Thoughts ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZONPRTOFF dateof comment Look Inside Data Conditions:Order: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26| Dateof Comment 02/07/2026 If someone asked for a single word to describe Romans 8:28, what would that be? Many would probably say "good". They would be right but there are three other words that are more important: "love", "called", and "purpose". Romans 8:28 NLT 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Jonah is a good example of everything not being good when he opposed his purpose: Jonah 1:1-3 NLT Jonah Runs from the Lord 1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. It is tough to run from an omnipresent God. Jonah was about to find out that his world was about to collapse. When we go against God's will, destruction can come against people around us. Even the dice were against Jonah: Jonah 1:4-16 NLT 4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?” 9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” 10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?” 12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” 13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” 15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. The one good thing is the fact the sailors had a chance to witness the power of God and began to serve him but it still is not good for Jonah. Jonah 1:17 NLT 17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Jonah began to have a change of heart and began praying to God to fix his life. God answered his prayer and had the fish puke him on a beach. Some people think it was a whale but envision what fish do and what God was doing at the same time. 1. They swim underwater and if the fish would open its mouth, water would come in and Jonah would drown. 2. Whales can dive 1000 ft. The pressure would have killed Jonah. 3. There is this thing called digestion. Jonah was not digested. 4. The fish did not puke him in open water but placed Jonah on a beach. God did not give up on Jonah but Jonah had to endure painful things to get in tune with what God wanted. Jonah is fortunate because God could have rejected him. Good things do not happen when God rejects us. If we want to see good things happen we have to have "who love God and are called according to his purpose". 02/06/2026 Psalm 97:10 NLT You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Really, if we truly love Jesus we will want to hate evil. The rest of the verse is a promise if we do. Boy, do we need God more than ever with all the wickedness going on. Our God sees all the evil going on around him. He is using great control to not smite the sin around him. As Paul says, it is probably Jesus pleading for us. Romans 8:34 NLT Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 02/04/2026 Stand firm in the Lord's plan for our lives. Paul is always encouraging us to push on for the prize: 1 Corinthians 2:9 (New Living Translation) That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” Our minds or Hollywood cannot fathom what heaven is like. The catch phrase of this verse though is "for those who love him". Do not let the world take this prize from you! 02/03/2026 Do you know why it is so important that our lives resemble Christs? This is from a testimony who saw so called "Christians" who did not: When she explained the gospel I thought, ‘What if this is the answer to all of my problems?’ Since I had no background with Christianity, I learned everything with her. I never thought God could be my answer because the only ‘Christians’ I had known were taking part in the same worldly life I once was. But as I started to read the Bible and surround myself with people at Foundations Church, I began to understand there is a difference between lukewarm Christians and someone who has given their life to Jesus. I became so invested in learning about God. I was thinking about Him all the time even though just months before, I hadn’t even known who He was and what He did for us. On November 2, 2025, I gave my life to God. How many people are going to hell just by how our walk with the Lord is? Let's then look at people like this: How many people who have been saved by our walk with Jesus? You are one or the other. Jesus said, Matthew 6:24 NLT “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.{entertainment, cars, cellphones, and anything else that separates us from God.} 02/02/2026 Most of us would have to agree that Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, would be a good role model. Yet, he still wrote this in Romans: Romans 7:21-25 NLT 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. This is definitely a unique way of saying why we need Jesus Christ in our lives. Also because of Jesus Christ we have the solution to get out of this mess. So the next time you look down on yourself remember what Paul said about what he faces. As cool as Paul is, he is fighting sin too. Never let a setback keep you from changing your life for Jesus. 02/01/2026 How many of you have a fascination with fire? God was a master with it. These are some large scale events that God used fire in: Exodus 14:19-20 NLT 19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NLT The Dedication of the Temple 7 When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple. 2 The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the glorious presence of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” 1 Kings 18:36-39 NLT 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” The first fire event God told Moses to "get the lead out" because of what he was about to do: Exodus 14:15-18 Escape through the Red Sea 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” People have reports in this area of this fire storm, the fire was so hot that it physically melted the ground. I firmly believe that I would have deserted Pharaoh's army before going against a God who could do this. The last two fire events were different. God was quite until prayers were lifted up to him that glorified and honored his name. They were in a public setting and spoken in a manner that people could hear what was being asked. When they finished praying, that sacrifice didn't have a chance. I liked it when Elijah soaked the wood to make it more challenging for our God. It was even cooler when God consumed the water and everything around. I firmly believe because of God trying to get us to do things by faith that