Thoughts ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZONPRTOFF dateof comment Look Inside Data Conditions:Order: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15| Dateof Comment 08/05/2024 There is more to the story of the demon possessed man in the cemetery than what meets the eye: Mark 5:1-2 5 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. This is interesting in itself. Usually when my buddy goes out on the streets, we pray that the demonic influences run whenever the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned. The enemy flees from us which we have witnessed. But this man came towards Jesus. Were the demons curious or was the Holy Spirit drawing the man to Jesus? Mark 5:3-8 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. 6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” The demons had a lot of respect for Jesus and God like addressing him "Son of the Most High God". Jesus had amazing respect for his Father and the enemy knew this hoping that he would lessen the pain if he used the phrase "In the name of God". Mark 5:9-10 9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. What is this distance place? I am sure evil is present in the entire world. You can't get much further than that not unless they were afraid that Jesus was going to send them directly to the Lake of Fire right away. Mark 5:9-10 11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.” 13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. If Jesus gave the demon's permission to enter the pigs just because they asked, why would he not do requests for his children too. Granted if you ask for a Ferrari instead of a new car, he may not listen to you. What are your motives for wanting that Ferrari? Did you ever wonder what happened to the demons after the pig's drowned? Did they perish too? I have always wondered what Satan does to his minions when they fail. Mark 5:14-17 14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. When we have our mind on worldly things this is what happens. We see the money that was lost when the pigs were drowned because we do not understand the spiritual thing that just happened. Fear drives God away from us. Mark 5:18-20 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. So many people think that in order to serve God that you need to become a missionary. Then why did he tell the man “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” I know that many of you have testimonies that God wants you to share right where you are. Notice that his home was in the "Ten Towns" and he began witnessing to those who told Jesus to go. Jesus eventually came back to this place and this man's testimonies changed the community: Mark 7:31-37 31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. 33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35 Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly! 36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” The people began to want Jesus after they heard his testimony of this one man. The motto of this story is Jesus will do things for us if we ask him with proper motives. Second, our testimonies will bring people into the fold of Jesus Christ when we honor his name. 07/29/2024 I am sure that most of you have heard about what happened at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris. There is a painting of Jesus sitting with his twelve disciples (last supper) before he was going to be crucified. The enemy has replaced Jesus with a witch and his disciple have been substituted with trans, drag queens, homosexuals and everything else that's wrong today. We are definitely in a battle of good versus evil. Paul knew about these things and talked about it and how to prepare for it in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT The Whole Armor of God 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. God does things through men: Amos 3:7 Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. The enemy also accomplishes his evil bidding through men. That is why Paul says we are in a spiritual battle. our heart defines which side we will be on. If you are big into fame, money and power you will give your heart to the enemy. That is how he gets control of so many people. Many famous people have physically traded their soul to get what the enemy has to offer. Many of those physically worship the enemy by doing sadistic things in worship like child sacrifice. Have you noticed how bold the enemy has become by openly committing atrocities. The reason this all started is the church's philosophy that showing love to these people is by letting them get away with it. Other people in the church are like the Pharisees. They want to be served, noticed and hear messages that do not convict the heart. We need to be thankful that God has other plans for America even with the large number of gutless churches that exist. I firmly believe that the spiritual battle that is going on today is being won by God anyway. The enemy in his desperate predicament will try anything to turn the tables. What happened in the Olympics had consequences: Deuteronomy 28:20 NLT 20 “The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me. Paris went completely dark except for a church on the hill that was fully lit up. Jesus would confront these people. Jesus was not a pacifist but a confronter as we should be. He even prepared his disciples to confront. Sometimes weapons are used to do battle: Luke 22:36-38 NLT 36 “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! 37 For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.” 38 “Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.” “That’s enough,” he said. Jesus could care less about collecting swords. They were to confront the enemy. The Holy Spirit can guide us in how to confront the enemy. I can tell you now that he does not want us to burn down every abortion clinic. But it angers him when we do nothing to confront the enemy. Jesus came to save the world, but he is also the model of how we should live. Jesus lived to do what his Father wanted and loved people so much that he was willing to forgive those who crucified him. Jesus also stood up against sin. He threw out the money changers in the temple at the beginning and end of his ministry. He sure could make those tables fly and spoke many unkind words in his anger while he did it. He even insulted the pharisees who traded honoring God for position and power. It is also our job to stand against those who push God out of our daily lives. Our King needs to be in everything. I firmly believe that this spiritual battle going on today is not new. Many times the battle is already being fought by