There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. Matthew 28:2

 

If you’ve seen many war time movies or experienced war first hand, you know when the military shows up for battle, the ground shakes from heavy artillery. Showering the enemy with heavy fire and explosive devices, helps the soldiers advance forward. In the middle of those battles, Heroes are born.  Those who, in the heat of the moment, do courageous things to save the lives of their comrades and help in their advancement. In the horrible environment of war, good things come out in the lives of those on the battle grounds.

 

Upon the death of Jesus Christ, his body was laid in a tomb, sealed with a large stone. After 3 days, He arose to life, defeating death and made a way for mankind to win the battle over the bondage to sin and eternal death. Today’s verse is the hallmark of this victory when an angel of the Lord showed up, the ground shook, the tomb was empty!  As Christians, we have a mighty army of angels who fight battles on our behalf. Some of those battles we will never see, yet some are clearly obvious and require action on our part to do the right thing when everyone else is going in the opposite direction.  

 

Trust me, the enemy will do all he can to thwart your plans to do good. In those moments you must stay strong and obedient to God. When you do, you show Satan you are not afraid of his tactics and display confidence knowing you are backed by God’s army of angels.  ”No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” Isaiah 54.17

 

If you are breathing, you are on the battleground of right and wrong. Chose God’s ways and remain obedient. The army of God is with you and will help you fight those battles….addictions, temptations, lust, greed….a whole arsenal of satanic attacks. But our God is greater. Be God’s hero and walk in confidence today knowing as the ground shakes in your life, the battle has already been won! God bless!

“..And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

A few weeks ago my son had a grease fire in a skillet. As he carried the flaming skillet outside, grease spilled down his leg and onto both feet causing third degree burns. He had to undergo skin graph surgery which scraped away the dead, burnt skin and replaced it with a new skin to generate new growth and provide a protective cover while the areas heal. Yesterday they removed the coverings to discover the areas were healing well. That new skin did its job. Praising God for His hand of healing on my son.

As we go through life, we will get emotionally burned by other people’s actions and certain events that cause much pain. The damage they cause runs deep, even to the center of our heart. Sometimes the pain never seems to dissipate, and gets more intense. Can you relate? I sure can and makes me want to stay secluded from the world. Unfortunately, that’s not what God has called us to do. He wants us to get out there and be a light amongst the darkness. When you isolate yourself from the world, its like putting a bushel basket over your light (Matthew 5:15).

Healing can only come through the hand of God. Take advice from the Psalmist David, “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.” Psalm 30:2. When we turn our damaged heart over to the Lord, He provides His hand of protection from further injury, cools the pain and through His special ways brings healing to the heart. That healing process might take a lot of time, but trust me friends, He will heal. He will help you forgive and move on with life. Call on Him today for help and He will provide all you need for the healing process to begin. God bless friend!

Prayer is the key to Heaven,

But faith unlocks the door;

Words are so easily spoken,

But prayer without faith

Is like a boat without an oar. 

Lyrics from the song “Prayer is the Key to Heaven, but Faith Unlocks the Door”

The other day I saw a man with a ring of keys attached to his belt. As he walked, these keys would jingle, it was a lot of keys and you could hear him coming. You have to ask yourself, what do all those keys go to? I’m willing to bet he has accumulated keys from years past and some of them might not work anymore. Can you relate? Are you a walking key master?

As humans, we each possess one important key, they key to Heaven. Some people may not realize it, but its true. God provides everyone an opportunity to come into His presence through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No one is excluded from His invitation. To use that key is to acknowledge its purpose and have faith in Jesus Christ to save him or herself. Without faith, that key will just be in your possession, never utilized to its fullest potential. How sad that people go through life without the knowledge of Jesus Christ and continue to unlock doors that lead to nowhere.

Maybe you’ve been unlocking doors that don’t seem to have any purpose or longevity. Find your key to Heaven and have faith in Jesus Christ. He died on a Roman cross to pay for your sin debt and mine. Through faith in Him, you can unlock the door to an eternity of God’s blessings with peace, joy and wisdom unmatched to anything this world has to offer. All you have to do is have faith to use that key. Find it within your heart to call upon the Lord and be saved. Unlock the door that holds you captive to the world and find newness in the Lord. God bless.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7

The other day I received a notice in the mail from my insurance company stating there was a mix up with a claim on my son from 2015, and said I was responsible for paying $3200 back to the insurance company. Talk about a setback. Before getting out my checkbook and writing a check to pay it off (ha ha right!), I prayed to God and asked Him to take care of this issue. I put the notice in my brief case and went about the rest of the week.

A week later I received a new notice that the insurance company had straightened things out and I didn’t owe them a dime! Thank God for answered prayers!

Its funny right after I read that notice the song “Taking Care of Business” came to mind. As Christians, we have a God who cares about our every need, problem and desire. When our life aligns with His, the communication line is uninterrupted. We can come boldly to the King of Kings and put forth our request. Through His Holy Spirit living inside of us, He even knows in advance of what we need and makes accommodations for those request (Romans 8:26-27). God is always taking care of business on our behalf.

