January 7, 2022

We aren’t supposed to sit back and watch as the evil powers try and overtake us and try to turn us to toward their way of living. We are to continue to live right in the eyes of God and perhaps turn some of them back from the fire that awaits them. Rather than give them a dose of their own medicine, we must continue to be good to them. We have been given life because of God's great love for us; we shouldn’t want anyone to suffer eternal damnation. I know what you’re thinking; I had to ask myself if I really believed that because everything in me wants to fight back with the same kind of force they use, but after I talked it out with God, I came to conclude that those who are doing evil things are ultimately deceived. If they knew the truth about God, they wouldn’t do what they do. Our weapons are different; they are spiritual, and we must use them to turn the forces of darkness away. So, keep shining the light of Jesus, and the darkness will flee; that’s real love.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

January 6, 2022

Last night, my husband and I went out to watch our engineer play in his rock and roll band at a local pub. He plays 70’s and 80’s music which is my era. Listening to the music on the radio on the way there and the music he sang made me realize that a part of the fall in our country’s standards has a lot to do with the glamorization of sin through the music in which we listen. We have become tolerant of sin; not that sin didn’t exist before the music, believe me, it was there, but it wasn’t poured into the heads of children who, as adults, now think it’s okay to commit sin and dismiss it as old-fashioned when past generations are intolerant of it. Most kids don’t listen to the words and sing along with the lyrics, not understanding that they were being programmed to believe that sin is okay. 

We wonder why the family dynamics have become decimated over the past fifty-plus years. The master manipulator made sure he had people in place in the government and the music industry to force-feed us the misleading information. Eventually, our families would be torn apart by what we came to believe through music. Make sure you understand that the government, Hollywood, and the music industry are connected. When you open your eyes, you will begin seeing the trap set by Satan. For this reason, it’s hard to teach people to trust Jesus to help them turn away from sin. As a soldier in Christ’s army, we must continue to fight for others to come to know him; he is their only hope.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

January 5, 2022

Isn’t it interesting how light can change things? Jesus was called the light of the world, “in him there is no darkness at all.” Light makes a difference. If you haven’t noticed, light is being shined in some very dark places, and we see the underbelly of the world exposed. It is part of cleaning up society, a virtual separating of the wheat from the tares. It’s a messy process, but aren’t you glad we are beginning to see the truth about how swampy the world's governments are and how they use every means possible to continue to try and keep us in the dark about their treasonous acts? There is a bright light beaming on their illicit deeds at the hand of the LORD. They lie so much that they lie about their lies! We see it, and I believe Jesus will give us a way out of this mess. Good things are happening; wait while the wheat is threshed and the chaff gets burned!

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

January 4, 2022

After a few days of being tormented by the evil one, a breakthrough came. The badgering wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle with the help of Jesus, but frustrating nonetheless. If you’ve read a few of my posts, then you know that I believe in physical signs of spiritual manifestations, especially when the sign is a bird. Yesterday, after I left the house to go to the bank, my neighbor called and asked me if I saw the white doves sitting on my roof. White doves? I’ve never seen them in the wild, so I drove back home hoping to catch a glimpse, but they had already flown off. They probably escaped from somewhere and stopped in for a bite to eat. Whatever the case, I’m happy to know that they were at my house and that someone saw them. 

What does this mean? Does it mean the Holy Spirit descended upon my home? Maybe, but I think he’s already there. Did you know that the name Jonah means “dove”? What is the sign of Jonah that Jesus mentioned? God sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh to help turn them from their wicked ways, like the resurrection of the dead. I believe it’s a confirmation of my calling; to speak to those who may think they have salvation, when maybe they don’t, the people that are Christian in name only. God knew I needed his confirmation, so he sent me a sign. 

What can you learn from this experience? Pay attention to the physical signs confirming that God may be speaking to you.

Thank you for reading and sharing my posts. I appreciate every one of you!

And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. John 1:32

January 3, 2022

Our fellowship with Jesus is precious, and we must defend it against the power of sin and darkness. I know a person who claims he loves his children, but his actions prove otherwise. He cries because he longs for them. He is in and out of jail and can’t seem to leave the drugs and foolishness behind. He is compelled to continue in a lifestyle that prohibits his interaction with his children leaving them to wonder if he even cares. 

