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

September 26

Have you ever had plans for a leisurely day and had those plans sidelined? It happens all the time! My itinerary was to go to the doctor, and then spend some time gathering items needed for a combined birthday party for some of my favorite people scheduled for today. As usual, well-laid plans are thwarted when we have to tend to the needs of others. I ended up spending the day caring for a family member who wasn’t feeling well and sat with them in the emergency room while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong. All the tests came back good, but they didn’t come up with a diagnosis; however, after they pumped him full of liquids, he miraculously felt better, so my diagnosis is that he was dehydrated. He also needed some of that Living Water that I talked about yesterday, but he’s too stubborn to drink it. What’s funny is that it didn’t take me all day to gather what I needed for today’s party. The moral of this story is for you not to get too upset or anxious over a change of plans; remember, we make plans, but God establishes our steps; it is especially true when someone needs a little extra love and care. Stay flexible, so you don’t break when you get bent!

For those of you who are caregivers, don’t allow yourself to become exasperated over your current situation. I know you need a break, but often that break will only come when someone passes away. You are right where God wants you to be; stay in close contact with him, and he will help you get through it. I began hearing God’s voice while caring for a loved one many years ago, and that is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. Wait for it; the good will come.

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

September 25

 

Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? When I write my post each morning, I begin by telling a story. At that point, it’s just a story, and I have no idea where the lesson is leading. By the time I get to the end of it, the Holy Spirit gives me the answer; it’s not until then that I understand. Sometimes when I’m going through a situation, I can see the lesson spelled out before me, but that’s usually when a crisis has unfolded. Jesus taught in parables, and I learned everything I know about teaching in parables from him; he is my teacher, counselor, and savior.

In most cases, the scriptures I’m reading that day will draw my attention to the lesson. If I use a verse that doesn’t seem to fit the story, I can guarantee you it was that verse that led me to the revelation. What I’m trying to teach you today is to begin thinking about your day, and try and figure out what God is revealing to you through the everyday things. It’s better to learn through the minor occurrences than to have him teach you through dramatic events. When I heard him tell me to follow his steps, that’s what I did. What he told me was not only for me; it’s also for you. Follow his steps and see all that you can learn from him.

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matthew 13:10-11

September 24

 

Jesus held nothing back in his teachings, so neither will I. 

No matter what President Obama said, the United States is a Christian country, and the founding fathers based our constitution and the amendments on biblical principles. Our safety and security have always given us the peace we needed to go about our daily activities without worry. The problem we see now is that many have rejected Jesus and have turned their backs on him, and though some think they are rejecting the things of the past, they have become slaves to the evil parts of it. The difference between then and now is the enemy is using the spirit of slavery to keep people in line to do his will, and cause chaos. Anyone who falls in line with the party of slavery is still a slave to them and is a useful tool of the enemy. When the enemy establishes Planned Parenthood in poor communities, he is purposefully there to kill their children; they can’t see it because they are hoodwinked. I am pro-life and will always side with the party that promotes life; there is no if, ands, or buts about it! If you think you are doing God’s will by voting another way, you need to do some soul searching and ask God if you’re doing the right thing and confirm your salvation. Reject the spirit of slavery, Satan is the one pulling strings and is behind the whole thing!

Will the same fate be ours, as will be Capernaum?

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” Matthew 11:23-24

September 23

Yesterday, I bought a bird feeder. I set it up and began to watch. It sat there for a while before it drew in the first guest, but when he found it, he was delighted! Guess who was back for more this morning, the same little bird. I watched as more came and perched on the fence waiting to jump in and enjoy, but still a little skittish, not believing that the trough is there just for them. Then, along comes my noisy little dogs, barking and intimidating them, and they fly away. They don’t realize that the dogs can’t reach them, but the noise is enough to keep them away. 

This same thing happens to people as their eyes begin to open to Jesus. It takes a heart strengthened by the Holy Spirit to believe and to overcome the obstacles placed by the devil as a strategy of intimidation; he’s like my noisy dogs scaring the birds away from the feeder. Don’t let anything stop you from feeding at the trough; it's free, eat, and enjoy!

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

September 22

After spending a few days at the beach, we’re back home. I try to keep my routines the same, whether at home or away. I’m a creature of habit, but there are slight differences in our homes because it’s nearly impossible to duplicate an environment, even though I’ve tried. While at the beach, I must reach into the cabinet above the coffee pot to get my k-cup to make that delicious jewel that helps me wake up a bit, so I did the same thing this morning without thinking; it had become a habit. By 8 a.m., I’m usually wide awake, and the scriptures are leaping off the page, but this morning the coffee tasted bad, and I was still sleepy; I blamed the bad taste on the different water sources, and my sleepiness on, well, just a bad day. When I went to make my second cup, I realized what I had done; I had reached into the cabinet, but all that’s in the cabinet is decaf! My regular coffee sits in a canister on the counter. That second cup woke me right up! 

