November 10

It’s exciting to find out who you came from. In two evenings, I’ve traced one branch of my family back to the pilgrims! The pilgrims I found last night were planters! My family has always farmed! I have a great grandfather who was killed by the Algonquin Indians in the Jamestown massacre, and some who fought in the Revolutionary War, Confederacy, and the Indian Wars, and a grandfather who was pardoned by Andrew Johnson for some reason; I plan on looking into that a little further. I also found a family member who raced horses; my dad does that now! So much of what we do, can be traced back to something that was done in the past, you know the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This is why God sent word through Ezekiel to warn Israel to get rid of their past habits, and idols. These types of things can be passed on from generation to generation, with little knowledge of where they came from. So again I urge you to survey yourself and see if there is anything within you that doesn’t follow the Word of God, and cleanse yourself of it today. 

"“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?"  Ezekiel 20:30

November 9

It’s unfortunate, but if you have to deal with people, “Christian” or non-Christian, you will not have a peaceful life. Though Jesus left us His peace, it’s a different kind of peace. God’s kind of peace is knowing that when we leave this earth, we will be with Him. No longer must we worry about the ever after. However, we must live our lives, and in doing so, we will encounter people who do not have the same mindset as we do, and who do not have their hearts set toward Jesus. I get frustrated when I’m dealing with people who say that they are Christian and they do not listen to the Holy Spirit or follow the tenets of God. Unbelievers call them hypocritical, and so do I! I get angry because they have identified themselves as believers, yet follow a worldly mannerism. We must remember that they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions, not with us, but with God. Keep your heart turned toward Jesus, and all of the unrighteousness will be burnt up in the fire.

"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

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”"  John 16:33

November 8

We are all guilty of it; following the ways of our parents or our church into useless traditions or unhealthy habits. I’ve included church because there are some traditions that need to be set aside for the sake of the lost. While Israel was held captive in Egypt, they began worshipping the idols of the Egyptians. After God brought them out into the wilderness, they continued using those idols, even after He gave them the Ten Commandments. Because of that, He waited for the whole generation of those who had lived in captivity to die before He allowed them to enter the promised land. Moses taught the children the ways of the Lord and to follow His precepts. Are there some areas of your life that you need to let go of that are against God? Maybe He’s waiting for you to give Him your total devotion before He blesses you with the promise He made you. Do a survey of your life and begin to release those long held family traditions that separate you from God and are harmful to you and others.

“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, Ezekiel 20:18-19

November 7

I felt the Holy Spirit draw me outside this morning. So I built a fire. He said to me, ‘I have placed you in a sanctuary in the middle of a city and surrounded you with beauty, though you cannot see it, you can still hear the sounds of what is happening around you. I did not want you so far removed from the public that you forget why I commissioned you.’ This is such a good reminder for all of us. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our home, and our need for peace that we forget that there are many out there who do not know the love of Jesus. The fire reminds me that the Lord is a consuming fire. That means the He is able to burn up any iniquity, that lives within us, and from anyone else who puts their trust in Him. Those who don’t trust Him, will be burned up along with their sin. A sinful being cannot occupy the same space as our Holy God. That fire that burned up your sin, will become a light within you, make sure you let it shine for all to see.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

November 6

Once a month I try to take some time in the woods to meet with Jesus. It gets me away from the house with its distractions, and helps me keep my attention on the Lord. There is much to be learned by spending time among the trees. One of the ways He speaks to me is through nature. I found the perfect spot, but had to make my way through many spider webs to get there. Before sitting, I looked around at my surroundings, and right above me was a cypress tree with a large birds nest. I decided to take a picture of it. As I was taking the picture, I noticed another nest, this one was a squirrel nest, so of course, I need a picture of them both together. Then I noticed another one! Three tall trees, each with a nest! I got all kinds of meanings for this, but today I got His answer! God planted a branch on a mountain, and under Him, we would be protected. That branch was Jesus, and He is a noble cedar and our protection. Rest easy today my fellow Christians, we are safe.

