Heart, Soul, and Strength

 i can still have confidence and hope today.  King Jesus is nigh.  He is in charge.  The Lord my God goes with me today to fight for me against my enemies, to these enemies who purport to be Christians.  Spiritual warfare has begun.  Peace is at hand now because He is here even in this crab-bucket.   Heavenly Father, i surrender myself to You.  My hands, my feet, my ears, my eyes.  My thoughts and desire.  My hopes and dreams.  My talent and opportunities.  I surrender all.  Thy will be done through me today. Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.  --[1 Peter 3:9] Help me to seek and pursue peace.  To be righteous in Your eyes, so that Your ears may be open to my prayers.  Handle those who are evil in these days as You see fit and keep me uninvolved with them.  Bless me to be a bless...

  They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel  --[Psalm 78: 30-31] "And you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain," He said as He could hear them use His name as they cursed and proclaimed all kinds of perversion.  In spite of this, they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. [v. 32] This is my third year begun of not smoking; at one other time in my earlier days a generation ago i stopped smoking for one year, then celebrated with a cigar and the cycle simply continued.  i remember having driven from Slippery Rock to Pittsburgh to also buy some porn magazines--in spite of His wondrous work, i continued to sin!  And He put into my heart, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image." Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue. For ...

  Finally, brethren, farewell.  Become complete.  Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the saints greet you.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen --[2 Corinthians 13: 11-14] Growing up, was my home really an anchor as my Lord is to me now?  There is no anchor without the Almighty.  i wasn't as aware of Him as i should've been. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. -- [Acts 2:25] The hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. -- [Hebrews 6:19] God doesn't intend for me to live any longer in sins He has washed away by the blood of Jesus.  His blood is an acid that eats away at the corrosive guilt that can rust out my heart....

  One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.  --[Deuteronomy 19:15] We are infected with a spiritual disease.  It's apparent every time one of them opens his mouth. The queen of the crab-bucket has pulled them all down to the bottom of the bucket with her.  We all need God--a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Get out of the crab-buckets.  To live is Christ and to die is gain.  i will see that i am not troubled in this time of spiritual diseases.  i am retired and i am on "active."  Yet i need explain that to no one.  i am tuned into Your presence.  Even in this less than comforting situation.  Circumstances above which, with Your guidance, i remain.  Why, now i'm beginning to dare.  i am not afraid and am not dismayed.  My Lord God is with me wherever i go.  The Lord is my helper; i w...

 You tell me You are always with me, and i'm finally getting smart enough to believe You, so i can say to others, "Now God tells me He won't leave me or forsake me, and that's what i believe."  Joshua succeeded Moses.  As You were with Moses, You're with me.  Grace is God's riches at Jesus's expense.  Every day is Christmas because every day God gives the gift of His own timing to those who can use God's grace.  Jesus is the mirror as are the Ten Commandments.  Jesus gets us.  He knows in advance what's going on in the World and it's up to me to pay more attention to Him if i want to get a clue as to what's going to happen next.  Come back to Olivet, dear Jesus.  A Sabbath's day journey was a climb to Olivet. --[Acts 1:12] And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east.  And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west.  Making a very large valley; Half of the mount...

 How sweet are Your words to my taste.  Sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Living life with You requires dipping my mind into the sweetness of Your Word every day  Cursed is the man wo eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies .  - [1 Samuel 12:24]   ..."My father has troubled the land.  Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey..."  --[1 Samuel 12:27] Without You, Jesus, not one piece of wood will be left uncharred at this MotorMouth Motel.  Not one survivor will be able to return and will be left out in the winter cold.  Thank You for running this place, for putting Your protective hand on us all.  There will be wars and rumors of wars.  There will be the beginnings of sorrows.  i will be delivered up to councils.  You took only four disciples with You on the Mount of Olives because You didn't want to frighten us all off all at once....