Is your daily routine too routine? Maybe you need to mix it up a bit, do something different, so it doesn’t become stale and ordinary. Look at what a mixed up routine did for me; it made me realize that I may be too dependent on coffee. God help me; I love coffee so much. The mix-up happened for a reason, probably so I would have a story, but it became twofold by teaching me a lesson. Listen for God’s voice in the mundane; he speaks in many ways.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

September 21

 

Jesus taught with authority, and the people hearing him, knew it; there was no denying it. Matthew wrote down one of his sermons, and Luke gave a bit of a summary of the same sermon. In Matthew, his sermon spans three chapters and lays down the law on how you should live and how you should treat others. I read the whole thing making sure I didn’t miss anything. Surprisingly, there was no “but” at the end of it! He didn’t say, ‘when I die on the cross, it’s over, and you don’t have to follow what I’m commanding you anymore.’ We have to remember that Jesus is the final authority; there is no other authority! If he says to lay down all other ways of living and live your life following his ways, you had better do what he says. I challenge you to go and read Matthew 5-7 and see if you don’t agree.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28-29

September 20

I got up, got moving, and walked five miles on the beach yesterday. I walked past some charming homes of either extremely wealthy people or extremely poor because the cost involved in owning a beachfront home is crazy. Everyone has their own taste when it comes to their residence, and the styles vary from traditional Florida style to modern, to the “why would you build that on the beach in Florida” style. Some people are just plain quirky, and included oddities as decoration, like the people who have mannequins displayed in their yard, one of them has no pants! I’m sure they must have a good reason for it, but I can’t figure it out. Maybe to creep out robbers when they come in the darkness to do their stealing. God made us each different with our own personalities and preferences; if not, then those mannequins wouldn’t be entertaining to see. 

The Bible has one source, the Holy Spirit, but the personalities of the writers differ; that’s why when reading the gospels, you get a slightly different spin to the same story. Remember, the Holy Spirit has a reason for the things he includes and the things he leaves out. I use an app called e-sword that allows me to read them simultaneously, which helps me see the whole story; it’s a great tool to have for in-depth study. Do whatever you can to help you get to know God; the closer you get to him, the less you will concern yourself over what seems like the crumbling of the world around us. He is in our midst, nothing gets past him, and your trust in him is all you need to calm your concerns, and to quail your anxiety.

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

September 19

When furnishing the kitchen of my second home, I chose not the purchase all new items; instead, I went to Salvation Army and got small appliances, cooking utensils, and other needed accessories. However, you don’t realize what you are missing until you need it, or in this case, want. I’ve enjoyed eating a cheesy, garlicky waffle to break my fast lately; it’s delicious and crispy. Trying to make the concoction as a pancake just isn’t as good. So yesterday, I took a trip to Salvation Army to see if they had a waffle iron, and to my surprise, they did, but they had it marked too high, an amount that I could get a new one! After finding a few other things, I headed to the checkout with the waffle iron in tow, to see if I could get it marked down; thankfully, they want to sell it as much as I want to buy it, and he agreed to mark it down, and I went home with my new, but slightly used appliance. 

The waffle I make has no grain in it; if you’re thinking, “how can she be off sugar and eat a waffle?” The answer is that it’s possible, but not ordinary; it’s more of a savory option. I consider it to be a bread replacement. 

As a teacher, I’m teaching what I’ve learned from the master. I give you tidbits of information that make it easier to understand the lesson, but I’m not the Master; I’m more like the moon or a star.

“The moon and the stars are lost when the sun rises.” Matthew Henry. 

Remember my waffle; it’s merely a bread replacement, not “the Bread!” As a teacher, I’m more like the Salvation Army, discounted, but still good, but not brand new like Jesus! If you want to know Jesus intimately, follow his footsteps through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He is the Bread of life!

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."  John 6:35

September 18

Have you ever asked God to enlighten you on the scripture you are reading? If you ask, he will give you wisdom concerning his word. I began reading the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament a couple of days ago, but today I asked for the Holy Spirit to shed some new light onto what I was reading, and you know what? He did! I only read a small section of chapter four about the temptation of Jesus, but I also read the account in Luke to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Since Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days, his brain was utterly cleansed, not to forget that he had just been baptized by John forty days earlier, so if there were any impurities within him, (Jesus was perfect, so I doubt there were), his baptism and fasting would have cleansed him to begin fresh for his ministry. 