So, you might be asking why God doesn’t always give us what we ask? Friend, let me assure you from one who knows firsthand, GOD WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU HIS BEST. The things in life He doesn’t give you is for your protection. He knows you have specific needs, wants and problems solved. But God is at a much higher elevation than you, and HE sees the bigger picture and will provide and respond accordingly (Isaiah 55:8-9). So, as troubling as it might sound, THANK Him when He doesn’t give you what you’ve asked for and have faith knowing He will give you something better.

God is in the business of taking care of your business. He is watching out for you and wants what’s best to keep you safe, grow you spiritually and most of all provide the grace you need to stand upright in a foreign world full of sin and evil. Trust Him as He cares for you each day and when you present your request, KNOW He will do His part to give you the best possible response. God is…taking care of business! Thank Him today! God bless!

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.

Proverbs 4:14-15

Reminiscing about my youth, I recall as a child my sister and I would ride skateboards on my grandmother’s huge driveway. That big area of concrete was the perfect place to ride. And she always gave us one word of warning, “don’t go out into the street”. She knew the driveway was a big enough area for us to play, the street was dangerous with vehicles passing by that might run over us. Many good memories were made on that big slab of concrete.

As children of God, we too are always reminded to stay on God’s driveway. He provides us the freedom to live and play, but within the confines of His loving protection. Anything outside of his smooth path, we can expect danger, unsafe habits and vulnerabilities to our enemy, Satan.

How far does your play take you? Are you still within the confines of God’s boundaries, or do you venture out just a little? Our flesh wages war against our mind, telling us its ok if we venture out into the street, we will see trouble coming and get back to safety. Right? WRONG! Listening to that voice that calls us to step from the driveway onto the street will continue to lure you and me to take one step further from the TRUTH!

So what’s God’s driveway look like? What are the safety zones for a Christian? Its all written in God’s word, the Bible! If you want a life that has less drama and more blessings, read it, study it and live within its guidelines. Nothing outside of God’s driveway is safe friend. Heed God’s warning and stay safe. He provides you MORE than enough life to live and experience Godly pleasures than what’s on the street of the world. Keep it on God’s driveway! God bless!

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12

There is nothing like going to a restaurant and ordering your favorite beverage. When it arrives, you are happy and start to drink it. You are satisfied at the moment, but eventually you consume everything in it, so you summon the waiter and ask for a refill. He assures you he will bring you more, but the wait…it takes a while. Before too long, you get impatient and start to look around at what your friends are drinking and might actually pour some of their drink in your cup. And then, here he comes to refill it, but you’ve already filled it with something else. You missed out on the refill because of your impatience.

As long as you have liquid in your cup, you are satisfied, happy and cherishing the moment. Life is the same. We are settled in a long term relationship or maybe a career of 35 years working for one company. At the time we are satisfied and comfortable with life. But when that person leaves or dies, when that career turns to retirement, your cup is empty and you long for a refill. God knows that your cup is empty, yet He seems to be slow brining you something new, and you get impatient. You tend to fill it with other things that seem to quench your need at the moment, but its nothing that last. You cry out to God, PLEASE LORD, fill my cup again!  Can you relate?

Let me assure you friend, God knows the changes that happen in your life, He knows your emptiness and He has a plan to fill that empty cup with something amazing, but it takes time. The wait can seem like eternity and you wonder why God hasn’t done anything to give you a clue He is coming with a pitcher of blessings. Too often we fill our cup with things God never intended and when He comes with the refill, your cup is already full and you missed His blessings.

Pace yourself friend. Find satisfaction in the Lord during your moment of quietness and “the wait”. He is coming and will fill that cup, but you better not have it full of something else, otherwise you will miss His best! Be patient and wait upon the Lord, He is about to serve you up something better than you had before. God bless!

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

About a week ago, I received a text message from someone who, at the moment, was full of anger and said some very ugly and hurtful things to me. After reading that message, my emotions flared up and I said to myself that will be the last time I communicate with that person.

About 5 days passed, when I received a message from that person asking for help. They were in a very desperate situation and no one else to turn to. My emotions stirred up anger and wanting to ignore their cry for help. Then God’s voice spoke so clearly to me, “Jesus forgave, I expect you to forgive.” Wow! When God talks, I listen and He was directing me to put aside my hurtful pride and angered soul so I could be in a position to offer a Christ like response instead of a fleshly attack.  Through God’s grace and strength, I responded in the right way and through that situation brought forgiveness and healing.

If you are living life, you will have times when people offend you, hurt you and cause much grief. Their actions are like the burner on a stove…HOT and cause you to boil with emotions. Your pot of emotions will boil for days, maybe even years as a result of their vicious attacks. In the moment, all you want to do is reflect back their same pain, maybe even stronger than you received. Its only human that we respond that way.  But, God calls us to a higher standard, to forgo the evil responses, forgive, and bring about good in the middle of something so negative and ugly.

Who has offended you? Is your pot of emotions boiling? Maybe its time to turn off that burner, set your pot of emotions in the hands of God and ask for help to bring healing, forgiveness and restoration. Trust me friend, He WILL do it. I have seen it time and time again in my life and the lives of others. As Jesus hung on the cross, He looked down upon his accusers and said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Your offender might not know about the love, grace and kindness of Jesus Christ. You have opportunities to reflect Him when under attack. Do the right thing and live out your faith, follow the example of Jesus Christ and forgive those who offend you. You will heap burning coals upon them when you respond with a Christlike character. Forgive through goodness today. God bless!