 An example of the power of the Holy Spirit at work was when i stopped smoking, even having the desire to do so even when i dreamed about it or passed the cigarette butts and roaches filled with generous weed on the streets, just lying there for me smiling up at me saying, "Take me, smoke me, toke me!"  As Christians we have a distinctive character, though there are many types of characters, many types of Christians.  If i were to become contaminated, then i would lose that distinctive flavor and the effectiveness of my testimony. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights; with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  --[James 1:17] i will think of what someone did for me and even though it was really out of malice aforethought thanking her is also thanking God.  If Jesus were to come tonight, i don't think i'd see her in the clouds--not that i honestly would want to--but hopefully she will wake up and...

 i must keep my hands open for the blessings He has for me today.  His joy is my home address. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and your joy may be full.  --[John 15:10-11]  Joy in Him flows from my connection with Him and transcends my circumstances.   "...The day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep...Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared..."  ---[Nehemiah 8: 9-10] i am retired, yet although i don't have the conventional job, i do have a mission: to eat, drink, have joy in the Lord and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of His love in whom we have redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins . --[Colos...

 i could hear the demonic evil as she slithered through the hallway upon arrival.  i could sense her evil while walking before her vehicle passed me by, stalking.  Dipping, dapping, not knowing what's happening.  Too worldly, too proud, too loyal to her master, money.  i caught her once counting her money.  The Lord is walking with me, making me aware of the adversity and phoniness and deceitfulness.  i must keep learning about my Lord.  What better way than to read His biography.  i love reading biographies.  The Bible is the best, most in-depth biography of my Lord. If i wanted somebody to be in a conversation with me, i'd prefer her to start off with the question, "So you trust me?"  i would tell her no, and that would be the end of the conversation.  "God has more faith in you than i ever could have!"  Lord, my soul thirsts for You.  My flesh longs for You in this country of spiritual drought.  i seek You in ...

i know who's in charge here.  The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord --[Proverbs 16:1] He's brought me out of the house of bondage, and i have no other gods.  Only Him.  his will and desires are important.  More important than my own and will always be.  His way is always best for me, so i will weigh in with Him every day. Empty talkers are spreading deception.  They may sound good but need to have their channels changed or turned off. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.  If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.  Amen. --[1 Peter 4:11] i am an appointed elder in this city and i am glorifying God through Jesus Christ.  i don't know just how blameless i am now but i know i wasn't blameless in my past life.  Only God ...

 i must plan a strategy to avoid the wiles of the devil who will never get me to doubt goodness and truthfulness of God.  My environment, my circumstances, my thoughts, the people around me are all taken into account.  Tranquility and peace and serenity are all fruits of the Spirit.  i will drink the wine of this fruit with dignity and shamelessly.   for kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. -- [1 Timothy 2: 2-4]  i wish to be a light in this dark, sinful world.  God, You have promised me peace.  Place Your mighty hand on the heads of Laura and Damar according to Your unconditional love and grace and will.  My delight is in fearing You.  May Laura and Damar also fear in that delight.  If You shall take either ...

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. -- [1Corinthians 12:18] Every Christian has a contribution to make for the health of the Church.  Designate me, Dear God, where You want me to live.  Surely You don't want me to get comfortable here.  Or perhaps You want me feeling uncomfortable here so i stay sharp when it comes to finding the place that aligns with Your will.  Meanwhile, may You bless my heart, so that it's a dwelling for Your Holy Spirit which aligns with Your will. On Tumblr it appears the anti-Christians, the worldly, are trying to befriend me but they won't lead me astray.  i maybe with Your guidance can lead them into the narrow path.  May we all drink into one Spirit.  Jesus Christ, after all, has already won the debate.  i must learn to listen and obey while loving Him more and more each day.  i must look forward to rejoicing with Him each morning and listen to what He has to...

  Behold He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen-- [Revelation 1:7] Jesus Christ is the true Light.  My Savior calls me His friend.  i've been purchased with His precious blood.  As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and appear before God? -- [Psalm 42:1-2]  i so much want to go by my day moment by moment knowing You are with me each step of the way.  My thoughts will be calmer.  Serenity of the world You've left to me in all its mixture of joy and pain.  Thank You for all the horns that honked at the "Jesus" sign Brandon held up the other day, ending 2022 in a wonderful way, such a humbling experience. Nobody but You know what's in store for me this year.  i know i don't fear the world and ...