When the devil began tempting him, he combated every scripture taken out of context by using scripture in context. You must be on your game and know the Bible, so when scripture is misquoted or taken out of context, you know how to answer it or refute it. When the devil begins to lie to you, as he lied to Jesus, be ready, but if you get weary of dealing with Satan, just tell him to “Be gone” just as Jesus did.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:8-11

September 17

The Feast of Trumpets begins tomorrow evening. It is thought to be a memorial of the day that the Israelites were called to Mt. Sinai to enter into a covenant with God. That day the trumpet sound was loud and began at sunrise and continued until sunset. Some think since it represents the beginning of the Jewish new year that it may be the anniversary of the creation of the world. It seems reasonable to believe that, being it is an institution of God. 

We are children of the New Covenant, which was celebrated by the disciples and instituted by Jesus at what we call The Last Supper. We remember this day by the breaking of bread, which represents Jesus’s body and dipping it in wine, which represents his blood. This covenant with Jesus atones our sins. This institution may be why we, as Christians, do not celebrate God’s appointed feasts. I know most of us are not Jews, but if the feasts were important to Jesus, then they should be important to us; he celebrated them. At the very least, we should acknowledge them and acknowledge him for creating them. 

Do your best to celebrate God’s appointed feast. I was never taught about them in church and only learned of them by reading my Bible. Do not neglect reading the scriptures; if you do, everything you are taught about Jesus will be the product of your culture rather than scripturally correct.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” Leviticus 23:23-25

September 16

I miss sugar. I quit eating it a couple of years ago to help me lose weight, but now I do it for my health. Think about it, if sugar can rot out a hard surface like your teeth, what is it doing to your soft tissue? I believe it’s like a drug addiction and nearly impossible to quit. Try and quit; I’ll bet you can’t. It takes determination, motivation, and you have to take control over your will; and that is the key! And another thing, the idea that you need to eat first thing in the morning to be healthy is just a lie. My last meal of the day is usually around 5:30 pm, and I don’t eat again until 11:00 am, and only an occasional snack. However, my meals are full-blown, high protein with plenty of necessary fat, to help me stay satisfied. Fasting for around 18 hours gives my brain time to clean up. I no longer have the ups and downs in my weight and have maintained the same size for more than a year and a half! I have more energy as a 55-year-old than I can remember of my entire life. It is the same will power that it takes to be consistently in God’s Word. You must be determined and motivated to get your spiritual health in check. You can’t do it alone, you need the Holy Spirit for both your spiritual health and bodily health, but you also have to take control over your will. The most important food you can eat is scripture; when you eat it, you will be satisfied!

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

September 15

We are not of this world. We changed the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior. We died to this world and were given a new life filled with the Holy Spirit; this makes us different than others. If we don’t see eye-to-eye on issues, it’s because they are dead and still live in the flesh; we crucified our flesh, and live by the Spirit as ambassadors for Jesus. We are set apart from the rest, so we should not be living like the unsaved. 

The Lord placed a burden on my heart for those who struggle with strongholds, such as fear, unbelief, trauma, and rejection. Sometimes these things aren’t easily overcome, but if you set your mind to do it, and genuinely want relief from such burdens, you will work on getting past them. It’s not something you do alone; you must seek God and accept the assistance of the Holy Spirit; listen and follow his instructions. One caveat, you must be saved! Without Jesus, freedom is impossible, and your efforts will fall flat. When you’ve accepted Jesus, you turn away from your old habits and sins, and you start living a new life for him. If this change hasn’t taken place, you’re probably not saved and need to ask him to forgive you and to give you a new life devoted to him. 

I write this post to “The followers of Christ” as a way to draw attention to anyone who considers themselves saved, to help them turn and indeed follow him, knowing full well that many who identify as a Christian are not truly saved. Check your heart today, leave the past behind, and start fresh with Jesus as your Savior.

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

September 14

People don’t want to believe in God’s wrath, but I assure you, it still exists in our New Testament times. Those of us who trust in Jesus have no worries because he has saved us. However, the world is full of evil, and disaster will come upon them for denying the power of God. When you read about the Old Testament disasters, you get a clear view of how powerful God is; he doesn’t play games. If you deny him, as many do today, he will impose his strength upon you, and you will either believe in him, or you will spend your eternity in hell. His wrath is not only for our afterlife, but it is in the here, and now, though many will say the power of weather has nothing to do with God and that it’s just a natural occurrence, I will say they are wrong! God uses earthquakes, storms, rains, fire, hail, plagues, insects, and other “natural disasters” as lessons to teach us to trust in him alone. Many things are out of our control that we must expect him to handle. We get into trouble when we try to control our situation when we alone have no source of power outside of God. If you are struggling today, look to God as your source; he is mighty. If he can control the weather conditions, you can bet your life; he can handle the trouble in your situation.

I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. Zephaniah 3:7-8