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  

Psalm 139: 1 – 5

Wow, you ever been in a relationship for a while and that person says they can’t figure you out. Why do you act the way you do? Ever found yourself in that situation? I have and sometimes I don’t even understand myself. Why I do what I do, at times, can be a real struggle. Life is challenging, especially when we don’t have a grip on who we are or what we like or want.

I can tell you one person who knows you better than yourself, God! He made you in His image (Genesis 1:26) and created you to do good works. The struggle to understand yourself can last a lifetime, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When you quit obsessing over “self examination” and “self condemnation” and focus on God’s will for your life, THEN AND ONLY THEN will you see yourself not as a failure, but a child of God with a purpose for life. I think we often try to figure out our self, get confused, and find it easy to criticize our crazy ways. God sees something different in you, He created you the way you are.

Friend, God has a purpose for your existence. Although you may not feel worthy to be called a child of God, He has a plan to use you in little ways and big ways. No need to figure yourself out, trust God that He knows what He is doing in your life. When you put your complete faith and trust in Him, He will show you the way forward and sustain you when the challenges of life smack you down and you don’t understand why things happened the way they did. Trust Him today knowing He knows YOU and has a plan to grow you and bring blessings your way. God bless!

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Recently we received snow and freezing temperatures. The snow covered roads eventually turned to ice, leaving city and county workers the job of covering the roadways with a sand to help cars maintain some traction. After the ice melted all this sand and wet splattered up on cars and trucks. Everyone’s vehicle is dirty now, including my new ride. UGH.

In life, we have the option of going down certain pathways. Some are good and some not so good. The good paths are full of God’s blessings and righteous. By staying on the good path, your heart stays clean and your spiritual light shining bright. On the other hand, there are paths that you know lead into darkness. Their surface is full of sin and things that will stain your spiritual life, sniffing out that light that God gave you.

What path are you willing to travel? The choices we make might include the tv shows we watch, the places we go, the things we do, the material we read…the list of choices is endless. But in reality, you know which paths will stain your soul and which ones are beneficial for growth in the Lord.

Maybe its time today to clean up your spirit and start down that pathway of righteousness. God allows you the freedom to chose which path you’ll follow. You know the right way, are you willing to do right, live right so you can shine bright for God and receive His unending blessings? Pray and ask God to help you chose the path full of blessings. The struggle is real. What affects the heart, affects your soul and from it comes either good or bad.

Treat your heart with care and journey safely. God bless!

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 

Let’s be real for a moment. How much do you trust God with your life? If you are a Christian, you can hear His Holy Spirit talking to you on a daily basis. What’s He telling you? Oftentimes His Spirit is advising you to trim something from your life. Maybe it’s a habit, a relationship or behaviors that are not right for your life. The Spirit knows you personally, because He is God, your creator.

The struggle is real to let go of something we cherish. Something we enjoy doing. Something we can easily justify, yet God says NO. Although He doesn’t remove it Himself, He allows you the choice to trust Him or live by your own set of standards and reasonings. The Spirit will prompt you when necessary, but its up to YOU to respond when He calls you to yield to His calling. Are you willing to trust Him enough to follow His lead?

For those who trust Him with all their life, they know that 100% of obedience results in more blessings than pursuing their own desires. What’s God calling you to do today? You’ve got 100 reasons to counter what He says, but only ONE way is the right way. Are you willing to trust Him enough to be obedient in spite of your own desires? Trust me friend, respond to His voice today and see rich blessings poured out on your life. God bless!

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

One of my favorite beverages is coffee. I recall as a youngster I wanted to drink my grandmother’s coffee. She’d pour about 1-part coffee and 4 parts milk with sugar added to the mix. She knew the bitterness of coffee would most likely turn me away from it, but by adding some sweetness, I loved the first sip. Been drinking coffee ever since.

As I was talking to God about today’s blog, He put a thought in my mind, “praying for others removes their bitterness and sweetens their life”. After a few moments of thought, God imparted these two points:

1.    Praying for others in time of need. We all have needs in our lives, yet when the heat is turned up due to illness, heart break, financial worries…it’s a long list, we need prayer. We ask friends and family to pray for us and trust they will respond. When they do, it puts God’s focus on our troubles and He takes those prayers and adds his sweet, loving hand to our problem and sustains us, heals us and gives us hope for tomorrow. Praying for others in time of need is one of the greatest things we can do for each other.

2.    Praying for others removes their bitterness. If you are like me, you have people in your life who are bitter and their presence isn’t tolerable. Yet, you have to live with them, work beside them or trust them in your care. When you pray for them, you put God’s focus on that person and He works wonders to sweeten them or at a minimum sustain you through the daily challenges they put on you. You might not see a change in that person, but God always takes your prayers and they help sweeten the situation. Like my son who drinks coffee…he can never seem to add enough sugar. So keep praying, that person might need a lot of scoops of God’s goodness to see a difference.