On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. Ezekiel 17:23

November 5

Did we, as a country, make a deal with the devil? The only way I could describe what we are seeing in our country is war. We may not be using physical weapons, but nevertheless, the words are sharp and cutting. A prime example is my church. We are in a city of many churches, more than most towns, yet we have been opposed on every side, not by people, but by spiritual forces. It’s like trying to get through a battle line and the hits keep coming. We are taking ground that hasn’t been touched by other churches, so it’s been like stirring up a hornets nest. I believe the same is true in our country. We are touching on areas that haven’t been touched and the devil is angry. Have we closed our eyes, closed our ears, and shut our mouths to the evil that has abounded from the beginning? We must keep moving forward and keep fighting for truth and justice, and take back ground that was lost to the enemy. 

Though Ezekiel is speaking of King Zedekiah, because he broke his covenant with the Lord, the lesson is similar to what we are dealing with today.

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head."  Ezekiel 17:19

November 3

Sometimes I’ll read a scripture and have a deep conviction that He is talking directly to me. Even though the context of the scripture may be that God was giving a warning to Israel in His anger, you know that He still gets disappointed when we are as they were. Though we began as a Christian nation, we have wandered far from the truth and have committed abominations in the eyes of the Lord. As Christians, we have been adopted into the Holy family, to become the bride of Christ. When God has given warnings about conduct, we can take it to the bank that He is also talking to us because of the things we are doing as a nation and as individuals. Pride, haughtiness, excess of everything, including food, prosperous ease; if these words don’t reek of who we are, I don’t know what does. He called them Sodom and you know what happened to Sodom! Tremble before the Lord in repentance so that you may be spared should destruction come upon this nation.

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it. Ezekiel 16:49-50

November 2

The countdown to Thanksgiving begins. Though we should always be thankful to God for all the blessings He has given us, there is something extra special about the season of Thanksgiving. Even though we tend to skip from fall straight into Christmas, I believe we should spend some time in between and give glory to the One who gave us these magnificent seasons. Our biggest blessing is Jesus, and we should honor Him every day for His love, and for snatching us from the fire. We should also go back and look at the memorial stones we have set up as important reminders of answered prayers, where we have seen His hand of blessing in our lives. These memorial stones have become our testament to His mercy and a way to show others that He is real. Thanksgiving is a special holiday set up to honor our amazing God, so take a walk back through your history and begin thanking Him for all He has done.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"  Psalms 100:4

November 1

My father-in-law was in the Navy. The ship he was on docked in Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, and they were allowed to go into town. Every day he would walk by this enormous wall, but never thought much about it. It wasn’t until he it was gone that he realized that what he thought was a wall was actually a ship! He was so close to it that he couldn’t see the whole thing. This is how I think of God. He’s right here amongst us, but because of His size compared to our size, we can’t see Him. When He tells us that Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, that should give us the idea that we have underestimated how big our God is. He also says that the train of His robe fills the temple. So, if Heaven is His throne, and we live on the footstool, are we in the throne room? I look at the clouds and the stars as His robe, I mean, He is the King, why wouldn’t He have a fluffy, sparkly robe? The moral of this story is, the bigger God is to you, the closer you are to Him.

"Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?"  Isa 66:1

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple."  Isa 6:1

October 31

I’m very proud of my church for redeeming today by drawing children to a Christian carnival rather than sending them out into the unknown. We have a very active missions team who puts a lot of effort into bringing people to know Jesus, first locally, then in the state, nation, and the world. The great thing about the local mission field is that you get to see the fruits of your labor first hand. Tonight, we will get to watch sweet little faces light up, that might need a little encouragement, and love. We aren’t going into a safe or a well-to-do area of town, no, we’re going where we are needed the most. Just before Jesus ascended back into Heaven, He gave us a template for who we are to minister to. He said that we would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Basically we are to minister everywhere, but tonight, we will be in our Jerusalem, also known as Plant City. Serving doesn’t have to be drudgery, it can be fun, so get out there and be a witness for Jesus!