angels in heavenly realm. The battles can last many days as Daniel discovered. Daniel 10 12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” What they did at the Olympics will be vindicated: Galatians 6:7 NLT 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Put on the full armor OF GOD, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. We are to pray for our enemies but "Lord, if they do not repent and serve you, I ask that you take them out by whatever means you deem fit." 07/23/2024 Have you ever thought about the power of anointing oil? We know that it can make things more holy: Leviticus 8:10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. The disciples after they cast out demons and healed the sick by the authority of Jesus Christ would anoint the people whether it was to make one more holy or to mess with the enemy who may try to come back. If Jesus did it, it is good. Mark 6:13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. I have found out that when God has you anoint something it has a long-lasting effect. One night when I fast asleep God had my buddy anoint my home and farms in the middle of the night. This happened several years ago. I moved into the farmhouse and rented my house out to my niece. After they moved into my house things began to change in their lives. Her boys are starting to respect their mom like they never have before. They enjoy each other's company like never before. Their friends would rather hang at the house then any place else in town. Everyone in that family is seeing the results of that anointing. If God has you anoint something expect to see something big and long lasting. Even if you do not see results firsthand, they will happen behind the scenes. God has us bless his needy children in the ghetto. They always anoint the money to make it go further. Could you imagine what could happen when those bills come into contact with someone else who handles them. Give everything to God and anoint your blessings so that they will impact those who come into contact with your blessing. Anointing can increase the reliability and protection of a blessing because you acknowledge that it is from him. God uses the power of anointing oil to drive out the enemy. My buddy did this to a park that was too dangerous for families then. Because he did it in the manner God wanted the drops placed, the parks are now starting to fill with families. God also had him anoint the ghetto for its power over the enemy. That anointing has changed that community. Prayer over something is great but turbocharge it with anointing oil. Anointing oil can even keep a jet flying which is another story. Those pilots thought my buddy was looney when he anointed their jet. It was not until the return flight God gave the pilot ability to sense something was wrong. The copilot did not sense anything out of the ordinary, but the pilot shut it down anyway and would not leave until the jet was inspected. They diagnosed a circuit board that was going bad that would have shut one of the engines down during the flight home. From then on, the other pilots wanted their planes anointed too. One of those pilots claimed he had the most peaceful flights after his plane was anointed. Anointing can work anywhere it is tried but God must be a part of it. 07/21/2024 Somebody brought up an excellent point that if you substitute United States for Israel in the book of Jeremiah, you will have all true statements. Jeremiah was trying to warn the people of the coming judgment if they did not turn away from their sins. He had a difficult job because the great number of false prophets were telling the people that everything was great. Naturally, we only want to hear the good things and we want to kill those who tell the truth. The nation did not repent and eventually were conquered by Babylon. The people were hauled off to a foreign land and held prisoner for seventy years. Have you even thought about why God is not judging us like he did when Jeremiah was prophesying to the people? Could it be because of the prayer warriors siding with God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. Our God is a God of covenants. Is he honoring the covenant the pilgrims made with him in the 1600's? Covenants can generate a lot of power. Exodus 19:5 NLT Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me Exodus 34:10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. Never forget when we do not keep our covenant with God what may occur in our future. Joshua 23:16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.” Could it be because Jesus Christ himself may be involved in this decision? Main reason that Jesus has not come back is because the gospel has not been able to be preached across the world. This is because of the lack of technology required to get the job done. Today, this all has changed. God has blessed the United States with abundant technology. I believe that Jesus Christ wants to use this technology to bring the message to everyone. Jeremiah did not have anybody like President Trump either to clean up the swamp in his time. Wait until people find out that President Trump was sent by God. Kim Clement prophesied right after the world trade center was blown up that a man from New York was going to come and clean up our corrupt government and promote Jesus Christ at the same time. All of these reasons may be true, but I can tell you this thing he is doing is a gift. He loves it when we are thankful for the blessings we receive or about to receive. Jeremiah would have loved to experience what our God is about to do. Psalm 18:30 (New Living Translation) God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Ephesians 3:20-21 (New Living Translation) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen 07/20/2024 A lot of hospitals use ultraviolet light to kill pathogens that are lurking in the midst. So, it is with God's light. When his light is present the disease of sin decreases its intensity. It may even flee. Hospitals also use disinfectants to finish the job. Infections are a serious thing when they get started in the patient. God uses the blood of his Son to completely disinfect us. After all we do not want to affect the body by being unclean. Having fellowship with godly people will help prevent the infection of sin from coming back. They will also make you accountable. 