When you pray for others, it brings sweetness to their life and yours! Never stop praying for one another. Pray for them, for NO reason! Sweeten someone’s life today through your prayers! God bless!

And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3:25

Well your elected officials, who work hard for America, put their selfish pride, personal opinions and pollical agenda before the government’s best interest…to keep the government operating. Although the vote was to fund the government 3 – 4 more weeks, the main decision was to either keep the government running or shut her down by casting a NO vote. Enough did in the Senate, on both Republican and Democrat sides, and last night, at mid night, the government shut down. For how long? Who knows. Hopefully talks will continue through the weekend and progress to fund the government for a little while longer will occur.

What’s the problem in Washington? Honestly, I’m not there in the middle of this political arena, but its clear, our government’s leaders are divided. Each has their own personal opinion and agenda. Until someone decides to give a little, there will continue to be this division. As a federal worker, I can tell you there will be a lot of disrupted plans for the coming week, major set backs in keeping all facets of the government operating and a drop in morale as federal employees will be furloughed.  Basically, those who voted “no” to this budget proposal impacted more than the immigrant issue, it impacted every American and foreigner.

Well, enough on that rant. So, lets bring it closer to home. How is your “house” doing? If you had to vote on something significant in your family to keep you operating, would you be willing to work with your partner and other family members to keep your family unified?  Everyone can have their own opinion, but to work together, you have to give a little…compromise if you will. And that lies the problem. We have allowed the root of pride and selfish desires to grow in our relationships…”its my way or the highway” attitude. Friend, that won’t get you nowhere. The negative impacts of your prideful ways will cause a split in the day to day family plans/operations and eventually could lead to a split in your relationship with the significant other.

Lord God help us be a nation that can work together, despite our differences and personal opinions, to be unified and lead the world as a blessed nation under God! Let that unification process start in our homes with our families, and friends. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Are you willing to make the right decision to give a little so your house will be unified? Ask God to provide you wisdom and the courage to do the right thing and see the bigger picture. Pray for our government leaders, they need it! God bless!  

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11

You ever read a scripture on several occasions and think you knew what it said…then WHAM, the verse jumps out with a whole new meaning? Today’s passage in John did that for me this morning. I was reading today’s devotion from In Touch Ministries and it talked about “JOY”. Do you have joy?

If you are like me, every day seems to be filled with good moments, and times that are trying to my mind and soul. The challenges at work, the responsibilities of a parent, the pleasure of home ownership and all its expenses and things that have to be done to keep this place afloat. WHEW, life can be exhausting. Yet, can we find “joy” in all circumstances?

I heard it said at church….”the joy of the Lord is my strength.” If you think Satan might be trying to rob your joy at times…he probably is, because satan knows if you have joy, you are strong and satan has a difficult time trying to weaken your faith in God. So yes, you can partially blame satan when trying times come your way….and I’m actually going through that myself. Satan will NOT rob my joy! And I hope you won’t allow satan to rob yours either.

So how do we stay joyful when all Hell is breaking lose in our life (I know…you are glad I’m finally getting to my point)? As today’s verse says….”so that My joy may be in you”. Here is what came so loud and clear to me….ITS NOT JOY I’VE PRODUCED, ITS GOD’S JOY! Maybe I’m not so bright, but that nugget of wisdom jumped out and that little light inside my brain came on! And I hope it did for you too.

So Dave, where ya going with this? Just understand that YOU CAN NOT GENERATE GODLY JOY!!!! It comes from God and HIS HOLY SPIRIT that lives inside you. Like a well that digs deep to find water, so should your life dig deep into God’s word, stay constant in prayer and walk ever so obediently with Him. Doing these things and you will tap into a source of Joy that NOTHING this world or yourself could generate. Find your joy in the Lord, HE gave it to YOU to tap into!  Find it today in all circumstances and you journey through life will be full of joy at all times. God bless!

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospels will save it.” Mark 8:35

On occasion you’ll hear someone use the word ‘but”. This is usually in the middle of a statement, like the center point on a teetertotter. Example: “I know you want me to pay this bill BUT I have this other obligation that needs to be met.” You see, that word “but” is basically the break in your agreement and following it states your truest intentions.  Let me ask you a question….

Have you ever said “but God”? God calls us to surrender everything so He is always first place in our life. God doesn’t want us to have a sad and empty life, BUT HE knows your desires and sees that a certain habit, person or thing can come between you and Him. Oftentimes He uses His Holy Spirit to communicate His concern to you, by allowing the burdens of your prized possession to weigh you down in hopes of making you aware of its priority over God. You try to argue with God, BUT it doesn’t seem to change your circumstances. Believe me, I’ve been there and the weight of my improper priorities are still felt today.

Whose side is up on the teetertotter of priorities, yours or Gods? Take time today to pray and ask God what or who stands in between you and Him. Then ask Him to give you the strength and will power to surrender it into His hands so God will remain first place in your life. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have #1 in my life than God. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me! Put God #1 in your life today! God bless!

An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Proverbs 17:11

 Karma means action, work or deed; it also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.

So often people wish “bad” Karma on those who have hurt them. Revenge is sweet to pay back someone’s wrong. But is it wrong to wish bad things on people? I believe it is. God is the righteous judge and sees everything from a higher level than we can fathom or understand with our fleshly minds.