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”"  Acts 1:8

October 30

Actions speak louder than words. Do you go out of your way to help someone in need or do you turn a blind eye to them? I watched as a man gave some money to an individual standing at the corner near the grocery store, and it did my heart good to see it. That man stood behind what he believes and showed it by being charitable. God saw it, and I’m sure He was pleased. However, when I was finished at the store, I saw the same beggar having a conversation on his cell phone. Is it wrong for him to have a phone? No, but I’m less inclined to give to someone who still has connections. The beggars actions didn’t stop the man in the car from being blessed, and may have been an act of obedience. His kindness shows that there are still good people in this world. I’m not saying you need to give to the beggar, but I say you need to go out of your way to be kind. Open your heart to hear what the Holy Spirit says and your obedience will not be in vain.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

October 29

It’s easy to become hardened towards people, especially this day and age where we are so divided. There is an evil force behind everything you see happening. There are pawns being used to bring about the enemy's divisive plan, people who have made a deal with the devil. If you align yourself with these people, you will surely suffer the same consequences as them. There is only one side to be on where there is safety and that is God’s side. He makes it very clear in the Bible, the things that are acceptable and those that aren’t. Today, search your heart and see if you have any hate, or anything that doesn’t line up with God’s precepts, and ask for forgiveness. If your mind is not clear enough to see it, ask God to search your heart and reveal what needs to be redeemed. Standing firm on the Word of God is the better place to be. Our fear should be of Him and not of man. 

"But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”"  Ezekiel 11:21

October 28

My husband and I were at a local diner grabbing a bite to eat before heading home. There were some really good things on the menu including beer battered fish! I love beer batter crust, it adds a little extra greasiness that makes it so tasty.  When I got my fish and it looked amazing, and I couldn’t wait to eat! I took one bite and all I got was crust. After only getting crust, I decided to break it open, and found that there was hardly any fish! Don’t get me wrong, the crust was delicious, but there has to be some nutritional value in the meal, otherwise I could just eat cake. It reminds me of how we try to conceal God within other things or secretly worship other gods. Maybe you’re worshipping the god of television, internet, or social media, or maybe it’s the gaming god. You could be worshipping the god of perfectionism, money, or spending. There are so many more! Don’t wrap God in your idolatry and try to pass it off as worship. Remember, whatever is hidden in darkness will be brought into the light and laid bare, just like my fish.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’” He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.” Ezekiel 8:12-13

October 27

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to notice my own reaction to certain unpleasant circumstances. My heart will begin to race and a feeling of dread comes over me. I have to remind myself that what I’m fretting about is minor compared to eternity. It’s fear that has gripped me; it won’t make any difference in how God feels about me. Though it may not be the best of situations, it has been a learning experience; learning to allow God to handle it because He’s better at dealing with these things than I am, and He can see the outcome. I’m sure I’ve always had this reaction, but my awareness of it is now heightened. What do you do when fear takes over? Do you let the anxiety rule you or take control of you? Remember who your God is! He is the creator of the world, the very one who gave you breath, He is your strength. As soon as I tell myself this, an amazing peace comes over me, because I know God will handle it.

"fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

October 26

Some things that I’ve learned by digging deep into God’s word have been amazing and impactful. Surface learning as a child kept me hanging on to the Lord, so that when I became an adult I yearned for more of Him. I hope that one day I look back and realize that what I know today was mere child’s play, and it will be, because God is more grand than any of us can imagine. There is so much more to be discovered and the only way to get there is through total commitment to Him. 

I’m studying Ezekiel, and God commissioned him to go to His people and warn them of the coming wrath and for them to turn from their wicked ways. Not unlike our nation, they were doing detestable things. Do you know why they were detestable? Because they perverted what God had intended for good and because it took the attention away from Him. He is a jealous God! 

Things are such a mess here in our own country, and will only get messier as we keep moving further and further away from God by turning to wickedness. Dig deep into His word, and just as God marked those who would be saved from His wrath in Ezekiel, we have the mark of Christ and have the hope of salvation. If you are truly saved, your heart will be set towards Him and your desire for Him will outweigh your desire for the world.