What are you doing that would cause Jesus to wonder if you love him? Are you neglecting a relationship with him because your lifestyle is opposed to righteousness? It’s time to do an assessment and see if anything is blocking you from the blessing of fellowship with Jesus.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 1 John 1:6

January 2, 2022

An excellent start to this year would be for us to untangle ourselves from the deeds of darkness. Many pleasures we hold dear have become useless in an age of spiritual war and can bring hopelessness if we don’t keep them in check. We’ve gotten used to certain lifestyles and having extraordinary things, thinking we can’t live without them that we stress when they are gone. Still, the reality is that they are only useless inanimate objects or a catalyst for our entertainment. Use your mind to reason and contemplate your actual needs, and consider anything outside those needs as only tools to help fulfill those requirements. We have become slaves to our entanglements, so slough off any dead useless behaviors and attachments to possessions so the life of Jesus will shine more brightly through you.

They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 2 Peter 2:19

January 1, 2022

Every year, I ask God for a word to carry throughout the year that I can look back on to see his fulfillment.  2021’s word was “water,” which was fitting; water represents the Holy Spirit and cleansing. We need to trust that God fulfilled his word and that supernatural cleansing took place during 2021 without a physical flood like in the day of Noah. Eventually, we will see what he did; it’s not for our eyes yet.

For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 2 Peter 3:5

I inquired of God last evening what my new word would be for 2022. My answer came this morning; my new word is fire! Fire represents the presence of God, cleansing, judgment, strife, and more. We have nothing to fear, but those who’ve chosen to follow Satan, and God already knows who they are, may soon face the fire. 

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3:7

Ask God for a word and write it down, so you don’t forget it. Share it here because it would be great to see what God is saying to his children and piece together a prophecy for this year.

December 31

If I ramble today, forgive me. I’m a bit anxious about tomorrow, the beginning of 2022. Gasp! In early 2014, I began seeing 222 everywhere, and since then, I have been trying to figure out the meaning. When I started seeing it, I prayed because if it was from the enemy, I wanted him to flee, but if it was from God, he deserved praise; I didn’t know if it was a warning of pending distress or a blessing. If it was a warning, I needed the cover of prayer, and if it was a blessing, I needed to praise the One who was blessing me. I become a bit stressed when I see it because, more often than not, trouble has followed it; not serious trouble, but uncomfortable issues. Maybe God intervenes because of my prayer. One time I saw it, there was a car accident that backed up the traffic for over an hour, and the accident was at mile marker 222! This type of thing happens all the time! I know now that it’s not from the enemy because the 222’s would have stopped already. After all, I pray every time. 

The point of today’s message is to pray for 2022, that it will be a blessing rather than a curse and that God will make good of what the enemy intends for evil. 

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21

December 30

Last evening we decided to go to the lovely little town of Dunedin for dinner. The route guidance took us through the tourist section of Clearwater Beach; we knew better than to go that way because of the overpopulation of that area. It was a nightmare! We got stuck in traffic for over an hour! With all the beautiful beaches in Florida, it seems that the only beach people from out of state hear about is Clearwater. My advice, don’t go there, it’s not worth the hassle. After agonizing in stop-and-go traffic, our nerves were shot, and our anxiety was off the charts; plus, we were hungry! We should have taken the road less traveled, but no, we had to subject ourselves to chaos. 

This scenario is the perfect example of our life in Christ. When you are the elect of Jesus, and you follow him closely, you are on the road less traveled. Most people choose the chaotic route where worldly living keeps them enticed by the draw of sinful desires. We have chosen a more leisurely lifestyle where peacefulness and tranquility draw us closer to Jesus. Christian living is far from boring, but in the end, we will be home with Jesus rather than cast into hell where chaos lives eternally.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

December 29

We’ve gone out to dinner for the last two nights. That’s usual for us, but we are taking a bit of a vacation before the new year. Much to our surprise, many people have had the same idea; the restaurants were packed both nights. It seems like people are finally going back to work, and life is beginning to feel somewhat normal again. However, living in the last of the last days, you cannot call it normal; it’s anything but ordinary. Those awake can never be lulled back to sleep and can see the coming destruction of those around us if they don’t awaken to the truth. We’ve been under the spell of the devil for far too long; he has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. 