As humans, we will be hurt by other people in our lifetime. As Christians, we are to pray for those who persecute us and love our enemies. If someone has wronged you, its important to let God take care of the matter. Someone so self-centered, won’t see beyond their own desires and realize the hurt they’ve caused. Nothing you can do or wish upon him or her will result in anything positive. God MUST be your sounding board for the times you’ve been wronged in life.

Let go and let God. Let go of your painful memories and hurts. God sees what’s happening and will respond with the appropriate measure of judgement. God has a plan and purpose for our pain and will bring healing to those who release the offenders into His care. Let go today of those who’ve wronged you and let God heal your broken heart. God bless!

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:14

This winter has been more like “winter”. Cold, bitter temps, strong winds from the north and plenty of snow….even in the southern parts of the United States. I have done a better job protecting every square inch of my skin from the cold and wind. From long johns, to warm pants, warm shirt, heavy coat, gloves, hat and even a face mask at times. All of these items block out the wintry weather from my body. Anything exposed though, and I will eventually get cold.

Today’s passage lines right up with my thoughts on dressing for winter. When we put on Christ in ALL areas of our life, we block out the worldly influences that so easy chill our spiritual life. Anything left exposed to our fleshly weaknesses, will surely lure us back into temptation. Re-read that last sentence….anything left exposed to our fleshly weaknesses, will surely lure us back into temptation. Ever wonder why you keep repeating the same sins over and over? Its because you haven’t dressed yourself with enough of Christ protective clothing.

How to overcome something that is always there? First off you need to don the armor of God.  Click the link and read it! Its spiritual warfare. The battle is greater than you! So, it’s necessary to be prepared for each day by putting on God’s armor. Without it you will be exposed to the whiles of the devil.

Secondly, there is power in prayer. Prayer does several things…it lets God know what concerns you and by your confession, He will help you overcome. Prayer also allows yourself to know what is troubling you. When you pray, you pray from your heart…what comes out is what is boiling inside your soul. Listen to your prayers and understand your challenges. God is listening and together you can battle those sinful lust if you work with Him. Prayer is power and at the name of Jesus Christ, satan and his demons flee.

Speaking of fleeing. Run like hell from those things and people that are rooted in your fleshly desires. Overcoming things like drinking, smoking, affairs, lusting, gossip, unwise spending…good grief the list is long and these things can be damaging to the Child of God. Flee quickly from these temptations! If you need help, call on God, His Spirit will do all the convicting you need, if you simply listen to Him.

This world is cold as ice. Don’t allow the world’s chill to cool your spiritual life. Dress for the protection of your soul and find life more warming and full of blessings. God bless!

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. Psalm 139:23

It seems lately there has been more verbal attacks on President Donald Trump. His words, his beliefs and his actions always seem to stir up the deepest resentment I’ve seen in years. Almost immediately when Trump took office, there were so many who lashed out and was in disbelief that he actually won the election. Still today, some people refuse to acknowledge Trump as our President. I’m sorry, but I have to simply say, grow up! He is our president and he is the leader of this great nation.

Now before you start to throw stones my way, I challenge you to search yourself. Which level of perfection do you rate? According to God’s word, there was only ONE "perfect person" and that was, and still is, Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He is the perfect one and the ONE we should model our lives after.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2. There it is, words straight from the bible. How does this set with you friend? Would you want to be judged by the same mindset as yourself? Don’t know about you, but thank GOD I have a righteous judge, full of grace and compassion. Its by HIS grace, I am saved and live free from the judgement of others. I serve an audience of ONE, and so do you.

Check yourself today. How quickly do you judge others, including the President of the United States? He may not be on your favorite list, but he is doing a job “We the People” elected and Trump needs our prayerful support. So, before you cast the first stone, check yourself. Ask God to sift your soul and help align your spirit with His truth and prayerfully support our leaders, from your boss, to the town mayor, state officials and the President.  Learn to love more and hate less, the world needs to see the grace and love of Christ through His children. God bless you!

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17

The other day I was in a warehouse store that sold new furniture that was damaged. A scratch here, a small piece of wood missing from the corner, 1 handle not 2….you get the idea. The best part of these items, they were marked way down. Damaged goods that couldn’t be sold in a regular store, found their way here. Once purchased, the owner can make repairs to those scratches, cover over the missing piece, and put new handles on where they are missing.  I spotted a piece I love, will have to wait til $$ is in my bank account. Donations accepted! 😊

I love today’s verse! Jesus was talking to Matthew, a well known and not liked “tax collector”. Known for his sinful ways of cheating people with their tax payments, he was a social outcast, damaged by sin if you will. And Jesus of all people the “perfect One” chose to spend time with Matthew, talking to him, even going to his home for a meal. The onlookers were questioning why Jesus would want to spend time with a broken man. His answer, is today’s verse.

Heck, if you are like me, you are broken, been broken or will be broken. Sin, loss, heartache, loneliness, frustration, financial struggles…just to name a few are really “brokenness”. Maybe out of your brokenness, you feel unworthy, unloved, useless and helpless. Well let me tell ya friend, JESUS can fix those who surrender themselves to HIM! You see, Jesus didn’t come to heal the healthy, He came to heal the sick. And boy, do we need a doctor in the house every day as we live out life in this sin-filled, heart-wrenching world.

