How's Your Appetite?

How’s Your Appetite?

If you have ever been in the hospital or been sick, you’ve probably been asked, “How is your appetite?” Have you ever wondered why they are asking you this question? Really, there is a good reason for this. Many times having a poor appetite can point toward much bigger problems. Often when a person has cancer or another serious illness, one of the signs pointing toward the illness is a poor appetite. 

How is your spiritual appetite? Do you have a hunger for the word? Do you find yourself wanting to talk about, read about, and listen to others talk about the Lord all of the time? Do you find yourself talking to the Lord throughout the day and wanting to be near to Him every moment that you can? Are you excited when you find yourself surrounded by others that feel the same way?

If your answer to most of these questions is “No”, then you may have a problem with your spiritual appetite. We all struggle with this from time to time, but if you’ve completely lost your hunger for the Lord, then this may be the first sign that your spiritual life is in danger. Sadly, it’s true, losing your spiritual appetite can lead to eternal death if you don’t seek the proper treatment. Luckily, there is a way to be saved! First, seek the Lord and spend time with Him every day. Just like medicine is prescribed to be taken multiple times a day, prayer should be also. The Lord has written His own prescription for you: it’s called the Bible. Be sure to read it very carefully and follow its words. Lastly, spend time loving others, giving of your time and your heart. When you help others and show them love then the Lord is able to work through you. There is no better way to draw closer to Him than this. The Lord's "prescription" can improve your spiritual appetite and save your eternal life!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

Goodbye, September

Goodbye, September

Sometimes there are months on the calendar that you’d rather not see make their appearance. Not because of things to come, but because of things, or rather people, that have gone before. The month of September has taken so much from many of us, and it seems that it just keeps on taking. Every year I dread the thought of who will come next. This year a very close friend lost her son and it felt like my heart was being torn in two by her pain. Another friend lost her grandmother.  It hurts to see your friends hurting!

As I sat thinking of all of the friends and loved ones that have been lost to the month of September over the years, I started to wonder where the word September came from and if it was a Hebrew word or what its origin was. Elul is the word used for this time of year in Hebrew, which means “harvest.” As I thought about this I thought of the Lord reaping a harvest. The harvest is talked about throughout the Bible. We usually assume that the Lord is speaking of the end of days, but like most things we can only interpret what the Lord is telling us and we aren’t meant to know everything about what God does. Seeing how many souls have left the earth in September makes me wonder, does the Lord have His own harvest season this time of year? Is He also picking the choice crop for Heaven?

Losing those we love is life-altering and heart-wrenching. Even if we know that they will be living joyfully with the Lord, it is still hard for us to have them taken from us. We love them so much that it is difficult for us to be separated from them. People will always say, “They are in a better place.” Those words are meant to comfort, but sometimes when we are filled with sorrow it is hard to even imagine that. It is hard for us to imagine a life without them in it or how long we will be forced to be separated from them. 

The Lord doesn’t take our loved ones away to hurt us. Death, unfortunately, is a part of life here on earth. Because of the sins in the garden, death had to become a part of life. Living in and enduring a sinful world, in my opinion, will make an eternity with Christ that much more sweet. We can take heart, our own Elul is coming, and the homecoming will be amazing!

“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.”

John 4:36

Gold gLOVE

Gold gLOVE

Our world is filled with arguing and fighting these days. If I’m being honest, I will admit that it often involves Christians. It seems that people always want to take a side in every argument. Why is that? Why do we always feel the need to choose? So often by making a choice of who is right or wrong in an argument, we are letting ourselves become a part of the problem. We are letting ourselves get involved in something that will put a wedge between two people, two groups of people, two countries, etc. 

Do you ever find yourself involved in a fight and insisting that you are right? Do you find yourself refusing to back down from the fight? Is this what the Lord would want from us? My opinion is that the Lord wants us to promote peace, love, and harmony among us. He would want us to back down from the fight.

Now let’s stop and consider what the fight is all about. It might be a political stance, a personal belief, an argument with a friend or a spouse, it really doesn’t matter. I’ll say it again, IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER! In the grand scheme of life, it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Think of it in this way: If the world ended tomorrow would this argument that kept you from loving others mean anything at all to Jesus when you see Him face-to-face? Or would the fact that you held onto this fight INSTEAD of loving others mean more to the Lord? Maybe we should lay down our hateful, slanderous, judgmental words and actions and take a look at what we are truly fighting for. 