To help you start filtering out the lies, you must resolve to read your Bible daily. Though it doesn’t seem like it would make a difference, I can assure you that feeding your mind wholesome food will enable you to begin seeing the truth.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7

December 28

I had to meet a home inspector early Monday morning. On my way there, I encountered a large semi-truck blocking the entire road, so I had to find a different route. Before I got to my destination, the road I chose was blocked by a pickup truck; it looked like someone had forgotten to put it in park, and it rolled into the street; I was able to go around this roadblock. After the second roadblock, I said to myself, if this happens again, I’ll know God is speaking to me, and it happened! The inspection was completed, and I headed back home, only to find that the road to my home was blocked by a tree removal company’s truck, but I could squeeze by. All of this happened within a short period; I can’t make this stuff up!

The big truck represents God and his protection; he blocked that path to protect the person I might encounter on that particular path and possibly me. The other two roads, he allowed me to squeeze by slowly and carefully with his help. It’s no coincidence that I was headed to an inspection; God made me aware that he was inspecting me.

This whole scenario played out within an hour of my passing these roadblocks, and I could see why God completely blocked my interactions with a particular person because I was a little salty about them. However, he did allow two minor interactions with others involved to accomplish his intentions. The lesson, which I learned well, is not to dismiss anything as coincidence when God is at work in your life. The following verse applies to me, but it’s a good lesson for everyone.

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

December 27

After I finished writing my devotional yesterday, I took a long walk on the beach. It was still fairly early, so the sun hadn’t made its way over the tops of the high rises lining the shore. Anytime I ask the LORD to teach me something, he is faithful to answer. He drew my attention to the shadows cast by the buildings; it was still cool, so I tried to hurry past the shade so I could feel the sun on my skin. There was a shadow, then sun, and as I continued walking, the pattern repeated. I walked about a mile until I reached a beach park where there were no more buildings; it opened up to the beauty of the full sun. 

When I turned to walk back, nearly the entire beach was drenched in sunlight, but as I drew closer to home, where the beach narrows, three very tall buildings were still casting their shadow, they are all part of the same complex called Ultimar. I can’t make this stuff up! The last building that I pass is called the Finale’, and my building is called The Harbour. 

The walk we take during this lifetime is like walking in the shadow of the buildings, where you have shadowy days and sunny days, good and bad. Those days are nearing the end. The Ultimar represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and is the shadow of the Almighty, where it is the ultimate safety. We are nearing the Finale,’ and soon, we will reside in a safe Harbour. Be patient in your adversity; it’s almost over. We can look forward to a thousand years of peace where the LORD Jesus will rule and reign, and his light will shine continuously.

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

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91:1

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

December 26

My daughter overheard someone speaking negatively about me the other day; they had accidentally called her without knowing. Taking into account the nature and character of the person on the other end of the phone, I dismissed it. She only heard a snippet of what they said, but they were disparaging me and said they “didn’t know how I could write a devotional.” So instead of becoming hurt because another person thinks ill of me, it fueled me to do more because I know that the enemy meant it for evil, but God will use it for good. I don't need to mention this incident to them because they spoke out of their character, and their father is the devil, and that’s punishment enough. 

The only reason I’m telling you about it is that you need to know that you will be mischaracterized at the hand of the enemy, but you should never allow it to stop you from doing what God has called you to do and continue trusting the one who judges justly.

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:23

December 25

Resolve to begin reading your Bible daily over this next year. You don’t have to read it in its entirety, and if you don’t know where to start, start in John. Pray before you read; if you don’t know what to pray, pray the Lord’s Prayer. Taking this simple step of obedience will change your life, honor God, and help you deal with whatever this world tries to throw at you. God needs to hear from you through your prayer, and you need to hear from him through reading your Bible. It’s a simple conversation, a dedication to the One who loves you the most. 

Chew on this verse today; it’s the perfect explanation of why we celebrate Jesus on this special day:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

December 23

If you want a picture of what real love is, read Luke 23. This chapter reveals the lengths Jesus went to for our salvation. He endured all different kinds of physical and emotional trauma on our behalf. From his birth to his death and resurrection, his love for us is evident and overwhelmingly powerful; so powerful that it saves us from eternal damnation but also allows us the hope for living in Heaven for our eternity. The Christmas season is drawing to an end; make it a point to remember why we celebrate it. I’ve struggled for years concerning the whole celebration because of its pagan beginnings, but so much good can come from it if we make it about Jesus; it brings joy and festivity to an otherwise bleak time of year. Keep Christ in Christmas; he’s been here since before the foundation of the world so let’s honor him as he deserves.