1 John 1:7 NLT But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 07/06/2024 Before we were born God had talents picked out that he was planning on giving us. He gave us these abilities for the events he was planning to do in the future and to prosper us too: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Almost all of us are using some of the talents that God gave us today. Most of us work today to provide for our families. There is nothing that you do in the work world that could also be used to glorify the name of Jesus Christ. I remember when I was younger that I was writing programs on the computer to simplify my work. I told God that there's no way that this stuff could be used to glorify your name. Thirty years later he proved me wrong. Back then the internet did not exist, but God knew it was coming. My computer skills today are being used to glorify the name of Jesus Christ and to be a benefit to my audience. My audience was personally selected by God. I never dreamed I would be writing comments and putting up funny videos. These are all the things that he wanted me to do because of what the enemy tried to do with covid against everybody. Everyone should look to our King to get intel on what we can use our talents for. He may even have you wait until circumstances are where he wants you. I had to wait for the internet to mature and the gang ministry to begin. Remember this: Psalm 33:11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. Psalm 138:8 NLT 8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Everyone has the talent to do something for God. For many of you he is ready now. Some of you may have to wait. I hear that God is building an army behind the scenes that the enemy does not know about. Our God is a master of war and knows how to use strategy to win. Pharoah had to learn that the hard way as demonstrated in Exodus. God will grow what he has you doing today. Just as the parable of the talents, God is watching to see how we perform before he gives us more. We started out with gangs. God then added our law enforcement into the mix. Next, he had us help him bless his amazing children in the ghetto. Let's not forget about the college students who are doing amazing things for their fellow students. Now we are making a difference to our firefighters. It has all been orchestrated by our God because of how much he loves everyone in these ministries. I am also sure that everyone that God has us working with also honors who he is. Another excellent reason the ministries we have are so successful is because of you praying for us. We need to do the same for those who are also serving God. This is the only way to maximize their impact on people and protect them from the enemy when we bind him. He hates our success bringing glory to our King. He will stop at nothing to make us stop. So, keep on praying for all of those you know serving God. We are all excitedly waiting to see what God does next. 07/03/2024 They say, "government is not the answer but Jesus Christ is" is a very true statement, but a government who does not know Jesus is a disgrace to the world. Proverbs 14:34 NLT Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Ignoring what is going on in our government will eventually result in our persecution. We all need to stand agianst the evil in what is going on today. 2020 was the year Christians voted for demonic candidates when we had those who were a lot closer to what God wanted. You need to check out how your representitive votes on bills that oppose God. I have checked and there are many representatives who voted for God. I even bet you already know which political party opposes God the most. Make America Great Again with Jesus in control of our leaders lives. I guarantee this is what our King wants also. Godliness makes a nation great. The current administration has no use for godliness and it shows. When America was founded we were one nation under God. I want America to be restored to this status because my King will honor this nation again if we honor his great name to the world. 06/26/2024 Being a child of our King has many perks. This is one of them: Psalm 121:7-8 NLT The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. What is interesting about this verse it can apply to the ungodly by the power of prayer. There have been many people fervently praying for their loved ones for their salvation. God has applied this verse to their lives also until they come around to give their hearts to Jesus Christ. God has brought people out of dark places that would have killed those who were not prayed for. So, continue trusting in the Lord and to pray for those who need salvation for as long as it takes. Isaiah 40:31 NLT But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 06/24/2024 Jeff Dunham the extremely talented ventriloquist was having a discussion with his puppet Peanut on how many things have been taken away since he was a kid because it is too dangerous. Jeff said he even rode bicycles without a helmet and turned out normal. Peanut looked him in the eye and said, "Normal people do not talk to puppets. You should have worn the damn helmet." It is true that our present-day culture puts a lot of effort in protecting our head with helmets. But why is it that so little effort is put into protecting our hearts. Our hearts are very important to our King. The heart determines our relationship to the things of God. What was in Davids's heart was why God made him king: 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Our brain is physical, and our heart is spiritual. Like the brain you can put stuff in it but what are you putting in it? Romans 5:5 NLT And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. OR Acts 5:3 NLT Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. You cannot have both. One will push the other out. Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. God has the ability to open our heart: Acts 16:14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. Do you want to be blessed? It sure helps if our hearts are pure: Matthew 5:8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God cannot use a hard heart: Matthew 13:15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ Your heart reveals your motive for everything you do: Matthew 18:35 NLT “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Sin is the number 1 killer of the heart. Paul's letter to Timothy, James and John tells us how to protect our hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. James 1:21 NLT So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. 