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let It Go

Let It Go

I am someone that is deathly afraid of heights. If you put me up on anything taller than a step stool, I’m freaking out a little bit. I’ve tried numerous times to climb a ladder and every time I get to the top I am hanging on for dear life! I’m so afraid to even let go of the ladder because I’m afraid I’ll fall. Are any of you hanging on for dear life? No, I don’t mean hanging on to the ladder. I’m talking about hanging on to worldly things.

It’s not easy giving everything up to follow Jesus, is it? I’m sure many of you are having a tough time giving things up. There was once a time in my life when I was only living half-hearted for God. I would go to church on Sunday, sit and listen to the sermon, and put on a good face that I was a believer. As soon as I walked out the doors, I would not think about the Lord or His plans for me until the next Sunday morning. Are you living this way? Are there worldly things that you are hanging onto for dear life? The things you just don’t want to give up for Him? Are there things you like to do, watch, read, or buy that you just don’t want to let go of? What about your time? Is it too valuable to give up for His work?

There was a time in my life when these things all came before God. Change is hard, but a life lived for the Lord is totally worth it. When you are willing to change for Him, then He will show you His power in so many ways. The first time you truly get to see His power you will be awestruck, amazed, and humbled! So, just let it go and let God show you his amazingness!

I'm still changing and growing, it's not like a light switch, it doesn't happen overnight.  Getting closer to the Lord and leaning on Him will keep us on the right path!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Are You Abel?

Are You Abel?

The story of Cain and Abel is as old as time. One brother kills another out of jealousy, right? There is really much more to this story. In truth, the story is all about giving all to God. Cain and Abel were brothers that both presented offerings to God. Abel always gave the very best of what he had as an offering to God, but Cain just gave what was required. Because God knows our hearts, He knew that Cain wasn’t giving from the heart. He knew that Cain was giving out of obligation. That is why He appreciated the gifts from Abel so much more! God wasn’t showing favoritism here, He was rejoicing in a gift from the heart.

Now back to the question: Are you Abel? You may think this question refers to the money you put in the offering plate on Sunday, but really it isn’t. Giving to the Lord is a LOT more that what happens in the offering plate on Sunday. It is really about what happens outside of church altogether. We are talking 24/7, 365 days a year. How much of your heart (and your time) are you truly giving out of love for the Lord? How much are you giving to others out of this love? Do you find yourself doing things out of obligation or because of what people will think or are you doing them because your heart is so filled with the Lord that you want to share that love with others?

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Matthew 22:37-39

Worrywarts

Worrywarts

Have you ever been called a “worrywart”? Have you ever stopped to wonder what in the world it is? Well, thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, here is the definition:

Worrywart: Someone who worries needlessly or incessantly.

I’m pretty sure this would describe many of us, right? We worry about how we look, what we wear, how much money we have, what other people think of us, etc. etc. etc. Until all we do from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed is worry about one thing or another. Is this you? Stop and compare how many times you have had a worrisome thought to the number of times you’ve talked to God today. What’s the ratio? Is worry winning?

Have you ever stopped to wonder how annoying all of these worries have to be to God? He’s up there trying to take care of everything and all He is hearing are the worries of doubters clogging up the prayer-phone! Yes, every time we allow ourselves to worry, we are expressing our doubts that God can handle this. In essence, we are not having true faith in the Lord to take care of our problems. If you are a worrier, it is time to let it go and give it to Him. He is much better at taking care of things than you are!

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

Luke 12:25-26

Sink or Walk?

Sink or Walk?

We’ve all heard about the time that Jesus walked on water, right? There is another story that goes along with it, though. That is the story of Peter and his little trek out onto the water. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, Peter was faithful enough to ask Jesus to allow him to walk on the water also. Stepping out of the boat when Jesus was standing right there and he could see him and trust that he would help him required a lot of faith, but it was also the easy part. The more difficult part came when the wind and the waves picked up. At this point Peter kind of chickened out and started to doubt. Of course, this doubt caused him to start to sink! 

If you think about it, this is a lot like our own lives. It is easy to have faith when life is going good, but when tough times and the storms of life come, it can be a little more difficult to believe that the Lord is going to save us. When sickness comes, when we lose loved ones, or lose our jobs it can make us forget that the Lord is there holding us up. We may lose sight of His great power and His ability to carry us through any of life’s difficult times. If we do keep our eyes upon Him, though, He will show us His great power. Sometimes we have to walk through the valley so that we can understand just how great the Mountain is!