he would show off more like this. Even Jesus would have done more miracles if it wasn't for people's lack of faith. The motto is that God is quiet in our lives many times because we do not ask. It took the vocal prayers of Elijah & Solomon to get fire to come down from heaven. Even Jesus said, Matthew 7:7-8 NLT Effective Prayer 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. It really is true that even though God can read our thoughts that he would rather hear our voices. So speak up when you pray to God. Let other people hear what you are saying if your words honor God. Expect an answer and allow God to perform miracles in your life. 01/30/2026 This is the Lord we serve: Psalm 86:5 NLT O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Our Lord sees our hearts if we love him. He is not a "Get out of jail free" card. We still need to continue to transform our lives into something that resembles our King. Jesus is Lord!!!!!!! 01/29/2026 How many of us get the case of anxiety attacks with all the deception around us. This is what Paul said about anxiety: Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Is this the cure all for anxiety? Probably not! Jesus himself had one of those moments: Matthew 26:36-38 NLT Jesus Prays in Gethsemane 36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Jesus spent his life staying pure and away from sin. He was about to take our sins on himself which defiles everything. Not a pleasant picture in our Kings mind. He also knew about the pain and suffering he was going to endure. The second unpleasant thought in our Kings mind. These thoughts turned into "agony" that caused him to sweat blood. No one ever has this on their bucket list to do what Jesus was about to do. Jesus was about to let his Father know that he really did not want this to happen to himself. He followed what Paul told us. He started by praying and being honest about what he was thinking Matthew 26:36-38 NLT 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” {After Jesus made his petition to his Father, he emphasized that "Your will be done, not mine". Our Father appears to be silent. } 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. {Jesus rephrased his prayer emphasizing that he was focused on doing the will of the Father. Again, our Father appears to be silent. } 44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Jesus prayed three times to see if our Father would take this terrible cup away from him. It appears our Father was silent each time. Jesus knew what he had to do and did not expect to have have our Father explain it to him again. Jesus got up and proceeded to do the will of our Father. David did this same type thing in 2 Samuel 12:13-23. Our King did not deserve what he went through but David did. Both hoped our Father would change the outcomes but both accepted what happened and what Jesus was yet to face. Just like Jesus and David, God did not take away their anxiety but brought them through it. We need to watch, the problem with anxiety is that it usually happens when our faith in God diminishes. Go to our King in prayer and tell him what you are thinking, reverently, and let him carry you through your anxiety. Who knows, he may even remove it. Nothing is impossible for our King! 01/27/2026 I am thankful that President Trump has built up our military because of what I have seen in Iran and Venezuela. Our officers have been giving orders to not only to win the battles but to keep our troops safe. Have you ever wonder what would happen if that communication would break down between the troops and the officers? It would be like separating ourselves from Jesus our Commander & Chief. We need his instruction to win: Ephesians 6:12-13 NLT For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Prayer is the most important piece of armor we seem to leave out many times. It starts the line of communication with our King. We have to believe that he will answer. We have the equipment to fight but have no idea what is going on around us. A good leader like Jesus will organize us and give us instruction on how to win the battle. The Holy Spirit is our line of communication between Jesus and his troops. Let's receive his intel on the situation. If we do, we will "be standing firm" in the end. 01/26/2026 As the world tries to crush humble people, our God exalts them: James 4:10 NLT Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. Matthew 5:5 NLT God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. Matthew 18:4 NLT So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven During this part of my life, I notice that God is taking down those who think they are better then everyone else: Matthew 23:12 NLT But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 1:52 He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. Luke 18:14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” You can still be manly and be humble. Your wife will tell you it is possible. God smiles when you do it too. 01/25/2026 Man, the Holy Spirit did show Paul a lot of powerful stuff. This one tip explains how we can get that heart that Jesus is looking for: Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Jesus is Lord!!!!!!! 01/24/2026 Isn't it interesting how scripture can explain scripture. When Jesus said, " Matthew 7:1-2 NLT Do Not Judge Others 7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. " Paul really puts it into detail what Jesus meant: Romans 2:1-4 NLT God’s Judgment of Sin 2 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? The next verses really makes people think about their salvation: Matthew 7:21-23 NLT True Disciples 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Paul goes into more detail on what Jesus said, explaining what in means to be fake: Romans 2:17-24,29 NLT The Jews and the Law 17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. 21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.” 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. These are just two things that God showed me while I was reading Romans 2. I bet you know of more places where scripture explains scripture. It is fun when one can discover it. 01/23/2026 King Solomon asked God for this and it changed his life forever: James 1:5 NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. We need to remember to continue to ask God to show the next steps in his plan. King Solomon was the richest and wisest man to ever walk the earth. When he started to lean on his own understanding, his wives religious practices caused him to drift apart from God. It just about ruined him and the plan God had for him. We need to ask God to renew our understanding frequently. What happens today may be entirely different tomorrow. He has the solution for both challenges! Jesus - Master of all understanding!!!!!!! 