John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  

In 1779, Captain William Jones placed an advertisement seeking “A FEW GOOD MEN” to enlist in the Marines. 200 years later, this advertisement continues today, seeking quality men to serve the United States of America. 

Today's verse says that God is seeking people to worship Him. It's one thing to know of God, maybe even have a personal relationship with Him, but are you truly worshipping Him? 

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

True worship doesn't just reside inside the four walls of a church building, it's putting God first in every aspect of your life. Above your family, your home, your workplace, your thoughts, your actions, the words you speak, even the hobbies and activities you enjoy. If God can't be a part of something in your life, then He isn't #1 in your life. Let that sink in for a minute. 

God has given you the gift of life with every breath you breathe, give Him the respect He deserves by living in continual worship of God. Your life will be full of His blessings. 

 I Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 

The way of Jesus Christ is foreign to the ways of modern society. Riches won't get you to heaven, neither will social status, good behavior, spiritual Facebook posts, church attendance, other family members who are saved, not even one who preaches. No, it's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and only through Him can you access God the Father in Heaven. 

Ephesians 2:8-9

[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

Why does God only permit entry by Christ? 2 reasons:

As a human, you are born into sin. God is holy and righteous and can't allow sin in His presence. In early times God required an animal sacrifice for sin. At just the right moment in time, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be the permanent sin offering. Christ died on a Roman cross, then rose back to life 3 days later, defeating death. 

God gives all of us “free will” to choose if we will accept His gift of forgiveness of sins through Christ, or reject Christ to live life your way. 

Throughout the new testament, Jesus encountered people living for themselves who wanted to follow Christ, but were unwilling to give up their reliance on worldly success and comforts. Their choice will bring judgement upon themselves. 

Don't be that person! Choose Christ, receive Him into your heart today and seek His forgiveness. A life invested in Christ will yield eternal rewards that are better than any comforts this world may offer. Choose Christ and live! 

 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.” Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, forgiving his debt. Matthew 18:26-27

 Have you ever had to forgive someone? Maybe they hurt you in some way, or they owed you either money or something tangible. Out of the graciousness of your heart, you were moved to forgive them of that debt. Forgiveness can be hard, especially when you are the one carrying the burden of the offense or loss. I know there have been many times when I’ve had to forgive others. Trust me, it was very difficult, but necessary if I was to maintain a sense of inner peace.

 Forgiveness might sound weak or an easy way out, but it’s actually a bold move on your part, for it shows, regardless of the negative impact on you, you are still in control. You control the situation by forgiving your offender. Well, you might be thinking, but they’ll hurt me again. So, how many times should you forgive them?

 Matthew 18:21-22…Peter asked Jesus, how many times he should forgive a brother who offends him. Jesus replied seventy times seven. What He was really saying, there is NO end to the equation of forgiveness, it’s a constant source of mercy that never runs out. That’s a tall order if you think about it, but still, by your forgiveness, you are in control and close the gap of that offense.

 What motivation do you have to forgive someone? Jesus said it in Matthew 6:15: “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” If you want to enter the gates of Heaven, you need to be forgiven of your sins, and if you still have unforgiveness in your heart, how can you enter into God’s beautiful sanctuary? You can’t. Well, that’s motivation for me to forgive, how about you?

 Forgiveness isn’t about you or your offender, it’s about Jesus Christ, in what HE did to secure your place in Heaven. Follow His lead and always have an abundant source of grace and mercy for your offenders. Forgiveness is the pathway to peace with yourself and God the Father!

 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:2

 Our youngest grandchild is 3 months old and she has become interactive and starting to make sounds with her little voice. As she babbles with coos, we just smile and relish that precious child, and she smiles back at us. The love we have for her, and all of our sweet grandchildren, can’t be explained, it’s a deep love that goes beyond words! Maybe you are fortunate to have a child or grandchild in your life!

 Today’s verse came to mind when I thought about my granddaughter’s sounds. God loves it when we make sounds of praise to Him. His love for all of us, runs deep and beyond comprehension, as He gave His Son, Jesus Christ to be our sin sacrifice, that bridged this relationship between us and Him. Giving God the praise He so rightly deserves preserves and enhances our relationship with Him, and, as a result, provides a buffer between us and our main enemy, Satan.

