As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. Psalm 42:1

 One of my favorite things to do in retirement is feed wildlife that lives in the woods behind my home. I have numerous deer that come up to feed on the cracked corn I put out each morning. This morning, I saw a momma deer and her newborn baby. All throughout the day, I see deer coming up to feed in the trough.

 Today’s verse expresses its author’s desire to be spiritually nourished by God. All throughout the day, we need spiritual nourishment to sustain our faith. The world and its ways are counter to God’s ways and work to diminish, even squelch out the wisdom, encouragement, strength, and desire to live centered in the will of God. Anything outside God’s will leaves one vulnerable to satanic attacks with the goal of completely isolating the child of God, entrapping him/her from the spiritual nourishment God provides.

 What does your soul pant for each day? Is it spiritual nourishment or worldly pleasures? There’s a big difference, and visible signs of how you live indicate the desires of your heart. Don’t let the world fool you into believing it has something better for you. God’s resources for this brief life will equip you for this life and into eternity. May your soul pant for the goodness of God! Blessings!

 Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

As many of you might know, as a baby I was adopted and given to a couple who cared for me. My birth mom found herself in a tough situation, where she knew caring for me as a single parent would be almost impossible in those days. Giving me up for a better life, I'm sure, was painful but necessary given the birth father she loved decided to end their relationship.

Have you ever wondered if God's creation of man and woman was a mistake? Did He see how vulnerable we'd be to sin, causing a separation between us and God? I personally believe it was God's plan all along to create a situation where God could show us how much He loved us through His Son’s death, and resurrection. Today's verse confirms that fact, and still today, His love reaches those who are without faith and belief. 

God gave up His Son, to take on every sin of mankind, including yours, so we could have a deep, personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Just like my birth mom, gave me up for a better life, God did the same through Christ. 

You are not a mistake. Although you might have made many mistakes in your life, God's love covers all of them. All you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and seek His forgiveness and commit your life to Him daily. Receive His love today, you'll discover the good life He offers you as His adopted child. God bless. 

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

 Two weeks ago, my wife purchased a new Kia SUV. It has so many standard safety features that we are both still learning all that it can do. One feature the vehicle offers, it keeps itself centered in the lane. The car will literally steer itself. But, there’s one catch, you have to keep your hands on the steering wheel. You can let go for about 30 seconds, but after that bells start to chime, warning you to grab the wheel. We just returned from a trip to Illinois and I will say it was nice to have some help keeping the vehicle on the road for the 850-mile journey.

 Today’s verse lets us know that God will instruct us on how to live our life. He has the perfect plan for each one of us, but like the vehicle’s safety feature, there too is a catch to God’s guidance, you must keep your hand on God’s word, and read it daily. By doing so, God speaks to you through the scriptures and oftentimes directs you straight to scripture that helps answer questions you are facing at the moment. I can’t tell you the number of times God put scripture in my mind that helped me stay on track with His plan for my life. He will do the same for you.

 Life is full of decisions and choices, make sure you stay centered on God’s path by keeping your hands on the bible and reading it so you can know how God want’s you to proceed in life, today and all the tomorrows! God bless!

 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.  

 For God created us for incorruption, and made us into the image of His own eternity. Wisdom of Solomon 2:23

 If you’ve ever worked with tools, you know that some tools can be used for other purposes. As an example, the end of a screwdriver can be used to pry something apart, its handle can be used to hammer something, and it can be used as a stake in the ground to hold something up. But with the unintended use of a screwdriver, or any tool, it can also damage something or hurt you in the process.

 God gives each of us free will to chose how we want to live our life. We can live in strict obedience to God’s ways or pursue our own way of living. Either way, God loves us. He created us in His image (Genesis 1:26) and wants to have a personal relationship with all of His creation. But, He never forces that relationship, He leaves the decision up to us how we want to live.

 Today’s verse above comes from the Wisdom of Solomon, historical text that was never included in the original bible. But it’s words certainly speak the truth about God’s intended purpose for each one of us. He desires for us to live a life without the corruption of the world’s ways and model after His Son, Jesus Christ. No, you’ll never achieve complete perfection of holiness (not even the Pope), but you should strive to live for Jesus Christ each and every day, surrendering pursuits of a sinful lifestyle that distances you from your Heavenly Father. The benefit of living a life pleasing to the Lord will only bring God’s blessings upon your life and shield you from the negative effects of sin.

 Seek God’s will for your life, so you’ll live it the way He intended. God will take your life to a new level, through the equipping of His Holy Spirit. What’s your purpose in life?