1 John 5:21 NLT Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. Even though the enemy wants to take over our hearts, there is hope: 2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. A good friend can make us accountable which will help guard our hearts against evil. Our hearts reveal everything to our King. Let it be something that will bring honor to his name. 06/17/2024 Before GPS driven equipment I would plant corn in a field that had long rows. The rows would seem to always have a curve in them. My lot younger son asked me why my rows were not straight. I made up a BS story and told him it is because of the corealis effect of the earth. It's rotating and since the rows are long it made my tractor plant like that. He took my word for it as the reason it happened. He is a lot older today and he would definitely question my logic. Our King wants us to be like my younger child. We need to believe everything our King says and not question it. In these last few years I have learned how special children are to God. Mathew 18:2-4 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Our kids have angels in the presence of the Father: Mathew 18:10 10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. I know you college students do not like to be called children but continue to have faith like children and do not let us adults corrupt your faith. Us adults need to have the faith our young children have because the enemy of this world has corrupted us older people. To our children Jesus Christ has no limits, so why do we impose limits on him. 06/16/2024 King David had a life of intrigue. Even with all the enemies wanting to kill him he would write down things like this. 1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. It is easy to see why God liked David because you can see how he acknowledged the true awesome Yahweh throughout Psalms. I believe that our President Trump sees God in the same light with all the attempts on his own life. Even though our lives are small compared to these two men, this verse is still true for us. This same God wants to have relationship with us: Ephesians 3:17-19 (New International Version) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Pay attention to the part where it says, "you may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people." You and I were never to take on life alone. Once we begin to get the fullness of God we have to watch for the enemy's deception. I watched the Jesus Revolution movie bringing the hippie generation to Jesus Christ. The man who talked to the pastor to open his church to the hippies temporarily lost focus on that pastor's authority. Sometimes we have to wait even if we may be right. That is how God wants it. We are valuable to God when we serve him but so are the other people who serve him. Let's never forget it is God's ministry and not yours. This will help keep us humble. If you do not believe me, just ask God to get lost or ignore him and you will see your ministry die in front of your eyes. It is his and will always be his if it is going to succeed. 06/05/2024 As I was growing up I was like anyone else looking for friends. The friends I was most grateful for are the ones who Jesus Christ was a part of their life. Friends who know Christ do not like it when any sort of evil is present. We only did things that were honorable to our King. We had lots of fun. I did a lot of dirt biking growing up and I did have friends of the world who were also interested in what I liked and we did hang out during the day. I never found anyone who liked Jesus and dirt bikes. That was as far as I would go because of the excessive beer drinking and drugs that they did at night. It is true that bring up your children with godly perspectives does work. I knew what was right and I had the support of my friends in Christ. The bible talks about worldly friends and what things you can expect from them: 2 Timothy 3:4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. James 4:4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 1 Peter 4:4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. You know you have a real friend if this happens: John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Jesus wants to be your friend: John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. Romans 5:11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. They say you can't take anything into heaven when you die. This is not true. If your friend loves Jesus he will be there in God's Kingdom too. Who knows that may be someone that you bring to Christ. They now need a friend who is on God's side: Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 06/02/2024 Sometimes life is too busy and can even be stressful. We need to be like David who also had more danger on his plate then most of us will ever experience. He wrote this down just to remind himself who his God is: Psalm 56:4 (New Living Translation) I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do. We even have more promises available to us from our King then David even had. Jesus Christ promises freedom. Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ provides righteousness: Galatians 5:5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. His children benefit from an amazing inheritance: Ephesians 1:14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. His children have eternal life with the King. Actually, we all have eternal life but as Jesus said many will choose the Lake of Fire apart from God: Titus 1:2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. If we are willing to give ourselves to him there is rest: Hebrews 4:1 Promised Rest for God’s People God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. His children will receive the crown of life: James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Just think about heaven what that must be like. It will be better than you can imagine. James 2:5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? He gives the boldness to set ourselves apart from the world: 2 Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. He is wants us in his Kingdom and he is tirelessly trying to convince us to come to him: 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. He definitely wants our fellowship: 1 John 2:24-25 24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. Let's honor these promises by living for our King: Acts 20:24 NLT But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. Romans 12 NLT A Living Sacrifice to God 12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 05/28/2024 If we are honest with ourselves when we are going through trials, we probably are jealous when those around us seem to have it all together and having a good time. On the other side is we do not want to deal with other people's problems because it can get us down. This is not what the word of God says: Romans 12:15 (New Living Translation) Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. If this is difficult it may be that we do not love others: Romans 12:9-10 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. {This is the secret to having compassion for others. Verse 15 will become an honor not a sacrifice.