Because of our brokenness, Jesus spends time with us to heal our scars, cover over those regretful times and add new features that beautify our life in Him. I can’t think of anyone I’d want to beautify me than Jesus Christ. He is the doctor who can make us new again. Broken and damaged? Call upon the good doctor, Jesus Christ. God bless!

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great towards us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Psalm 117

Have you ever been welcomed into a group or party which you were different? At first, it’s a little uncomfortable, but you soon feel accepted by those of a different race, culture…anything opposite of you! Sadly, today there are many walls that divide nations, race, culture, religions, even our neighborhoods have walls between them…and I’m not talking about fences.

Thankfully there is NO wall between us and God. Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish nation. Jesus was a Jew, yet God sent Him to save the entire world, Jews and Gentiles alike. Who is a Gentile? If you aren’t Jewish, then you are a Gentile. You are accepted by God! No barriers, no varying forms of beliefs, rules and justice. We are loved by God just the same as Jesus people.

What barriers do you have in your life that separate you from those around you? Maybe its time to find God’s grace to tear down those walls and spread the love and word of God through your Christ-like actions and of course speaking out on Christ’s behalf.  God loves everyone and so should we. Nothing should separate us from one another. Others may have barriers set up, keep knocking on those walls, keep praying for God’s intervention…the walls will come down with His help. God bless!

He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the
place where it is written: ¹⁸"The Spirit of the LORD is
on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the
blind, to set the oppressed free, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the
LORD's favor." ²⁰Then he rolled up the scroll,
gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the
synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹He began by saying to them,
"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21

Have you ever been to a book signing? It’s an awesome experience to meet the author of the book you possess. As you stand in line to wait your turn to meet him/her, your eyes are fixed on them and listen to every word they say. At that moment you want to make every minute count while you are in their presence.

Today’s scripture references Jesus reading from the prophet Isaiah to those in the synagogue. Just imagine, the author of those words stood before them as He proclaimed His identity, the “Anointed One”. Verse 20 clearly defined the moment…..”the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him”.

Although Jesus is no longer with us in the physical sense, He is in the lives of each Child of God through the Holy Spirit. Are your eyes fastened on Him? We have the privilege to possess His Spirit, so we should make every moment count as we live out our daily lives. The author of your life resides in you and me. Nothing can separate that union, nothing.

If you find yourself lacking in the knowledge of Jesus, take time to read His word. He authored it for you and me to learn, grow in our faith and sustain us when times of difficulty and suffering come upon us. Delight in Him and fix your eyes on Him daily, I assure you, your life will be more blessed and joyful as you live out your faith each day! God bless!  

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6 & 8

I’ve heard this saying many times in my life….”if you are going to do something, do it right”. If you’ve ever done something well, you know it took a lot of energy and required you to focus on it the whole time, never wavering in your pursuit of successful completion. Looking back over my career, there have been projects I’ve completed that inspired me and developed a passion for seeing the finished product.

Today’s passage encourages us as Christians, if God has given you certain gifts, then you are to use them to your fullest. Knowing your gifts is key to using them in your everyday life to serve God in little ways. Sometimes God will call you to do great and might things with your talents. Oftentimes those assignments are physically, mentally and spiritually greater than you can do on your own. God intended for it to be that way, because He knows with your passion and His strength, “I can do ALL things THROUGH Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13

What has God called you to do for Him? It might be simply inviting your neighbor or co-worker to church, help a family member with a specific need, being a light in a dark place in your little world…the list is endless, but God can accomplish much if you are willing to use your gifts to serve Him! And serve Him well, because He did something awesome, for you, through Jesus Christ sacrifice! Give your all to God and you will see His great and mighty hand help you accomplish much for His kingdom! Have a blessed day friend…go serve Him with passion and joyfulness!  

The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25

Blessings from God are awesome. They oftentimes come unexpectedly, more than we ever thought we’d receive and make us feel a sense of confidence. There in lies the danger for the child of God. God blesses obedience, yet at the same time we can get these illogical thoughts going through our head that we are blessed or given freedom to do our own thing now.

Have you ever received God’s blessing, only to catch yourself walking in purposeful sin later that day? I call this the “good, bad and the ugly”. God brings blessings, which is good, yet we take His approval for granted and march on to do what WE want, not staying in the lane of obedience with God. This repeated type of behavior will certainly see a reduction in God’s blessings.

God’s blessings are the result of your obedience. He won’t bless a sinful lifestyle. So, if He blesses you, it’s a nod of approval to continue to walk in righteousness, not an ok to turn to selfish desires and pursue sinful living.  As scripture says, “don’t forget”. Don’t forget what God has done in your life! He wants to bless you, but He needs a clean plate to serve His goodness. No blessing will be served in a dirty plate.  Keep those blessings coming by staying true to God. I promise you the rivers of blessings will never cease when you stay in the lane of obedience 24/7. Never forget His blessings!