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 11:10-21

October 25

After being at a Christian leadership conference for a few days, you would think that I would have much material to help me bring a word to focus on. However, going to conferences are not really my thing. I’m a calm and peace loving person where solitude is my desire, and not so much being around the high energy exhibited by several hundred people converging together for a common message. Don’t get me wrong, God has a plan for every activity He invites you to join, even if it’s to remind you that you still have some things to work out from within you. By “you” I mean me. He hasn’t told me what it is yet, so if you get a word for me, please don’t hesitate to share it. We are all a work in progress and will not become our original self until we are reigning in the Kingdom together, but in the meantime, we keep striving to be the best representation of Jesus we can be. Here is the takeaway, you’re not perfect, there’s only One who was, so be patient with yourself as you continue to grow, and in due time He will make it clear the changes you need to make. 

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."  2 Corinthians 7:1

October 24

Your identity is in Christ. You are a child of God! You are a new creation in Jesus! We tend to say these words as part of our Christian lingo, but do you believe it? Are you walking the walk or just talking the talk? I can pull out verses and Christian sayings all day. If you start a sentence, I can finish it. It’s not hard to pick up on the lingo, just watch any television evangelist and you will get it, but have you taken it from head knowledge to your heart? It’s easy for us to say that our identity is in Christ, but it’s also easy to go on living as if we are still in the world, because we never made it a part of our life. How do you get there? You can’t do it alone, you have to partner with the Holy Spirit, it’s the only way. You have to quiet yourself and begin listening for His voice. Let Him begin to tell you who you are. Let His voice become the loudest voice you hear, so that the power of the world’s voice is drowned out, and so the enemy has to work hard to get your attention. Stop walking with one foot in the world and one in the kingdom, because if you think about it, having one foot in the world is like not being in the kingdom at all. Jump into the deep end! Jesus is waiting.

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

October 23

I’m in the lobby of a busy hotel that serves breakfast, so finding a quiet place to write might be impossible. There is the hustle and bustle of people going about their business, people are eating, and a hotel employee preparing the food in a rather noisy manner. Through all of this, God is still in it. He is among us, the very breath we breathe is His. You can’t hide from Him, he knows where you are, and sees all you do. Could it be that this is why there is such fear in people who know they are doing wrong? When someone lashes out against a segment of people, namely Christians, whom they feel are judging them, is it because of their own feelings of guilt? Though we may not be engaged in what they are doing, or thinking about them, their constant whining and presence in the media, keep them in the forefront of our minds, and remind us of the depravity of this world. Deep in their hearts, though they say they don’t believe in God, there is something within them that makes them feel guilty for their actions. I think it’s God’s presence that is stirring them up, and because they can’t see Him, they lash out at the people who know Him. Hold onto your belief, Jesus is coming soon. 

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:12

October 21

The worries that come with having a target on your back can be overwhelming. There is the fear of what will come next, and the anxiety of the anticipation. I don’t like it! No one likes it! Oh, and by the way, if you are a Christian, you have a target on your back! The enemy knows your reaction, he has studied humans for thousands of years and knows just what to have his “tools” say and do to cause you to react. He will stir someone against you, and have them come after you, using mere words, harsh, and disturbing words. The less you react, the angrier they get. What is the worse case scenario of the situation? Jail? Death? I think it depends on what you consider the worse case. God will protect His own. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with issues, but it does mean He will be your place to find comfort. I would say that death would be the worse, and it doesn’t seem so bad when you have Jesus. When facing a situation, take a look, and consider the possible outcome, and know that God will make a way for you, even if it’s different than what’s in your heart.

Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. Psalms 118:5-7

October 20

There is a dead tree branch hanging over my yard. The tree has already begun to heal around the branch, but it can’t heal completely because the branch hasn’t broken off. So many things in nature teach us about ourselves. We all have scars as reminders of our past hurts. Emotional scars may be more significant than our physical scars and can be used to help others. However, unhealed emotions will bleed all over other people and cause them to receive gaping wounds too. The blood of emotions cut deep. If you think you have control over them, you’re wrong, we can all see them. They are revealed through your attitude, the words that come out of your mouth, and your thoughts and actions. I would call these compound fractures, because you’re not only broken, you’re bleeding. Stop lying to yourself by saying you don’t have a problem or an issue. If you can’t control your emotions, you have a problem. I could say this all day, but no one will hear it, you have to take this to God. Ask Him to heal you. He may send someone special to help you, a doctor, or a friend. Receive their help and stop denying that you need it.

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10