a better hope

I just want to encourage you to continue walking with the Lord. There is great gain in it, even if it doesn't seem that way right now. I never saw all the things that were coming this year and have no idea what is coming next year. But I know I will be okay because I know the One who leads me. It's hard to trust sometimes, but it makes more sense to me than knowing everything in advance. I saw God work wonders with things I didn't understand at the time but simply trusted He knew what He was doing. You know what? It turned out better than my plan. So, going forward, my plan is out the window and God's plan is the way forward. Amen?  Happy new year, everyone.  Thank you for reading. And God bless. My Tumblr .  And my other blog, None Dare Call It Treason.

In case you need a reminder!  Thank you for reading. And God bless. My Tumblr .  And my other blog, None Dare Call It Treason.

It was impressed upon me recently the power of the tongue and how blessing and cursing are in it. Well,  then I came across this video , which goes further in explaining how that works. Many curses and blessings are embedded in our everyday language. What a fascinating thing. You can also visit  part two  and  part three .  Thank you for reading. And God bless. My Tumblr .  And my other blog, None Dare Call It Treason.

This is an odd story . Every time I read it, it sticks out to me. Manoah and his wife were the parents of Samson. But how Samson's mother was depicted and how she was treated by her husband always puzzled me. She talked with the angel and relayed everything to her husband. Her husband clearly didn't believe her. I think even the angel was a little put off by his unbelief. Here we have a woman who is godly but her husband lags behind her in faith and belief. She has more sense than her husband spiritually (and maybe in other ways) yet we don't know her name. I thought that was unfair. Part of the reason she wasn’t believed right away was the fact that this was a patriarchal society and women didn’t have many rights. I don’t know how right that was (look at how Job treated his daughters and it’s a different story), but that’s how it was. If an eyewitness to a crime was a woman, her testimony wasn’t allowed in court. And, we have the Bible verses regarding when a woman under a...

An interesting story is found in Judges chapter 9 . Here we see a vital lesson: it's not just what we do but what we lend our support to that matters. God sees where our money goes, for instance. Distancing ourselves from the end result of something by paying for it and not doing it ourselves does not make us immune to the consequences. (I also think of the men who paid Judas to betray Jesus.) I used to give money to a mission organization based in India but later found out the money was misused. Then I gave to another mission in India. Finally, I decided to give to the American Bible Society because, I thought, they simply distribute bibles. Then I decided to give to my church, as that is biblical. Honestly, I don't know where my money goes, which is why I pray over my tithes and donations before I send them. I ask that the money wouldn't be misused or frittered away on things that aren't important. I ask that it goes to help those most in need. Because I can't see...

I saw this and laughed. It's true in the physical. I even try not to look at the ingredients sometimes because I know it means I'm not going to buy that product. But, my next thought was we put so much emphasis on the flesh, but what about what goes into our spirit being? What feeds our spirit? Is it highly processed and devoid of nourishment? Is it laced with something poisonous? Is it making you healthier or weaker? Does it contain the newest ingredients (I think of 3D printed food) and leave out the tried and true? What is left out to cut costs and boost profits? You can carry those questions as far as you want, but you see my point. Our spirit food is important, too.  I'm fed at my church. That's why I tithe there. If you're having trouble in an area of your life and feel hindered, one of the first things I would look at is if you're tithing enough. This isn't an offering. Tithes are mandatory. Offerings are above 10%. God will bless you for doing what i...

I personally don't care if someone celebrates Halloween. Its roots go back to some pretty satanic stuff, but putting on a plastic mask and asking for candy doesn't align with outright satanism. But, the spiritual roots to things matter in ways we sometimes don't realize. I won't tell anyone not to celebrate a holiday. That's between them and God and it isn't my place. I'm not a preacher or a teacher, just a guy. However, when I saw a local church was sponsoring a Halloween party (called Trunk or Treat), I realized how innocuous many Christians see the holiday. It isn't the only one, either. It's one thing to let your kids go trick or treating, but it's quite another to put on a party for the holiday. That didn't seem right.  As with everything, I think it's wise to take something we feel convicted about to the Lord. A few years ago I carved a pumpkin for Halloween and then a few days later had this feeling that wouldn't budge. I felt ...