 James 4:8 says, Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.  What an awesome privilege we have to come to our Heavenly Father, through praise and words of prayer, that bring us closer to Him. Notice in that verse that He leaves it up to us if we want God to be a part of our life. And why wouldn’t we want Him to be a part of our life, He created us and loves us deeply.

 Maybe you don’t know what to say to God. That ok, God knows your heart, just talk to Him freely and give Him praise. You’ll bring a smile to His face and He will bless your life for honoring Him. God bless!

 Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Today, Saturday, June 14, 2025, there are planned protests across the United States. As we've seen in the news, protests over the past few weeks have become violent, leading one to ask, “what is their true purpose for protesting?”. News media has revealed that many people are paid to come and raise all kinds of ruckus to stir emotions, which they have. But the truth is, those people never had intentions to protest for the actual cause, their intentions were, and are, evil. 

That leads me to today's verse. As we go through life, I'm sure many of us want to do what's right, and even go to great lengths to display our “good acts”. But peel back the layers of the heart and mind, and the real purpose might be done with other intentions, benefitting self vs the one we are working for or lending a hand. 

The reality is God sees through our actions, our thoughts, and desires and knows our real purpose. There's no fooling God, and one day all of those things done with unrighteous intentions will be revealed. One of the biggest smokescreens for people is in the house of God. We get all fancied up in a nice dress or suit, say the right things, even appear almost perfect. Again, God knows your heart. 

If you struggle, as we all do, with having the right intentions, ask God to transform your heart and mind after His, through prayer and reading His word. It all starts in the mind/heart, nourish it with God's instruction book for the Christian life. God bless. 

 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if anything praiseworthy, mediate on these things. Philippians 4:8

 One thing I learned pretty quick while riding a motorcycle, where your eyes go, you go. One day I was riding down a road and entered a curve and looked to my right to see a house for sale that caught my attention. When I turned to look back at the road, I found myself headed for the ditch. Fortunately, I was riding near the center line, so I had a few feet to go before exiting the road and was able to correct my trajectory. Lesson learned, keep looking where I intend to go on a bike!

 In today’s world there are many distractions out there can alter your character or much worse harm your relationship with God. Example, I enjoy watching the news and keeping up with what’s happening in the US and around the world. The downside of that is some news frustrates me to the point I become angry, act out of character, and form unrealistic opinions about people. This mix of emotions and thoughts toxify my day and leave me with an attitude that doesn’t represent Christ who lives in me. Get my point?

 To counter this behavior, I oftentimes recall today’s verse and try to refocus my thoughts on spiritual things, God’s blessings, and actually pray for those people who frustrate the hound out of me (that’s a Yankee expression). Those prayers steadily dampen the fire inside my brain and I’m able to calm down and see things for what they really are.

 If you ride a bike or motorcycle, keep your eyes focused on where you plan to go! If you want to maintain a stable relationship with God and keep your character in check, avoid those things that will stir negative emotions and fill your mind with the good things of God. Trust me, your daily journey will be less emotionally draining and you’ll finish the day without regrets. What Godly things can you ponder on today?

  Our community is painfully digesting the sad news of another shooting in our town, which 7 people were shot and one young man died. Sadly, this is just one of many such events our community has experienced and people are asking city officials to help stop this madness. Social media has provided an outlet for people to comment and make suggestions, but the truth is, this battle against evil can only be fought one way, with God’s help.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord, and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:3-4

 Today’s verses come from the story of King Jehoshaphat who was told of several great armies that were on their way to destroy his people. Many kings would have encouraged their army to get ready for battle, but not this king. He called all the people together to pray and seek God’s guidance as the enemy drew near. As the story goes, God told them the battle was not theirs, but God’s and He would take care of the enemy (2 Chronicles 20:15).  The next day they went down to the area where the battle was to take place and witnessed dead bodies spread out over the battlefield. God miraculously destroyed their enemy and not a single person under Jehoshaphat’s command had to do anything. God answered their prayers.

 Maybe our community needs to come together and pray for God’s intervention, so people can live in this town without fear of being shot. We need God’s help, and if we are faithful to pray, God will bless our community, just as He did, well over 2,000 years ago, for the people of Judah.