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

The Jungle

The Jungle

There are many of us who have been lost in darkness at some point in our lives. Maybe you are one of those people and you have managed to find your way out, or maybe you are still trying to find your way. Those of us that have found our way out can help those that are still stuck!

Sometimes when we are battling the darkness of our life, it may seem like we are stuck in a jungle. We look around and we can’t see any way out. There are trees and vines all around and we are afraid to even take a step for fear that we will get tangled up and fall – and who knows what kinds of horrible creatures are hiding under the ground cover! You may be asking yourself how you will ever get out of this mess. Luckily, the Lord can make that possible. He sees that you are struggling and He wants to help. Even when you haven’t asked Him to, He is sending His people your way. There are others who have been in the jungle and found their way out. They hold the tools to help get you out of there! He has equipped them with the machete it will take to clear the path for you because they have been where you are. They will help you find your way to the Lord and out of this scary jungle. 

The Lord will give you the strength to fight your way out if you turn to Him. He wants to forgive you for the sins that have you trapped if you let Him. Even though things seem really dark and scary in the jungle, there is a beautiful Son wanting to shine His light on your life. With Him beside you, the scary things don’t seem so scary after all.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Matthew 11:28-30

Change

Change

When we see the word “change”, many different ideas might come to mind. First we might think about seeing changes around us or in others. Some of us might look at it and think about the nickels and dimes sitting at the bottom of our purse. How about if we look at it both ways? Many of us may look at our lives and see that we need to make some changes. 

Now let’s talk about “spare change”. Imagine your heart as a “change purse”. You know, the kind with a little zipper at the top. First, unzip that change purse (your heart) and dump it out. You may be asking how to do this. Surely, you’ve heard about pouring your heart out, right? Do it! Pour your heart out to the Lord, confessing all of your sins. Then take a look at what kind of change you have been carrying around. Is there any phony money in there? You know like the kind you get at the toy store in the play cash registers. This phony money was put there by Satan. It can be in many forms: guilt, shame, unclean thoughts, profanity, gossip, hatred, unforgiveness, and the list goes on. Next, open your heart and let the Lord fill it with only what is real, what is His. If you will allow Him to, He will fill your purse to overflowing. It will be so full that there will be no room for Satan’s phony money. Not only that, but you will be able to discern when Satan is trying to sneak his phony stuff into your purse!

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21

Jalopies to Jewels

Jalopies to Jewels

The Lord has a way of turning junk into something beautiful. Have you ever thought about your life that way? Has your life ever looked like something that should be in the garbage? If you are in that spot right now, don’t give up hope. He can restore anything!

There is a show on cable television where old cars that have been restored to mint condition are sold at auction. It is amazing what these cars bring – thousands of dollars! Yes, you see them when they are at their very best, after someone has spent a lot of time and effort to fix all of their problems and give them a fresh coat of paint. Now, imagine what they had to have looked like before that person started to restore them. I’m sure they were probably sitting in the weeds somewhere, all but forgotten. The body was rusted, the tires were rotted, the seats had been chewed to pieces by mice, not to mention that the engine was completely seized up and wouldn’t even begin to start. 

Now, take a look at our lives. We have lost our way and no Christian even wants to look at us because of the things we have done (or are doing). We are essentially left in the weeds to be forgotten. Our bodies have been beaten and battered by the life that we have chosen to live, one that doesn’t include the Lord. Our hearts, minds, and souls are so weary we just don’t want to go anymore. Lucky for us, Jesus is the greatest Restoration Expert in all of eternity! When we turn to Him, we can be completely restored. He will make us shiny and new again because He can see what great value we have, even when we are still a jalopy! He can see that there is a jewel waiting to come out!

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

1 Peter 5:10

Heart On Fire

Heart On Fire

We are all blessed with kindling inside of us. By kindling I mean stuff to make a fire. Each and every one of us have the very same things available to us. We each have a heart, a soul, and a mind that can all be used to start a fire for God within us. Have you ever looked at another Christian and wondered why they got so lucky to have the kind of relationship with God, a fire for God, that you could only dream of? God doesn’t choose certain people to bless with this fire for Him. The reason these people have the fire is because they have chosen to turn away from everything else and give themselves completely to God.