} It is even more difficult to do this: Romans 12:14 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. God wants us to pray for those who are against us because people can change and come to Jesus. How many of us have come to Jesus because of the love and prayer of others? Paul wants us to do the same. But I am also not afraid to ask God to remove them if they hinder the message of Jesus Christ and force Satanic ideas on God's people. Our own inspired by God constitution has the death penalty on treason and crimes against humanity especially against his children. Romans 12 has a lot to say dealing with people Romans 12:11-18 11 Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! {As one gets smarter, he learns about how much he does not know.} 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Matthew has some more people tips. These also honor God too: Matthew 5:4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. Matthew 5:6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 05/26/2024 I am beginning to feel like we do not worship our King in the manner he deserves. When I see how the men and women in the ghetto worship God, I know there is a lot to learn. Let's first look at what the dictionary says about worship. It can be a noun or verb. I know that my God is a God of action and I feel that is the type of worship he is looking for is the verb. noun reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning. [The example sentence the dictionary used does not mean much if the heart is not in it.] adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success. Synonyms: idolatry, adoration, homage, honor the object of adoring reverence or regard. verb (used with object) , wor·shiped, wor·ship·ing or wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping. to render religious reverence and homage to. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing). Synonyms: adulate, idolize, glorify, adore, revere, venerate, honor verb (used without object) , wor·shiped, wor·ship·ing or wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping. to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity. to attend services of divine worship. to feel an adoring reverence or regard. I feel the latter verb is used too much by Christians. We attend worship services without God or the Holy Spirit in the mix. This is not the way our sovereign God designed worship. Paul talked about worship with Timothy: 1 Timothy 2:8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. This means get your attitude right when worshiping the King. Paul also tells us what not to do in the next two verses with false worship: Colossians 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Ephesians 5:5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. This is how the families do it in the ghetto. We need to model these three verses: John 4:23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. John 4:24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Philippians 3:3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, Other than if the sun is shining in your eyes, it is a good idea to remove your hat. After all you are a crafted specimen created by God. Don't cover up his work. 1 Corinthians 11:7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory. Until we give our bodies unto him, we may never experience real worship. It will always be fake. Romans 12:1 A Living Sacrifice to God And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 14:6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. I have been given ministries by God. I would fail if he was not in the middle of it. I want to make sure that he gets the glory and the victory or else: Acts 12:23 Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So, he was consumed with worms and died. Always look into your past to make sure something is not hidden like unforgiveness or vows, or your worship will be like this: Malachi 2:14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. I really think God likes women because he keeps reminding me about how we need to behave to our wife. If Jesus Christ lived as example to us, we should do the same just because it is right. As we close remember that a synonym to worship is "honor". I firmly believe that anything that glorifies the name of our King is worship. Your heart reveals to God what type of worship you are giving him. The people in the ghetto spent over three hours worshiping God. All the families shared the wonders of what God is doing in their lives and asked for prayer. None were looking at their watch because they scheduled their Saturday for God. Now that is the heart of worship. 05/21/2024 I don't know if you are like me but sometime I just get tired of waiting for all of God's promises to come. I feel the whole world is against me. Even those of old had these feelings Psalm 119:84 How long must I wait? When will you punish those who persecute me? Thanks to all of your prayers I have never felt like this guy: Psalm 69:3 I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. I bet you know what I am going to say next. Yep you are right it all has to deal with faith. Faith requires us to wait on God. As you begin to understand how God works you learn why things take time. It still sucks having to wait. I do know if we get to excited and get outside of Gods timing we can mess things up for ourselves and other people. It has been nearly 4 years with all the stupidity going on. This verse is interesting and still works today. I do believe it is getting close: Daniel 12:12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! Psalms also talks positive about waiting: Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. This tells us that God is at work for those that wait: Isaiah 64:4 For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Waiting allows God to help us: Jeremiah 14:22 Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us. Lamentations 3:26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord This next verse shows how much God is waiting on us. He wanted to give people time to repent. Plus God would look stupid sending the rain before the boat was finished. It would have sunk. Imagine that 120 years for him to wait for someone to repent and they still did not. 1 Peter 3:20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. Look at what Abraham did: Hebrews 6:15 NLT Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Also remember what happen when Abraham did not wait on God as planned. God's word is designed to give us