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-43

December 22

Right before Jesus was seized and taken to the cross for our sins, he told his disciples that scripture must be fulfilled about him. It was true then, and it’s true now. I found it interesting that this portion of scripture was included:

And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” Luke 22:35-37

Was this written to make the story good, or was this written as instructions to us?  I believe Luke included this scripture for this time in history. Take your money and weapons and do what you must do because what was written about Jesus will be fulfilled, and it’s happening right now. Defend yourself against the power of darkness. Everything he taught was to clear your mind of damage caused by your circumstances, and in this one moment, it changes to the physical. We know by his example that this was a defensive strategy because when Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Jesus stopped him from doing any more damage and healed the servant's ear. He wants us to be prepared for whatever trials may be coming; prepare your mind and your body because whether we are ready or not, scripture is amid fulfillment. 

December 21

If you haven’t read Luke 21, you should. Some people are reading through the Book of Luke like an advent to Christmas, so I decided to jump in and catch up on the last few chapters as we approach Christmas Day. Chapter 21 reads like a checklist. With the news and social media controlling the narrative, you may not realize that the prophecy Jesus spoke about in this chapter is happening now; you’ve probably heard bits and pieces of rumors, so it will perk your ears as you read it. Jesus told us about the conspiracies long ago; you may not believe people when they tell you what’s unfolding in the world today or maybe it’s too disturbing, so you would rather pretend it’s not happening; I completely understand that approach, but that creates a problem for the rest of us. Unless the majority of the people wake up to what’s going on, the rulers of darkness will win. This verse consoles me: 

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

We think we know what freedom is, but we don’t. We will receive our true freedom when Jesus redeems us from this world. Stand strong, mighty warriors! Keep up the fight!

December 20

I’m a residential real estate agent/broker by trade. I’ve been in it many years and have my own company. It has become second nature, except for my latest endeavor to sell an entire townhouse complex. With it being residential, I thought it would be as simple as selling any house, but I was wrong; it’s more commercial than residential, and investors are clamoring for it. The buyers in this market want to know the cap rate. So, I give them the numbers, and they can calculate the rate themselves. I left all that math behind after I got my license; I memorized it long enough to pass the exam!

God has invested a lot in us and expects a return on his investment. If he gives you a little, he expects you to invest what he gave you, so he gets a good return. If he gives you a lot, he expects a lot in return. Take what he has given you and increase it. The more people you tell about Jesus and bring into the kingdom of God, the quicker the increase of God’s investment. Do your part.

If you read Luke 19, The Parable of the Ten Minas, this might become clearer.

‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” Luke 19:26-27

December 19

Yesterday, every so often, I would hear a banging noise, and I looked out the window but wouldn’t see anything. Finally, I walked outside and saw it; a squirrel had somehow gotten into the bird feeder and couldn’t get out! That smart little thing had figured out how to lift the lid off the top of the feeder to get into it but couldn’t figure out how to get out. What a predicament! The food was so enticing that he couldn’t resist and then became trapped with no way out. 

This scenario is a picture of how sin draws us in, traps us, and offers no way out. The filthy little creature was caught red-handed and sentenced to die if I hadn’t come along and released him. In this story, I acted like Jesus, forgave that little rascal for stealing from the birds I was feeding, and gave him his life back. As a follower of Jesus, we commit to helping him bring others to salvation by releasing them from the trap of sin through faith in him; it’s an act of love and obedience. Play your part, and pass on the knowledge of salvation through Jesus; this world is crying out for him, and we are his representative until he returns.

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 1 Peter 1:22-23

December 18

It’s been an interesting week in the rental business. I don’t think we’ve ever had a week where three refrigerators have broken down all at once. Thankfully, the repairs were minor. Come to think about it, last week, we had to purchase a new refrigerator for our condo because it wasn’t cooling properly. That makes four! When I see things repeated, my ears perk up because God may be speaking to me through my circumstances, so I need to pay attention. A refrigerator can symbolize the heart, even a cold heart. I don’t think it’s about a “cold” heart because there were issues with two of them becoming warm. The other two were leaking onto the floor. I have some digging to do, and if you have some clues to the meaning, feel free to expand. 

The point of telling you this is to learn to pay attention to the things going on around you; there is a reason for everything. We’re not a bowling lane with the bumpers up, keeping us out of the gutter and causing us to bounce off the sides until life is over; everything has meaning. God will speak to you through your circumstances. When you recognize situations repeating, you must become a detective and look for the point. 

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27