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Relationships. Many people seek after that special someone they think will enrich their life, only to have it end in heartbreak. Not too long after the break up, and heart mended, that person is back at it…searching for the “one”. It’s a cycle and can wear you down emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Let me share some advice….seek God first in your life and everything else will fall into place. When you focus on growing your relationship with God, you learn His ways and gain wisdom in the process. Those desires to have “someone” in your life subsides and you get your fill from the ONE who can take any lonely heart and make it full of joy and feel contentment, even when you are single and alone. Trust me. He has done that very thing for me.

God didn’t create us to always be alone. If you are truly pursing God and He knows your heart, He will bless you with someone who is perfectly right for you. God sees things in other people that you can’t see. When you put God first, He puts you first and will give you the desires of your heart if you seek after Him. Besides, God is in the business of matching people up. The bible says that Adam and Eve lived to well over 900 years….thats a long time to be together!

Don’t fill those lonely weekends with dating web sites and looking for the “one”. Seek after the ONLY ONE who can give you eternal happiness. Pursue Him always and He will bless you beyond your wildest imagination! God bless!  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

One of my favorite places to eat is a Chinese buffet. There is always a good selection of food to eat and it doesn’t take long to fill up. Also gives me a chance to have some veggies, which I am challenged some days to even get one serving. The interesting thing about Chinese food, it doesn’t take long to fill your stomach, it digests quickly, leaving you hungry again just a few hours later. How can something so good, that filled me to the top of my stomach be gone so quickly? I’ll never understand it!

I think the same is true in our every day lives. We all have various needs and try to fill those with things, people and even food. I know I have a subconscious problem with spending money. When something is lacking in my life, oh boy, I want to go spend money to buy something that equates to happiness. The next day though I look at stuff I’ve purchased, look at my empty bank account and find that all those feel-good things have left me empty handed and short changed in my wallet. Can anyone relate?

I’m starting to see something change in me. My commitment for 2018 to devote more time pursing God and His ways has resulted in a decreased desire to spend money.  And the wisdom I’ve gained from reading His word and pursing obedience, has resulted in blessings that continue to fill those little voids in my life. Its amazing how a simple act of obedience and commitment to God can fill the voids.

What are you craving and can’t seem to get enough to fill your heart? Put down those earthly cravings, study the word of God and pursue Him. He longs to give you a serving of blessings that will outlast your earthly life and continue into eternity. This world and its desires will only satisfy for a short while, then you hunger again. Find contentment in God and pursue Him always. Your daily blessing awaits to fill you when your open your heart to God. Seek Him today! God bless

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.”

John 1:14-15

If you’ve ever visited Disney World, you soon discover that everything you’ve read about in Disney story books, comes to life in this theme park. Every detail and operation of Disney World is to make you believe in all the characters you’ve read about and seen on TV. It’s a magical place and millions visit this park every year.

The disciple John wrote about how the Word of God came to life through Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Think about it, the God of our universe, coming to reside here on Earth. That in itself is more magical than anything Disney could create or dream up. Jesus came to share the love of God to His creation and to show that unconditional love by dying on a cross for the sins of mankind. Nothing magical about that, and its shared in the book of John and other gospels of the bible.

Although Jesus resides back in Heaven, He is still alive and well in the believers who have called upon His name to be saved and live an eternal life with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His Kingdom has more to offer than any magical Kingdom of Disney. And the sweet message of Christ, He can come to you right now and turn your journey from Hell to Paradise with one simple prayer.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your life? If not, believe in Him and what He did to save you. Pray and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your life and save your soul. His Holy Spirit will arrive to your location, no matter where you are, and reside in you. Just think about that, the Spirit of God inside you! Its why Jesus came here, to save the lost and give assurance of something better. Call on Him today and obtain your free ticket to God’s Paradise! God bless!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

The other day I found myself talking to a stranger while waiting in the check out line of a grocery store. Our conversation was surface level at best…weather, news of the day…you get the picture. At the conclusion of our conversation the man offered up his name and I shared mine. As I walked away from the store I thought to myself, I will not remember his name by tomorrow..but then who cares its just a stranger I most likely won’t see him again.

This morning as I was waking up, God laid on my heart that the name of Jesus has meaning, purpose and is worth remembering. You might be thinking, yea I know the name of Jesus Christ. But, do you know Him personally? Do you converse with Him on a daily basis…during the good times and bad times throughout the day?

Jesus Christ is no stranger to the child of God, yet so often we forget to include Him in everything we do. Take a few minutes and just think about yesterday. How frequently did you speak to Him through prayer and even casual conversation? If you are honest with yourself, you probably spoke to more strangers than you did Jesus. I can tell you, your conversations with Him won’t be frequent if you don’t put Him #1 in your life.

Making Him a bigger part of your day is the key to having more than a casual and infrequent conversation with Him. Pray often, read His word (take a chapter a day), and find times throughout the day to seek His wisdom, to praise Him for all He does and ask for help when needed. The more you converse with Jesus, the more you will find His presence in every aspect of your life. Do you know Jesus personally? Why not start today by reading His word and talking to Him often. He’ll bless you for your obedience when you seek Him out! His name is above all names…know Him well. God bless!