This is the match to light the kindling. We all have the ability to make this choice. Let’s think about a campfire. If you are trying to roast a marshmallow but you have other food completely covering the fire, you won’t be able to get any heat to your sweet treat. You have to remove all of the obstacles between the marshmallow and the flame. The same can be said about you and the power of God. Before you can begin to feel the warmth of God’s power, you first have to remove all of the obstacles that are standing between you and God. These might be little things that you don’t think really matter to God, but even the smallest thing that keeps you apart from Him will keep you from feeling the heat. 

Once you begin to feel the warmth of God’s fire, you will feel the need to build it. The way to build this fire is by having a close relationship with Him. He will then lead you to new ways to continue to build this fire. You will find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone, helping others in extraordinary ways, showing love to all of those around you, and the flames will consume you in the BEST WAY!

But if I say, “I will not mention his word

or speak anymore in his name,”

his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;

indeed, I cannot.

Jeremiah 20:9

An Action Noun

An Action Noun

Follower. This is a very unique word. It is a noun, and yet it requires action in and of itself. You can’t be a follower unless you are actually following. Sure, some people call themselves followers and yet are not actually following. Some people only claim to be followers but are not acting upon it. This is not what the Lord had in mind when He wanted us to follow Him. This verse in Matthew is a call to action:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20

He wanted us to get up and act on our calling from Him. It is very difficult to reach out to others if we are just merely being followers as a noun and not acting upon it. Sitting in a pew listening to someone speak is not enough. If we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, it will spur us to action. Otherwise our faith is dead.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17

Holes in Your Armor

Holes in Your Armor

Every day is a battle. Each and every one of us has to go out into the world on a regular basis. Even if we don’t want to, we really don’t have a choice. If we want to put food on the table for our family, we have to go to work. If we want to actually have food to feed them, we have to go to the grocery store. In either of these places, you are going to come in contact with other people, and most likely the world. Anytime you come in contact with people and the world, you need to be wearing your armor. 

Here is a little something you need to know about Satan: He uses whatever means necessary to try to put holes in your armor. Many times he uses other people and our own weaknesses to help him poke these holes. Negativity, gossip, hatred, jealousy, pride – do any of these sound familiar? These are just a few of his favorite tools. They are like spears that penetrate our armor. 

How do I strengthen my armor, you might ask? The Lord is your one and only armor repair kit. By going to Him in prayer you can fill these holes in your armor. Through the strength of the Lord, we can strengthen our armor and make Satan’s spears useless.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:10-12

Rearview Mirror

Rearview Mirror

Every car comes equip with a rearview mirror. Driving forward while looking strictly in the rearview mirror can be dangerous. If you never look forward, but only look back, you could easily run off of the road. You can’t actually see the road when you are too busy looking back. 

Do you spend your life looking in the rearview mirror? Sometimes the things in your past can be a real distraction from the Lord. If we spend all of our time remembering our mistakes and beating ourselves up about them, that can keep us from allowing the Lord to forgive us and keep us separated from Him. The Lord wants to be in our lives, but if we continually hold on to the guilt of our sins, we will never truly feel His love and power.

Through the stories of the Bible, we can see that the Lord was warning us about looking back and wants us to only look forward – to Him. Take the story of Lot and his wife: as they were leaving Sodom and Gomorrah God warns them not to look back. When Lot’s wife looks back, she turns into a pillar of salt. If this doesn’t convince you to stop looking back I don’t know what will! 

“This is the covenant I will make with them

after that time, says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts

I will remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:16-17

Quenched by Fire

Quenched by Fire

Blacksmiths and sword makers know how important quenching a blade can be. The use of fire is very important throughout the process of making a sword. First you use fire to shape the blade to make it just exactly what you want it to be. Then the final step in the blade-making process is what is determines the hardness of the blade – this is quenching. When the blade is perfected and you want it to stay that way, you place it in the fire and then directly into oil. This process determines the hardness of the blade. Without a proper quench, the blade will either be soft or it will shatter completely.

The Lord is preparing us just like a sword. Many times in our lives we will face difficulties, but these things are strengthening us. We may suffer and struggle, but the Lord knows that it is what it takes to shape us in to the follower that we need to be. Our past struggles can actually help us to reach others that are going through the same struggles. We can be a guide to them and help them in their walk with the Lord. 

Without the fire, we would be soft and easily changed, but with the fire we are tough and can withstand anything. This is what the Lord needs us to be. He has to see that we are quenched before He sends us into battle. We gain strength when we turn to the Lord during the trials by fire. He is the oil that will quench us and give us strength!