I never would have seen this on my own. A preacher (I listen to a lot of radio and YouTube sermons while I work) relayed this one day. It stuck with me because, well, don't we all want God's blessings?  Jesus was preaching one day and was pressed upon sorely by the people, so He asked Peter (notice He asked) if He could stand in his boat while He preached so He didn't end up in the water. Peter said yes, and then Jesus gave Peter a command to put out his nets somewhere specific. So Peter did. He was fishing all day and didn't catch a thing. But he obliged and his nets were so full, they almost broke. We all know the story. It ends with Peter saying, "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man." The progression is so subtle I missed it all these years, but it speaks of how God blesses us.  It starts small. With an almost unnoticeable request. Do this little thing for me? Let me stand in your boat? Yes, Lord. Peter had been listening to Jesus preach so knew He was a...

This is something I'm working on. Adding to my faith. Lots of things come after believing. I don't want to stop where I am and say, "This is good enough." Jesus didn't do that. He went all the way. I intend to do the same. God made me a warrior, but what sets Christians apart from others is love. We are to love in the same way Jesus did, which is hard to imagine. Sometimes, in my daily battles, I forget to love. Lord, please remind me love is what changes hearts and minds, and also that You were exceedingly gentle. You are gentle with me, and I need to be gentle with others. I need to set myself aside and tend to their needs, for this is what you've called us to do. Cause me to seek out the poor and the sad and the needy and present to them the thing they need most: You. Amen.  Thank you for reading. And God bless. My Tumblr .  And my other blog, None Dare Call It Treason.

After the Israelites drove out many of the inhabitants of the promise land, the Bible says God gave them rest. It's an important notation, as many think we should always strive for something. No, there is a time for fighting and a time for rest. I feel barren in the latter category, perhaps because I have not fought enough. Or perhaps because I haven't allowed myself an important blessing: rest.  Rest is an important and beautiful reward God gives His people. If you feel you lack rest in your life, ask the Lord why. It could be something incredibly simple is hindering it. Ask for rest. You need it. Most likely, you want it. God wants you to have it. Get it!  Yesterday, I suddenly realized I felt bizarrely grumpy and took a moment to lay down. I lacked rest. All the things I wanted to do (there were many) would have to wait. I laid down but didn't sleep. It was still enough to gather strength for the rest of my day.  If you are God's soldier (and you are), allow time for...

Blogger is being weird with this one. Imagine that. The media attachment that was supposed to be here says, "God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." Oswald Chambers.  How often have you been given insight into something? It just came out of nowhere and there it is in your lap, looking at you like a lost puppy. What do you do? God gave you discernment or insight into something, and that is a gift. What did you do with it? You just went "huh" and went about your day? Did you say something? Think about it a while and then no more? I've done all of those.  Many times we take these things to that person or situation and work on them ourselves. I think that's okay but not the best way. If God absolutely tells you to go take that person into your home and take care of them or whatever, go do that. But, often the answer of what to do with that insight that ends up in our laps is to pray. Be humble about what God gav...

What is the purpose of abundance? When blessings come, what do we do with them? God doesn't give us things for no reason. If we are blessed in some way, we should seek Him about how to use those blessings. Maybe we have a talent that could enrich someone else's life. Maybe we have monetary wealth. Maybe we are blessed with extra time each day. Influence. Connections. Success. A teaching spirit. A listening ear. The gifts of the Spirit. Those are all wonderful, but they fall into our hands for a reason.  It's seems to be a two-part process: recognizing our blessing and using them. When I am blessed somehow, my first thought should be "Thank you, Lord," then my next thought should be to seek Him for how to use those blessings. I believe that is a way forward. Too often I feel stuck because I haven't recognized my many blessings and don't even think to use them properly. I pray my blessings turn into blessings for others. Amen.  Then there are the blessings w...