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:7

Ever make a bad decision in life and its effects followed you for a long time?  If you are like me, you’ve made several and it’s painful trying to overcome those bad decisions. It’s not like you did it on purpose, I’m sure you put some thought into the choices you had, then made the best decision at that time. So why do we sometimes go wrong in life?

I’ve found the best decisions I’ve made have involved God. Important decisions like employment, relationships, finances, purchases, responses to circumstances, ARE important and should take some time to think thru so you can see clearly all aspects and make the best decision. The wonderful thing about being a child of God is, He knows everything and is willing to provide the wisdom you need to make the right choice….if you simply listen. Sometimes we, me included, have this circus of thoughts going through our mind and don’t allow any space in the madness for God to speak. We crunch the data, play ping pong in our mind and spit out an answer and hope it’s the best one.

What decisions are you facing today? Have you involved God in that decision-making process? One point I’d like to make here…you will have a hard time hearing from God when you allow evil things in your life. Its like pulp in orange juice..YUCK. I want pure orange juice to drink and nothing floating in it. Same is true with God’s wisdom…you’ll get his wisdom, but it will be mixed with your purposeful sins. Clean up your act so you can hear His wise words with clarity and I promise you the outcome will be pure, purposeful and without regrets! Call upon God today for wisdom with a clear mind and clean heart. Give Him a call today! God bless!!!!

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

Most of the United States has been experiencing a cold like no other. Mother nature has really let her back door from the north stand open for a while. Even in Georgia, we are experiencing temps down in the 20s. Last night at church, someone had lit a fire in a fire pit. In between dinner and church service, many of us gathered around the fire to warm up and just enjoy the beauty of it. When it was time for church service, we walked away from the fire and almost immediately I was chilled by the cold air of the night. My brain was saying…go back to the fire and stay warm.

Our journey as Christians is no different. If we want to stay on fire for Christ, we MUST always stand next to His light and follow ever so closely behind Him in all that we do. The moment we step away from His narrow path of righteousness, we become chilled spiritually and are less useful for His service. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is calling out to us…”come back to the light of Christ”. The danger is when we ignore that voice and continue to walk further and further away. Eventually our spirit becomes frozen. Over time that light that once shined inside us is nothing but a burnt-out bulb…completely useless.

Hopefully you are being obedient and standing close to the fire of Christ. Some of you are walking away right now…adultery, stealing, drugs, addictions, selfish pursuits, greed, hate….just to name a few. If you are pursing these cold and ugly things, its time to circle the wagons and head back to the light of Christ. When you move back closer to Christ, your spirit becomes alive once again and it serves Him through your actions, thoughts and words. When you are away from the light, negative things come from your life and impact those around you. Step back to the warming righteousness of Christ…its better than anything this cold and dark world has to offer. And best of all, God will bless you for your obedience in Him! Stand next to the fire and keep your spirit warm and alive for Christ today! God bless!!!!!

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Have you ever been asked the question….If you died right now, would you go to Heaven? Have you ever thought about it? Its something worthy of your thoughts and understanding. You see everyone will die one day. The older I get, the more fragile I see life. No one, at any age, is immune from death and it is never planned..it just happens at a time when we least expect it. So, if you died today, would you be in Heaven? Lets find out what’s necessary to get you there.

1.     For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. As fleshly humans, we were born into sin. Sin separates us from God, because God is holy and righteous and He cannot stand to look upon sin.

2.     For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23. That sin comes at a price, eternal separation from God in Hell. Trust me, no one wants to be there.

3.     But God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. You see, many people think they can “live right” and by doing so excuse the wrong things they do in life. Sadly, Hell will be full of people with good intentions. Our goodness is NO good in God’s eyes. The price of sin has to be paid on our behalf. It doesn’t come with a price tag, it comes with death. Jesus Christ, God’s son came to earth and lived 33 years. He died on a cross to represent you, me and the entire world of our sins and wrongful living. Jesus Christ paid that sin debt that you and I can’t pay on our own with money or our “good deeds”.

4.     But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23. What God did was give us Jesus Christ, just like someone gave you a gift at Christmas. God loves you that much, that He was willing to allow His Son to bear your sins and die on your behalf, so you can come to Him in confidence, knowing you are saved and Heaven bound when you die.

5.     That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9. Do you believe in God? Do you believe He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on your behalf so your sin debt could be paid in full? If you do, then you are almost there. Next is to confess this belief and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and live for Him daily.

“Born Again” means you have a new life in Christ, never to die a spiritual death. Upon your physical death, you will enter the gates of Heaven. Good works are good, but not good enough. You need Jesus Christ to pay your sin debt once and for all. Once saved, you are covered by the blood of Christ.

Pray a simple prayer like this…Dear God. I am a sinner and I have done some bad things in the past. I know that because of my sin, I deserve Hell. But I know that your Son, Jesus Christ came and paid my sin debt. I want to cash in on His payment and receive your free gift of eternal life through His sacrifice on my behalf. Please forgive me of my sin, I receive Jesus Christ into my life and I desire to live my life for you eternally. Thank you Lord for your gift of eternal life. Amen.

Its my heartfelt prayer that if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you will do it today. Death comes unannounced. Will you be ready when your time is up? I pray you will receive Him today. If you do, please share this good news with me by emailing me through my blog page. God bless!