that hope and encouragement to wait. This does require us to read it to get the technique down: Romans 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. While we are waiting on God's promises lets do this to distract ourselves: 1 Corinthians 1:10 (New Living Translation) I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 05/20/2024 This world likes to kick old people out to pasture. It is true that it is difficult for the older to perform strenuous tasks. That is why you never see someone playing pro football at 50 years old. It is the same in the job world where they want those over 60 to retire because of possible medical issues and higher wages. This is a big mistake because God has given the older generation of his children wisdom: Proverbs 20:29 NLT The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old. Psalm 92:14 NLT Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Joel 2:28 NLT The Lord’s Promise of His Spirit “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. All of these verses show that old people are valuable to God. God is actually using me more now in my older years then when I was young. God said, "Bless my children in the ghetto." Because of this his children there know how to worship God amazingly. Many churches should learn from them how to worship from the heart. God also said, "Make my people in law enforcement and fire laugh. While you are at it, make my college students laugh also." This is all proof that we are never too old to benefit our King. I am planning on staying on this path until my King leads me down a different one. All I know is that if that happens his other children will be blessed. It is a result just because of the love our King has for his kids. Here are some thoughts to close with: Romans 15:5-6 (New International Version) May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an amazing promise: Hebrews 6:10 (New Living Translation) For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. 05/17/2024 Rush Limbaugh use to drive the Liberals nuts because he would say "I have talent on loan from God." It is funny because it did drive them nuts. But it is also true. God has given us talents to be used to further his Kingdom. It has only been in the last 5 years that my King has been putting all the things he had me learn from the time I left high school to complete his plan. That has been a long time for me. I can do some amazing things with computers to further Gods plan. But check out me compared to who our King is: Ecclesiastes 11:5 (New International Version) As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. He definitely has me beat on this one. It gets worse as we read on. Romans 11:33-36 NIV 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Definitely not much of a comparison to our God who gave me everything from my talents to my finances. Everything is his already. Even though verse 35 says "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?", I still believe in: Malachi 3:10 NIV 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Let us close by remembering: "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. 05/15/2024 There never has been as much uncertainty as there is now. Stupidity is rampant and God is low on the totem pole of today's culture. God has something to say to you if you are worried about what kind of world you and your children will be left with. Psalm 103:17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children. [Proof even our children are covered. Bring them up in the ways of Christ and release them to our King.] The last time I checked God was still on the throne and Jesus was there mediating for us. I like what Jesus prayed over those who are obedient: John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Never forget about the original verse on fear: Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. David saw how God never left his presence: Psalm 34:7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Psalm 118:6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Make sure you have not lost your love for the things of God. This brings fear: 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. It does require faith when you read these verses that God will make things happen according to the events that he has planned. Remember this verse: 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight. [Strong faith brings hope into our journey on earth. When faith dies so does hope.] Sight can deceive what is actually happening. CGI is everywhere making us feel fake is real bringing fear into our lives. Studying who God is will reveal what is fake in our lives. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is key to winning the battle and that he has got this situation under his control. I hear that God laughs at the dumb stuff the enemy pulls. This tells me he has no worry about overcoming anything the enemy may come up with. Even though we go through trials our King has not only protected us, but our children are also under his protection. Trust him and continue working towards a Christ like life. 05/14/2024 Christians show the cross as a symbol to who they are. Did you ever look at a cross really close. The cross itself represents what Isaiah said would be the type of death that Jesus would have to endure when he completed his ministry on earth. But what else do you see. That cross is empty. Jesus was removed, placed in burial clothes and placed in a tomb. In some ways, the tomb should be our symbol because that is the place Jesus took the keys from Satan and conquered death. The tomb was also where Lazarus was raised from the dead: John 11:44 NIV The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” When Jesus released his Spirit on that cross death was being conquered: Matthew 27:50-53 NIV 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. I am thankful that most Christians do show a cross that is empty. But in many of the Catholic churches you will see Jesus still hanging there. One thing I do know is that when you are hanging on a cross it is physically impossible to conquer death. That cross still represents the suffering he endured for us and that should never be taken lightly. Because our God is so Holy Jesus Christ was necessary before anyone could stand in the presence of the Father. Everyone from Adam on had to wait for what Jesus was going to do. We are fortunate that Christ already paid that price and we do not have to wait. But we have to acknowledge him as our Savior before this can happen. Matthew 10:32 NIV “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Luke 12:8 NIV “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.
