises made by God extend to us, those who are heirs through faith in Jesus. Only through the acceptance of Jesus are the Jews brought into these promises! The Old Testament promises and the New Testament promises are ours; we can take them to the bank! Even the promise of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, and later all the land that Abraham could see, was promised to his offspring or seed, singular, which is Jesus! Who has brought us into this promise? Jesus! Through our faith in him, we are heirs! We will be right there with him when he takes possession. This revelation also means that this particular promise has not been fulfilled, as we’ve been led to believe. That’s one more lie retracted from my brain!

For further study, look up Genesis 12:7, Genesis 13:15, Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:16

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:28-29

June 1

How often do we try to live a perfect life, though it’s mostly to satisfy our flesh? Isn’t it daily? If flesh counted for anything, why is the Holy Spirit necessary? We wouldn’t need him if only it were our fleshly lives that needed perfecting. 

You’ve seen these people; you may even be one of them, who walks around with arrogance about them, trying to make you think they are something they are not, like a poor person spending all their money to appear to be wealthy. I know a person who has themselves photographed in front of other people’s beautiful cars and homes, without explaining that it doesn’t belong to them. Appearances mean something to them, but what good does it do? Let all that stuff go! Find your wealth in the Holy Spirit! We have all we need to become who God intended us to be!

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

May 31

When I started writing these posts back in 2016, I posted afraid. I feared what others would think of me or that someone would challenge me biblically. I no longer post in fear but with confidence that the Holy Spirit is giving me utterance. I may not always hit the mark because I’m still human, but you can rest assured that I’ve prayed that God would hide any post that could be misleading. I trust him. I cut many things out of my life to make it easier for me to hear from him. I seldom listen to music with words; the only television I watch is in passing, and I limit myself to whom I listen to on social media; all to keep my mind clear of clutter. I stopped reading devotionals from other people because I didn’t want to pick up on their teaching, although I have a few hand-picked teachers that I trust to bring me the truth. Discipline is not easy, and I fail daily; I know I’m small potatoes in the kingdom of evangelicals, but God shows no partiality and has trusted me to bring a word of encouragement to anyone who will listen. Thank you for listening; you mean more to me than you will ever know. 

And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. Galatians 2:6

May 30

Yesterday, I began studying Galatians; it’s one of my favorite books in the Bible because Paul teaches about freedom in Christ. I started by reading the entire book; now, I will go through it slowly and wait on the Holy Spirit to bring to my attention the verses he wants me to emphasize.

My mission statement is “Training believers to break bonds and live free.” Galatians is a great place to start recognizing who you are in Christ and the grace we receive because of him. Lately, I’ve been trying to help people see through the lies we’ve been taught and try and undo some of the damage the devil has done. Until we start believing what the Bible says, we may stay in our captivity. Once you receive your freedom, you do whatever it takes to maintain it. Now and then, I will assess myself and make sure nothing has crept into my mind to undo my liberty and hold me captive. 

This weekend we celebrate those who have fought for us to live in freedom. We must honor those who’ve died for us by maintaining it and fighting against anyone foreign or domestic who intends to hold us in slavery and take away our rights. Stand strong army of God, take up your spiritual armor, and join the fight.

Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. Galatians 2:4-5

May 29

What if the Saturday morning cartoons that nearly all of us watched as children were indoctrinating us into a system of belief that would eventually lead us to where we are right now? Are we the generation where they began the process of mind control for the New World Order? I can still hear the Bugs Bunny version of Christopher Columbus arguing about the world being round. Don’t you think God would have mentioned that the world was round if it was? He calls it his footstool. What an awkward footstool! He also says it’s unmovable, yet we were taught that it spins and rotates. How could the devil have shown Jesus all the kingdoms of the world from a very high mountain? How would Jesus have seen the bottom if it was shaped like a globe? What if NASA was created to keep us from finding out the truth and all the film and photos were computer-generated or movies made with actors? When they try to debunk claims, why do they use scientists who don’t believe in God? That may not always be true, but the one I saw believed in the Big Bang theory. The Bible mentions that the earth is set on its foundation and is firm and secure, and can never be moved. It also says that the angels hold back the wind from the four corners; is that just a lie? He marks out the horizon and also speaks of the ends of the earth. So, with that being said, who are you going to believe?

When Paul makes an argument between “offspring” versus “offsprings” in Galatians 3:16, he shows how important every word is, even down to the spelling. So don’t you think that the other words in the Bible matter? “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.”

Lots of food for thought. I’m not a “flat earther,” but I am a Bible believer! Here are a few verses to start; there are many more. 

"tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved."  1 Chronicles 16:30

"He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world."  1 Samuel 2:8

"It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;"  Isaiah 40:22