 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

 It’s Friday, June 6, 2025 and also National Donut Day. I have plans to visit a donut shop soon and celebrate with indulgence of a fresh donut. If you know me, donuts are my favorite food. As a kid growing up in the mid-west, we had several bakeries in our small town that made fresh donuts daily and any chance I had to get one, you could bet I was there.

 In 1992 I moved from Illinois to Georgia. At that time, I was not able to find a donut shop that produced a fresh donut like ones made up north. Yeah, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin donut stores were around, but their quality just didn’t satisfy my appetite for what I was used to eating. Since then, several other donut stores have opened and I’ve found a few shops that come close, but nothing compares to the fresh, family-owned bakeries from my hometown.

 Today’s verse encourages us to enter into a relationship with God. Sadly, there are many people in this great USA who’ve never had the opportunity to see what an eternal relationship with our Creator can do for them. Those people are walking blindly through life without knowing the reason for existence and try to find happiness in things that don’t completely fill their heart. Yeah, there are momentary pleasures that might satisfy for the moment, maybe even for years, but compared to eternity, nothing can come close.

 Maybe you’ve never experienced the One and Only God of this universe. It’s actually quite simple: it’s believing that His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth over 2000 years ago and died on a cross and rose back to life 3 days later, as payment for the sins of mankind, including your sins, it’s confessing your sins and asking Jesus Christ to come into your life to save your soul and commit to living His way each and every day. Following that decision, you’ll still experience the ups and downs of life, but the consistent joy and satisfaction, knowing you are saved, and having God’s Holy Spirit to guide you daily, will yield much peace, joy, comfort, wisdom, and healing like nothing on earth. Why not give God a try today, taste and see that the Lord is good and will forever be in your heart! God bless!

 

 

 

 Revelation 8:13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Bible predicts how earth will end and the impact on humans living at that time. The wrath of God will rain down on earth because of mankind's wickedness and disobedience to His word. If you look around, you can tell the hour of Jesus Christ return to take His followers out of here before chaos erupts is closer than ever. 

You still have time to repent of sins, believe in Jesus Christ, that He paid for your sins by dying on a cross and came back to life 3 days later. Receive His forgiveness and commit your life to Him today. Don't delay, the trumpets could sound anytime.

 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Luke 12:15

 Think back to a time when you made a significant purchase; maybe it was a car, a house, a boat, a pool, a special tool or cookware. That something was meaningful to you. How do you feel about it now? Does it still work, have you sold it, or maybe it’s somewhere collecting dust. Take it a step further and walk around your home and see all the stuff you possess, does it have the same importance as the day you bought it?

 We live in a world that encourages you to buy stuff, and some of it might be useful, but over time it has probably become a financial burden with monthly payments and maintenance cost. You thought it might make life better, but in actuality it’s just one more thing you own (or making payments on) that has lost its luster.

 Today’s verse comes from the mouth of Jesus Christ. He knows you want a things that make you happy, but He also knows the limits of its benefit, and most of it runs out of excitement over a brief time. Nothing you own makes you who you are!

 Your life was created, by God, with a special purpose, and He wants you to discover it by searching out His will for your life and pursue it with the same passion you put forth in buying stuff. The worldly stuff only provides temporary pleasure, but a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, will bring lasting joy, in this present life and beyond.

 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in heaven that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:33-34

 You don’t have to sell everything you’ve got. Gods provided you the resources to buy those things. But don’t let your purchases define who you are. You are a child of the living God and He wants to enrich your life with the blessings and joy only He can provide. Focus your heart on God and seek after His will for your life. You’ll soon see your priorities change and become more Christ focused. Your desires will become pleasing to Him and He will bless you for your faithfulness as you store up treasures in Heaven! God bless!

 

 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Studies reveal that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions each day. That's a lot, and some come easy, others take some thought, but every decision has an impact, whether it's immediate or long term.

Today's verse encourages us to “test all things”. That doesn't mean we should proceed with a decision to see how it works out. That only leads to frustration, unwanted commitments, and shame if things don't work out as expected. Sadly, that's how many people go through life, with decisions that have no fore-thought.

Time spent praying and seeking God's will for every decision is the best way to navigate the 35,000 decisions you'll face today and beyond. Some won't take much thought, others will require you to “wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31) for an answer. By putting those big decisions on hold till you have God's guidance will ensure a more meaningful and purpose driven life. Make your next decision with God's help today.