Heart, Soul, and Strength

 i know some who try to tell me how holy they are and yet are malicious gossips.  It doesn't work that way.  Sporadic spiritualism and godliness is perpetual hypocrisy, as Spurgeon suggests.  Satan must really feel like dancing in  the streets when he sees us satisfying God-given needs and desires in ways that are outside the boundaries God has set up.  We don't like to have boundaries.  We want to live it up and fulfill every selfish need, not caring about the consequences.  Satan loves to watch us turn love into lust, acceptance and respect into pride, success into greed and pride.  i depend now on the Father to guide me into fulfilling my needs and desires. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, it's from the world. [1 John 2: 15-16] i am getting older now, old enough to have the majority of millennials shudder at the sight of me.  They marginalize us baby-boomers and don'...

 Abba Father, i praise You for having that feast ready in Your Kingdom.  Right now i don't know how to convince non-believers that there's a feast waiting for them as well.  If only they weren't so fixated on their worldly affairs as i once was.  i must admit that i could get along at the feast with a list a mile long of the absent brethren who were too busy with their own worldly affairs.  It would've been a waste of time to even try to tell them how close they all were to their salvation.  i hope we all have different voice in the Kingdom because to tell You the truth i get tired of hearing my own! i could increase the amount of humility and courage myself just to continue with this process of repentance. To know truth requires doing it.  Love pleases God because love is who He is.  I must be careful not to be so presumptuous and do things God has not told me to do.  i must go forward in my journey in a manner worthy of God.  Help me, ...

 Spirit, free me from the bondage of resentment.   At times i forget, so remind me that You are always here and all You have is mine.  Demonic influences, take a hike right out of those seven ways and never come back through the one way in the name of Jesus.  i am so angry at your demonic actions and contrivances, yet Jesus makes me feel honored to be persecuted even by those who proclaim to be Christians, who only lend lip service with no sincere actions or service.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death.  I do not say that he should pray about that.  All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. - [1 John 5: 15-17]   Like Jesus, may i do what i see You...

What have i feared the most?  When God said to be fruitful and multiply.  Because i hadn't come close but perhaps it was because He knew i wouldn't be very successful at having children of my own.  There was once upon a time a period when i was the last male child on my side of the family and it would've been up to me to carry on the family name, and i remember my dad's mother saying, "Gawd, that's a frightening thought." Granma may have loved me, but she didn't like me.  i don't think You, Abba Father, could or would judge me for not procreating.  Perhaps it was by Your design for whatever reason i won't know until i see You in heaven. With or without a child of my own, You still promised me that You would never leave me.  And You've been available anytime.  With You, my security truly rests.  i view You as my Source and You will determine my course.  i am a child of God and i'll have my own unique place--a place You've set aside f...

 Abba Father, please watch over me and help me from clinging to my sins and make me aware that i can indeed erase my past and have new beginnings each and every morning.  Make me a child of God You can be proud of.  i want to be like a little child when it comes to entering into Heaven.  When i see tempting sights, help me to look and look away.  i know what trouble i'm capable of getting into, so i know You do as well.  Let the world know that Israel is home for all believers.  Help me to choose not to abuse the gift of choice.  If i choose You as my source then You will become my course.  Keep away those feelings of emptiness and insecurity so that i don't repeat my actions when i am tempted again and again.  Idleness is one of my downfalls, that's when i'm most vulnerable.   You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.  You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces And...

 i can't say, " i have sinned against You, Lord," and then turn right around and keep doing the same thing over and over again.  Not if i'm a true follower of the Lord, and there must come a time when those who purport to be followers realize this.  It's not about a lot of lip service or choosing the right words to say at the right time to impress others.  i know someone like that and i fantasize about striking her across her mouth or taking her out back and flogging her.  Lord, forgive me.  i'll leave that kind of thing to You.  Catholics tend to think they're the "champagne" of Christians and that we Protestants are the Paul Masson.  And i drink no wine anytime.  The name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian.  One must be BORN AGAIN as a subject of Jesus Christ. To what or to whom do i put all my hopes and dreams for the future i have left?  i don't have ministry in me.  The physical act of standing behind a pulpit...

 Sin always results in death of some kind.  It is worth the continual struggle to combat temptation.  The awful, never-ending process of combating temptation is God's way of maturing me and conforming me to the image of Christ.  To throw my hands up in defeat is to abandon the process and to miss out on life's most important lessons.  Growing means being tempted.  We can't have one without the other. Every big habit has its small beginning.  i can't always analyze how a sin transpired; yet, i can analyze the beginning of repentance.  That's why i'm always on the look-out at the laundromat or bus stop.  One other person is a crowd for me.  i like my solitude in both places. i have the greatest potential to reflect the nature and character of the Creator, more so than anything that's been created.  But you said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; And I will sit on the mount of a...

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. -[Romans 12:3]  Satan's attack on mankind was his way of striking back at God after being cast to the ground.  The defeat of man would be the defeat of all God's creation and now we are returning to that state of disorder and chaos.  The only way out is to go forward from the present to the future.  There is no going back to the past.  i'm tired of being angry--i need to figure out more ways to become more useful so that i can be useful to others.  i can't be angry at my country now even when it has blood on its hands after sending millions to Iran.  i'm tired of pointing fingers before this hell is over, there'll be plenty of fingers pointed at me. Into Your hand i commit my spirit.  You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth. - [Psalm 31:5]...