01/22/2026 When Paul wrote the book of Romans he laid it on the line really quick! Romans 1:18-32 NLT God’s Anger at Sin 18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. {No one has an excuse on not knowing who the God of the universe is. Creation itself with its complexity says, "There is a God!"} 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.{cars, homes, and cellphones} {Now I know why they cannot tell the difference between a man and a woman. I know my dog knows the difference. This also explains why evil is now good.} 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. {Looks like the male - female relationship is the only thing that is cool in God's eyes}. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. {This is why it seems there are more stupid people today then ever. God abandons them with foolish thinking. Without Jesus controlling our lives, we begin to behave like the devil. What a list of sins we try to accomplish without him. The Holy Spirit grants wisdom, something the enemy has lost.} The word abandon was used three times in chapter one. When God abandons you to your sin it is game over for that person. God will even tell you to quit praying for that individual. If only they would realize where they were going. You are right, it does not mean the everyone that does these types of sins are going to hell. My buddy can tell you about a story when he walked through a gay bar in Boulder, Colorado holding his bible in a manner so everyone would notice it. He walked through that place slowly and never said a word then exited it. He waited a bit and soon a man came out. He admitted the God has been convicting him of his sin and soon gave his heart to Jesus. If we do not know if a person is a loss we need to pray for them until God confirms it is over for them. Paul understands the seriousness of our sinning. Jesus mention this too: Matthew 7:13-14 NLT The Narrow Gate 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. I was taught the "many" is a lot more then a "few". You begin to realize how serious our job is for our King. Anytime you watch people on the street that most are going to hell. Just as Jesus said it would happen. It is a "Victory" though when even one is brought into the fold. Jesus also said, "When you spread my word the percentage of those who are lost will go down." Paul wants use to live for Christ getting rid of sin. He knows sin will drive a wedge between man and God. We do not want to be abandoned but embraced by God. Modeling our lives like Jesus and the shedding of his blood will make God want to embrace us. 01/21/2026 Some things in life do not need to be explained: Galatians 6:7-8 NLT Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. I see this more each day as people continue to oppose God. Look what is happening in Minnesota and California. 01/19/2026 Did David have that guy thing where you try to do it on your own first then get the instruction manual when you get stuck on what to do next? With God this philosophy is dangerous. He creates instruction manuals because he knows we are going to screw up. David found this out the hard way: 1 Chronicles 13:9-14 NLT 9 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. 10 Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God. 11 David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today. 12 David was now afraid of God, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?” 13 So David did not move the Ark into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 14 The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned. It is cool how the ark blessed Obed-edom. I am not sure if he had kids, but isn't it like giving your kids metal forks in a room filled with electrical outlets. My grandkids have to touch everything. David found the instruction manual that God made on the ark and actually read it: 1 Chronicles 15:2, 12-15 NLT 2 Then he commanded, “No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever. 12 He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” 14 So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem. 15 Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses. It is interesting that everything works so much better when we do it God's way. No one has ever told me why when the Philistines handled the ark that none of them died when they hauled it into Dagon's temple. They had no idea how it was to be handled. Even more interesting, no one had the courage to open it. Or is it that God himself sealed it? 1 Samuel 5 NLT The Ark in Philistia 5 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold. One can see that God had a sense of humor here. Soon all things must come to an end. God was ready for them to return it, so he made everyone in the town sick. The people soon begged to get rid of it. We have no idea how many people touched it before it came home. The ark of the covenant will always fascinate people. I have heard rumors that they know where it is, but I cannot prove it. 01/18/2026 It is great to do the things God wants us to do and not be deceived by the plans of the enemy. He notices it when we do: Revelation 2:2-3 NLT 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. The problem is when it becomes a routine. Our hearts may begin to drift in other directions. I have experienced this thing that does not please God, myself: Revelation 2:4-5 NLT 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. Could you imagine a church full of people losing interest in Jesus? Someone new coming to your church would see distracted people who do not have fire in their own lives for our Lord. We are representing Christ to the world. Let's be proud of him and show it by our actions. Watch for the signs that you may be losing interest in our King: When you get up each morning are hoping to see someone to talk about the Lord with? When you are talking with other people do you avoid talking about him? If they start talking about the Lord first, are you excited to join them with what God has been doing in your own life. When you see another brother or sister, are you smiling and willing to say a few words with them even if you are extremely busy. Why do we lose interest in our Lord in the first place? Is it because we have worldly interests that are removing our Lord off of the throne? It is an insult to give your life up for someone and they show no interest. We can even chase people away from our Lord when they see how little interest we have in him. God knows this and he will remove us from our place to prevent us from turning people away from him. Pray and I bet you that the Holy Spirit can show you what is quenching your fire now and relight that fire back to the way it was. Jesus is Lord!!!!!!! Let our emotions show that he lives! 