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Jesus on the Luggage Rack

Jesus on the Luggage Rack

Who is in the driver’s seat of your life? As we go about our daily lives we often try to control things and do things our own way instead of putting everything in the hands of the Lord. Take a look at your own life. How do you handle your day-to-day tasks? Do you put God first in your life or is He just the One you turn to when you need something?

If your life was a car, who would be in the driver’s seat? Is Jesus sitting there? Or is He tied to the luggage rack? Is He out there so everyone can see Him or does He actually have control of the car? It is time to put the Lord in control of the car. There is only one way to do this – hand over the keys. That can be pretty hard for us to do, but it can be done. First of all, we have to let go of our own selfish wants and needs. There will be areas of your life that you will say, “but I want to do that.” Is it keeping you from fully submitting to Him? If so, then it is one of the things that you just have to walk away from, to get rid of. It isn’t going to be easy, but God never promised easy. In fact, sometimes following Him will be painful.

When you fully submit to Him it will change you and some of your friends and family won’t understand this change. You may have to distance yourself from them. In the book of Matthew, Jesus even clues us in to how difficult it might be:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Matthew 16:24

Even though we face difficulties, the reward is great. Having Jesus in the driver’s seat will keep our life on His chosen path for us.

Well, Well, Well

Well, Well, Well


In 1987 the whole world was glued to the TV watching an 18-month old child, dubbed “Baby Jessica”, get rescued from a well. This small child had fallen down a hidden well and had been trapped there for over 2 days before being rescued. It was a huge sigh of relief for the entire country when she was finally rescued and brought to safety.


Do you know anyone who has fallen in a well? Probably not literally, but figuratively you may have. Just like Baby Jessica didn’t see the hidden well, many of our fellow believers can stumble over hidden sin and eventually find themselves trapped deep in a hole that they can’t get out of. Satan is sneaky and he puts these wells in hidden places so we don’t even see them until we have fallen deep within.


When we heard of Baby Jessica’s plight, many emotions filled us – worry that she wouldn’t get out, sympathy for the poor child who was trapped, compassion that made us want to help. We should have the same compassion toward sinners who have fallen also. If you see that they have fallen, instead of standing above them hurling insults or gossiping, why not reach a hand to them and do whatever we can to pull them out? Isn’t that what the Lord would want us to do? He wants all of His children to be saved, not just the ones who haven’t made mistakes.


“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:32

Believing or Practicing

Believing or Practicing?

Imagine that you are in the hospital and you have just found out that you have appendicitis and need surgery. Soon, a man walks in and tells you he is going to perform the surgery. He then tells you that he has never performed surgery, but he “believes” he can do it because he has talked about surgery a lot. Would you trust this man to take out your appendix or would you rather have a practicing surgeon instead?

Let’s think of this in terms of your spiritual life. Are you believing or practicing? Many of us say that we believe, but how many of us are truly “practicing” Christians? To be a follower of Christ, we have to do more than just believe in Him, don’t we? We can say we believe in Jesus and then still lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, etc. That doesn’t make us a true follower of Him. To be a true follower of Jesus we have to actually act out these beliefs by loving one another, praying, reading the Bible, and listening for the Lord’s voice in our lives. No, you may not hear Him speaking loud and clear, but if you are actively conversing with Him, you will hear what He is trying to say. 

Another aspect of this idea is how our actions prove our love for Christ. Let’s take forgiveness. Many of us talk about how Christ can forgive sins, but are we practicing this? Look at your life – are you actively trying to reach out to sinners and show them the Way? Have you forgiven those in your life who have hurt you? We can talk about forgiveness, but unless we are in the trenches where the sinners are, offering them a hand up, and letting them know that forgiveness is right in front of them, then we are merely “believers” and not putting our Christianity into practice. 

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Calvary's Cavalry

Calvary’s Cavalry

Standing on the front lines of battle, you can see the enemy more clearly. Sometimes that is not such a good thing. Sure, you can gauge their size and get a better idea of how they fight, but you can also gauge their SIZE and that can be very intimidating. You may see that they are much bigger than you or have better fighting techniques, and by seeing what you are up against, lose the battle before you have even begun to fight. You may essentially lose the battle completely in your mind and not even give yourself a chance against the enemy.

Waging the war of our souls is the same way sometimes. We see these “sin-battles” that we are waging every day and we see ourselves continuing to fail. It may make us decide that we want to give up, that we are too weak to win the battle against sin. Listen to the little voice that says, “Don’t give up!” That’s Calvary’s Cavalry that has come to rescue you. The Lord’s Army is waiting for you to recruit them to fight your battles, all you have to do is ask. 