What's Blinken thinkin'?  While all evidence points to Iran, could it actually be Putin pulling the strings to attack Israel, using his war on the Ukraine as another "red herring?"  A distraction, detraction, defection?  Are there many meetings going on in many conference rooms?  i need to be that mathematical friend who's able to multiply the joy, divide the sorrow, subtract the past and add to tomorrow. If the USA is expected to only spend on one war, then we needed to replace the Speaker of the House when we did.  "You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beast of the field to be devoured."  -[Ezekiel 39:4] So why are we waiting and waiting for the Lord to gather us to His Kingdom?  We're waiting for the harvest to be ripe. Whoever believes Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world. - [1 John 5:5] Help me align myself to You...

Lord, i put on the helmet of salvation to protect what i think. You take away and You giveth.  These are again the days of Noah.  i put on the breastplate of righteousness that You and only You can grant me to protect my emotions.  Today there is spiritual complacency.  With Your hand nudge us awake and out of our dormant stupor.  We are all zombie-like, mesmerized by the devil's gadgets and gizmos.  i gird my loins with truth, so that i might produce and create in truth, not error.  We praise You, YAH.  You are the Master of the Universe and cosmos.  It is with Your Voice, Word, and Hand the world shall be put back together.  i put on the sandals of the preparation of the gospel of peace, so i might be a messenger of Your love and mercy.  The same Voice and Hands and Word could tear this world apart again.  i pick up the Sword of the Spirit so that Your Word might work in me and through me today.  If we didn't fear You be...

 We would be accused of being egotists and having illusions of grandeur and i mustn't forget about my dream the other morning when i woke up from it saying, "Let go of the illusions.  Let go of the illusions."  So i don't have a problem with the prospect of being quietly like Christ.  There was a time i said that every Abel has his Cain when i referred to stories about my biological brother and me.  Whenever i see references about brothers hating brothers--Christians hating Christians--i used to get on the back of the bus to take another guilt trip.  But now, thanks to the Lord Jesus that guilt is gone.  Thanks be to the glory of God Almighty that i don't say that anymore every Abel having his Cain.  i told my brother that God loves both of us a million times more than we could ever love each other. Do not marvel, my brethren, if  the world hates you, We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.  He who d...

 i keep thinking about the film, Field of Dreams  and how Ray's father came back to throw the ball back and forth because Ray built the field so he could come back.  Beautiful, romantic, hard to swallow for today's generation while baby boomers like myself jus eat that stuff right up.  "Is this heaven?" his father asks.  "No, " says Ray, "it's Iowa."  The state where now satanic plaques are being displayed inside the state capital building.  O that we may not be filled with our own fancies! -[Proverbs 1:31]  i trust You, Jesus, more now than i ever have, so You need not say "Farewell" to me.  i only wish there were more people like me that i know personally.  The ones i could hang with.  Take a long bus trip with and travel to the Iowa state capital building to vandalize and  destroy some plaque honoring some satanic society.  They didn't have to build a shrine to him so he could come.  He's been here and everywhere a...

  When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. -[Proverbs 11:2] So, Noah means "comfort and rest."  Yet we need to be made aware of the days of Noah, for they are indeed here again.  The kind of rest we're engaging in now only epitomizes our laziness to a point where there's no call to rest at all.  Resting can only bring on a quicker destruction.  There's far too many of us resting or "camping."  We're all too content in dealing with the devices of the devil.  It's time to get ourselves upright!  To make the better choice to obey God and follow through on His commands.  To say to ourselves: "I've got to see what God wants me to do today!  I'm going to discover today some of the ways God wants me to live and respond and initiate action."  It's time to read our Bibles for guidance for our lives, not just to have something good to read for our minds. My son, if you receive my word, And treasure my command...

 Heavenly Father, help me to rise above my own nature and to function in accordance to the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  Though at times it feels that i haven't sealed my victory, i know You are here with me.  i am so discouraged by the wishy-washy lack of wisdom that the people around me are exhibiting today; my intelligence is being insulted and perhaps that's by Your design so that i remain humble in Your presence and by focusing more on You.  You are holy and only You can help me get on my knees before You and get up again. YAH, i ask that you restore me and heal me.  Help me to keep my anger and resentments towards others from festering and getting worse.  Remind me to keep my heart open to You every second of my days.  Keep directing me to the right preachers and teachers and people.  Let me stumble onto those who can help me best in glorifying Your name.  For me, that's my only goal now.  Lead me to Your way a...

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours only but also for the whole world...we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.  He who says, "I know him," and does not keep His commandments , is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  -[1 John 2:2-3, 4]   Any false teacher is one who denies the deity of Lord Jesus.  Especially since we know that we know Him, and, Abba Father, You've made sure that i know Him.  Only You can speak for others--it's not up to me to decide who's got the Holy Spirit these days, though i caught myself thinking about that this morning. i want to hear about preachers and teachers talking about the Cross.  i don't care to see crucifixes hanging on the wall in some dark corner on some wall in some dark hallway.  i experienced this and i remember the creepy feeling i felt.  Jesus carved upon crosses is idolatry. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything...

 If i abide in Him, then let me freely walk as He walked.  i know that my love for this world is waning more and more.  You and i, Abba Father, must be doing something right together.  Now what is it You want me to do?  What will be pleasing to You?  Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. -[1 John 2:18]   Holy Spirit, You have given me that "heart sense."  So that i have the ability to discern truth from lies.  It's almost a miraculous ability to discern.  Discernment is a real keyword in these last days.  People around me speak many many words.  Too many.  Around me, there are many images presented.  Very alluring images.  May You give me that heart sense to keep on Your narrow way.  You require a change in heart in mankind, not necessarily so much a change in behavior or ...