01/15/2026 While reading Acts you see how many times Paus was dealing with people trying to destroy him. He spent a lot of time pleading his case while being tossed into prison. Man he sure did have the faith that God would get him through all of this. When he finally got to Rome to speak this is what happened: Acts 28:30-31 NLT 30 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. What happened in Rome that God did not allow anyone to come against Paul for two years. Was this a blessing from God for all the struggles Paul went through to get here? Or is it that our God has had enough with the crap the enemy tries to push on us? We know God has some big plans as Joel foretold: Joel 2:28 NLT The Lord’s Promise of His Spirit 28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Most everyone I talk to believe that we are in the final days. The only thing keeping Jesus from returning is Mathew:24:14: Matthew 24:14 NLT 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. There are so many places on the planet that prevent the name of Jesus from being heard. They say that there a 100 million Christians in China. Sound impressive until you realize that it is 10% of the population and it has taken 100 years to get this many because of the enemy. It will take 1000 years to get the rest. God is not going to let this slide. I firmly believe that he is going to do for all the nations of the earth just as he did for Paul in Rome. When God does his great outpouring before Jesus comes back, the word will be unhindered in every corner of the planet. It will be spoken in places like North Korea and Iran. Their governments will not even try to stop what is coming. Jesus loves us that much that he does not want to leave anyone behind. What is sad is that many will still reject Jesus during God's great outpouring. Others though will be gladly accepting what is about to happen. Jesus is Lord!!!!!!! 01/13/2026 Have you ever thought about when Jesus calls us to do something, the power that goes with that calling. We have the same promises Paul had: Acts 18:9-11 NLT 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. Even when we prove ourselves with one calling, many times Jesus will have something else for us to do next. Acts 23:11 NLT That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” Notice how the Lord started out with overcoming fear to encouraging Paul to finish what the Lord called him to do next. You and I are both special to the Lord. What he said to Paul, his words are for us too. Even a poisonous snake will not keep us from our calling. God requires us to finish any calling and he will protect us until we finish what he asks of us. If you want to live a long and prosperous life other than by honoring your mother and father, let Jesus give you things to do that honor his name. As long as we do not put God to a foolish test, Jesus will want you finish your calling. Paul and the rest of Jesus's disciple did eventually give their lives up just because they served Jesus. John was the only who did not, because Jesus commanded him to take care of his mother. There can be danger involved serving our Lord. Paul let no one change what God called him to do: Acts 21:10-14 NLT 10 Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. 11 He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” I have never faced what Paul and the disciples faced but that does not mean I never will. I want to be ready and to be able to say these words, "I will do what my Kings asks of me even if it means going to jail or even dying. Whatever happens to me that my actions will glorify the Lord's name." If anyone is watching, I want them to know my Lord was real to me. 01/12/2026 I have a laser printer that from time to time calibrates itself. It wants to make sure that everything is aligned properly, so that it prints the way it's supposed to. Windows has tools to make sure that it's operating system is working and functioning properly. From the Run Command you can type in "sigverif" and see if there are any unsigned files or drivers that may cause a future problem. Clicking "advanced" will print me a log file to examine. If you want the see how windows handles "hardware & devices", you can type in "msdt.exe -id devicediagnostic" to see if any problems may occur there. Everything may be running on your computer fine now, but you want to ask questions before everything crashes in the future. As humans we do not have software or any calibration devices to keep us on track. We need to know what "drivers" are driving our life. It is easier to update the offending driver while things are appearing to be great. The driver "spiritual" conflicts with the driver "worldly". Talking about something that will cause our "operating system" to crash when these two drivers meet. Our life may be full of blessings bestowed to us by our King. We need to understand what may drive a wedge between God and the life we are living. We do have a method of diagnosing our lives and it is called "Godware". David discovered this many years ago and it is activated by speaking to our creator who designed our operating system: Psalm 139:23-24 NLT 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Just as Windows give me a report, God will give you one too. The question is "Will I act on what his report says about me?" The Holy Spirit has a patch for the driver "worldly". He will make the driver "worldly" compatible with Jesus and make it work in harmony with the driver "spiritual". God is patiently waiting for us to "ASK". He wants to hear our voice. I am amazed on how many people reference this verse, Psalm 139:23-24. I have used it twice already myself. No matter what angle you come from, it all leads back to this verse.