"No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord. 
Isaiah 54:17

Your sins may seem impossible to defeat in your eyes, but nothing is impossible with God. He can not only defeat your enemy, Satan, and whatever temptation he is holding over your head, but can also change your own heart in ways you never thought possible. The addictions and temptations that have held you hostage will no longer have any pull. When the battle is won, you will no longer hear Satan’s lies in the back of your mind telling you that you can’t win, the only voice you will hear is the soothing and peaceful lilt of Jesus.

"The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.” Deuteronomy 28:7

Get Tuned In

Get Tuned In

Your life is like a radio. No, seriously, don’t laugh. Stop and think about what kind of “tunes” you are listening to. If you have satellite radio in your car you know that there are literally hundreds of genres of music out there. Rock, pop, hip-hop, rap, country, you name it. Now, let’s compare some of these to your life. Is your life a country station? Country music is notorious for songs about cheating and drinking. Does this describe your life? Or there is Rap, which features a lot of songs about drugs and fighting. Do you identify with that? Maybe you are a “station hopper” and you just can’t decide what to listen to. Are you constantly jumping around from one job to another and can’t get settled in your life?

Let’s talk about your life and how it pertains to these radio stations. The world around us is hectic and busy. There is just no way around this. If you have children, a family, a job, a spouse, or basically if you don’t live under a rock, your life is busy. We can’t do anything about this, but we can control Who we are “tuning in” to. Making time for God in our busy lives will keep us in tune with what He wants for our lives and help us make the decisions pleasing to Him. When we let our busy lives get in the way, then our radio gets out of tune. If we can no longer hear God’s station, then we might get distracted. Being distracted can be very dangerous. During times of distraction we are easy targets for Satan to sneak in. 

“How do I get tuned in?” You might ask. First, find the Lord’s station through prayer and reading your Bible every day. I know, many of you will say, “I don’t have time”, but it only takes 5 minutes. I’m not joking. Just a chapter a day, first thing in the morning, will get you connected with God from the beginning of your day. This is also a way of saying to God, “I’m seeking You first.” Once you get tuned in to His station, you will be able to hear the messages He has been trying to send to you!

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Matthew 7:24

Fishing or Phishing?

Fishing or Phishing?

Many wander through this life not really knowing where they are going, wandering aimlessly without any real plan for an eternal future. They may think they have a plan for their earthly future, and they may even be “successful”, but as far as knowing the Lord, they really aren’t making any attempts at a relationship. For those of us who know the Lord we may ask, “Why not?” The answer is: they have been duped by Satan into believing that the life they have chosen is easier, better, more fun. Little do they know that they are being led into a life of unhappiness, worry, and anxiety. Not only that, but an eternity in a place far worse. 

Let’s talk a little bit about the actions of Satan in the world around us. I’m sure in this age of the internet that we have all heard about “phishing scams”. This is where hackers trick you into giving them your vital information so that they can use it to clean out your bank account and steal your identity in order to take everything from you. Does this sound familiar? Yes, it sounds a lot like the work of Satan in people’s lives. He tricks people by using their deepest desires against them, tricks them into giving in to him, and continues until he has taken everything from them. We see this all of the time. Go visit a prison and ask any inmate how they got there. It will ALWAYS lead back to the work of Satan in their lives. One of the ways Satan keeps people from God is through pleasure. He tricks us into thinking that it is making us happy when all it really brings is guilt and a distance from God. True happiness only comes when we walk away from the guilty pleasures that are holding us back and give ourselves truly and completely to the Lord.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from this trickster that we call Satan is the one that truly loves us, Jesus. He is the One who was sent by God to die for us. He is the Only One who was willing to give Everything He had for us. While here on this earth, Jesus sent out his disciples and told them he would make them “fishers of men.” Instead of being a fake “phisher” like Satan, in order to lead people to destruction, Jesus is the true Fisherman. He wants all of us to be in the nets when the final resurrection day comes. This is because He sees us all as His children and loves each and every one of us. You can imagine how much a parent’s heart breaks each and every time they lose a child. The Lord feels this way about each of us when we get “phished” by Satan.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

Caught In A Fog

Caught In A Fog

I hate driving in fog! The worst days are when the fog is so thick that you can’t even see the markings on the road and you are afraid that you are going to run off of the road, or worse, hit another driver head-on. That is the scariest feeling in the world. On these days, the fog is so thick that you can’t even see the sun. Do you ever feel like your life is in a fog? Like there is all of this junk that is keeping you from being able to see the Son? Sometimes our lives just get “cluttered”, don’t they? We get so busy that the moments that we allot for God get pushed to the side. Then we find ourselves drifting. Kind of like when we are driving in fog, we drift over the center line or over the white line and if we don’t notice our mistake quickly enough, we might find ourselves going off the road or crashing.

Many of us have busy lives. We have children that are in sports, a house to keep clean, meals to cook, organizations that we belong to, and numerous other tasks that take up every minute of every day. In the late night hours when we are still up trying to get laundry done when we should have been in bed an hour ago and we see the hours of sleep dwindling, we sometimes wish for just one more hour in the day. Just adding a few minutes into your schedule or taking advantage of the minutes you have can make a big difference in your connection with God. Choosing God first thing in the morning is one way to help “lift the fog” of your life by reading the Bible when you first get up in the morning. Next, pray and talk to the Lord while you are in the car. These minutes while you are driving are minutes that you can spend with Him. These little things can help you see the Son again.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Where's My Key?

Where’s My Key?

There is a line in a song that talks about being outside the gate and not feeling worthy to come inside. There are so many out there that are feeling that way. We have either lived our whole lives apart from God or we have been Christians and then sin has led us away from Him. These circumstances leave us feeling guilty, ashamed, unworthy. The Lord wants nothing more than for us to come inside.

“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 John 10:7-10

This scripture tells us that Jesus is the gate. He not only allows us to enter, but He also protects us from harm. He gave His life for us so that we may be forgiven for our sins. Lucky for us, the gate to the Kingdom has a universal key that is available to everyone. The key to entering is within us – if we make the decision to turn to Jesus, repent and ask Him to be our Savior, then the gate will open to us!

Boxed In

Boxed In

Many women have a pretty jewelry box of some sort that sits up on a shelf that they put their nice jewelry in. You know, the things that you only wear on special occasions or when you are going out for an evening. Then when we get home we put them back in the jewelry box, close the lid, and leave them in there until we need them again. How many of us treat God the same way we treat our fancy jewelry? We put Him in the box and only take Him out when it is convenient for us. We take Him out to go to church on Sunday morning, or when something goes wrong in our life. Sometimes we might take Him out when we are around other Christians so they know that we are believers. Unfortunately, for some reason, we want to continue to put Him back in the box instead of letting Him roam around our lives freely. Why is that? Are we afraid that He will see what we are doing in our lives or are we too lazy to work at being a Christian? Or are we afraid of what others will think if we show we are crazy about the Lord?

Whatever the reason is that we continue to put the Lord back up on the shelf, it is time to change that. A life with Him in it is much more fulfilling than the one with Him stuck in the box on the shelf! Having Him beside us all day long changes the way we see everything. When you are allowing Christ to fill every moment and thought, then the negative cast that is usually in your vision will be gone. His love will shine through you to others. Yes, it does take some work to stay focused on Christ. You see, once Satan sees you becoming one of Christ’s true followers, he will begin his attack on you. He will try his best to distract you and pull you away. Stay strong – it will pay off in a life filled with light.

“For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15

Half Hearted

Half Hearted

You are sitting on the exam table in the cardiologist’s office after completing your stress test. The doctor walks in with a grim look on his face. He proceeds to inform you that you have a very serious heart problem – only 50% of your heart is working. Your first thought is, “Am I going to make it?” 

Many of us are dealing with these same types of issues with our faith. We are walking around with half a heart. We half-heartedly go to church, sitting in the pews not really paying attention to what the preacher is saying. If we do listen we always believe that the message doesn’t really pertain to us. When the preacher talks about “sinners” we believe that he is talking about other people - you know, murderers, thieves, adulterers. Then when church is over we walk out the doors and don’t even think about the Lord again until next Sunday morning. We go about our days living the way we want to live and not the way God wants us to live.

When the cardiologist delivers the bad news we start freaking out about our destiny. What is it going to take to make us start thinking about our eternity? If you are living like this, consider this your “heart shock”. Just because we claim to be a believer doesn’t mean that the Lord will let us in when we get to heaven. 

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22-23

Overheating

Overheating

Under the hood of your car you will find a small plastic compartment that holds coolant. On the side of this compartment there is a small tube with an opening on the end that is meant to allow excess coolant to overflow when the engine gets hot. Christians are kind of like this coolant compartment. Yeah, that sounds weird, I know, but think about it. When we are spiritually “on fire”, the excess overflows to others. 

In a car, overheating isn’t necessarily a good thing, but in our faith it is an AWESOME thing! When we are on fire for the Lord and are so connected with Him that we can feel Him nudging us and hear the still small voice throughout our everyday life, we will follow where He is leading us. When we follow, He will lead us to change the lives of others in so many ways. The warmth within us can spread to others and cause a chain reaction. Soon we see many around us who are also on fire for the Lord. When a group of believers become on fire for the Lord, great things can happen in the world around us.

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Sword of Forgiveness

The Sword of Forgiveness

Has there ever been a time in your life when you’ve committed a sin that made you feel like you were in front of a firing squad? You know the kind of firing squad I’m talking about – the one armed with gossip and righteous indignation. Many of us have found ourselves here at some point in our lives. At times, even leaders in the church can find themselves among the fallen. As God’s people were are prime targets for Satan. He wants to tempt us and make us fall because this plays into his hands and helps him bring down more Christians. He knows that when someone falls that there will be many around them that choose to judge instead of forgive, many that will gossip instead of comfort, many that will hate instead of love. So, when Satan pulls away a Christian with temptation and leads them into sin, he is gaining many more through judgment, gossip and hatred.

We are God’s warriors. It is time to stand up and fight against the enemy. One of our strongest weapons to use against Satan is forgiveness. When someone has hurt you, forgive them. When someone has committed a sin, do not judge, help them find forgiveness. When we have committed a sin, we should confess to the Lord and go to Him with a repentant heart asking forgiveness and then we should forgive ourselves. When we look at others with a forgiving eye, our whole outlook will change. We will see others with love and understanding instead of disdain and hate. We will be taking away Satan’s weapons. 

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Tattoo Artist

Tattoo Artist

Have you ever seen pictures of someone with the most horrendous looking tattoo and watched a tattoo artist come along and add to it and eventually change the picture into something beautiful? Aren’t you amazed at how something that looks so bad in the beginning can look so neat when they are done? 

God does this in our lives every single day! I’m sure we have all had times when we have managed to make a horrible mess of our lives and we don’t believe that there is any way that it can be fixed, God somehow turns it into something good. It may not happen overnight and sometimes it may even be years down the road, but He will show us that He is fixing it. The most amazing thing is when we start to see the puzzle pieces of a mess we made in our lives years ago start to all fit together. Yes, His artistry can turn something ugly into something beautiful. We just have to be patient until He is done painting the picture!

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair. 

Isaiah 61:1-3

Walking Through the Valley

Walking Through the Valley

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

I remember as a child trying to memorize the 23rd Psalm. At the time it all just kind of seemed like gibberish to me. At the beginning of this Psalm, it says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” As a kid, I thought it meant He is the shepherd that I don’t want. I thought that was weird, why wouldn’t you want the Lord? Now that I’m grown, I look back and understand that it means I won’t want for anything because the Lord is with me. I do have to admit I’ve had times in my life that I walked a path leading away from the Lord and in those times, I guess the “shall not want” followed more what I believed as a child. 

The more times you read a verse, the more meaning it seems to have to you. I think the Lord wants the Bible to be that way. He wants you to gain more knowledge of Him the more you study the Bible. Sometimes I believe that He uses the Bible to give us hints and clues about Him to help us draw nearer. Or maybe it is that when we are reading we are near to Him and we can just hear him better! As I read Psalm 23:4 recently, it seemed to me that He was speaking to me and I saw this verse in a whole new light. I was reading this Psalm after bringing to light one of my deepest and darkest sins. You see, I have been on a sort of “trail of confession” recently and kind of feel like I have been walking through the “valley of the shadow of death”, only it has a whole new meaning for me. You will see throughout the bible that sin equals death. I have walked through the valley of the shadow of my sin in these past several weeks and it is a very scary place! Walking out of that valley and confessing your sins to others can leave you feeling completely bare and exposed for all the world to see. Knowing that others can see your failings can be very humbling. 

We often wonder what other people think of us, but we really shouldn’t because the Lord is with us. The Lord is the only one that we should worry about pleasing. If we have confessed to Him and asked forgiveness, then He has forgiven us. No more worries because He loved us enough to send His son, Jesus, to die for us. He will carry us through this valley and out of the shadow of death!