Some of us are given the gift of starting over. It may not look like a gift at the time. It may be a major catastrophe comes to your life or something to reset your focus and point of view. God can use those moments to get you into a better place with Him. It happened to me. This is a little more personal post, so please allow me a moment. I don't know how long I'm going to live. I gave my remaining days to God. What He does with them doesn't concern me. My job is to be faithful to follow.  Recently, I questioned something God did. It was a big thing and I had questions. And then I asked what to do next. When I brought it up, I felt in my spirit God answered to pick up a book I started reading months before (actually by the author quoted above and a rather dry book in my estimation at that time). It was a strange answer, but I got the book down and picked up where I left off. And then what I read a few pages later answered everything. It was like it jumped off the page. In ...

You could say a lot of things about fear. Fear is a great motivator. (Used by the devil, of course.) Fear in the biblical sense means respect or honor. What do I fear the most? Losing my job? Being in an accident? Getting sick and dying? Something cataclysmic happening in the world? I think it has more to do with who I have around me. Losing people. Things like that. Only God knows what I truly fear. I really don't know until I get there.  Then there is fear in the biblical sense, as in the fear of the Lord. Only God knows what I honor above Him. I don't want to be like Eli who honored his sons above God. Even when he was rebuked for it, he didn't repent. I don't want anything to get between me and God because that's the one relationship I cannot lose. I would be as lost as a goose in a snowstorm if that happened.  There is no need to fear. The Bible oft repeats the phrase "fear not." Some say it is repeated 365 times. All I know is I've heard God spea...

I'm just going to put this here and not say a whole lot. Maybe it's for me; maybe it's for someone else. Maybe it's not for anyone! Maybe it's for someone someday. I have no idea. I just liked it. Too often we measure ourselves with other Christians. I constantly fall short when I do that, much less when I measure myself against an apostle or Jesus Christ Himself. This is just a reminder God is a God Who loves individuals. He wants a personal relationship and walk with each of us. I don't define my religion as a set of rules but, rather, as a relationship. You may do things differently. Just a reminder God will meet you where you are. Amen?  Thank you for reading. And God bless. My Tumblr .  And my other blog, None Dare Call It Treason.

This is quite a lot to unpack. In case you have a hard time reading it, here's what it says:  "Norah Vincent, the author of Self Made Man, has died by assisted suicide.  Norah was a radical feminist who believed men lived on easy mode, and  tried to prove it by disguising herself as a man for two years.  Instead, what she found out is men actually have it harder, and wrote a book about her experience,  In fact the experience was so bad she had to stop at 18 months because  she was starting to hate women, due to how bad all of them treated her  when they believed she was a man, and was left with psychological scars  that accompanied her all of her life." ( The link is actually here .)  I don't doubt she was treated poorly as a man. I have no doubt how she was treated contributed to her decision to end her life at 53. But, that's not why she ended her life. Read about her life and you'll see she wasn't happy no matter what and that she tried to...

This is an interesting read . You can also listen to it. For those aspiring to be pastors, this may be helpful. I've heard many pastors say God will stop them in their progress or turn them around at some point and redirect them in a way that is bewildering. Maybe this explains why. This doesn't particularly speak to me, but it may be helpful for someone seeking a ministry. I don't feel God has called me to be a pastor and I think a lot of those preaching aren't called by God. They may be called my men (or their mama), but not of God. How can I tell? One can tell. I've been in a lot of churches. Some men (women are not called to preach) have a calling on their lives, and it is obvious. God gives them a charisma for the work because it is hard work. God will draw people to them. When God calls a man to preach, the people will be fed with knowledge and understanding.  One thing God has reinforced with me is toward the end of the article where it says to be faithful in...

Everyone knows the story of the prodigal son. It's one of the best and oft-quoted passages from the Bible (Luke 15). I know. I get it. I am the prodigal son. I left God and returned to His loving arms. But, what I want to talk about is the prodigal son's brother. You see, I am him too.  What theologians will tell you is the two sons are indicative of the Gentiles (the prodigal son) and the Jews (the eldest son). The prodigal son screwed up, repented, and came home to his father (Heavenly Father). The eldest son did what he was told but was full of sin on the inside. He was obedient on the outside, but his heart never changed. He has a legalistic and petty response to seeing his father embrace his repentant brother.  The picture of the eldest son tells me something about myself. At certain points in my life I did everything I was told to do and lived an upright life. But, I was secretly sinful because my heart was hard. I wondered why others got to do things I couldn't and I...

Going to church means different things to different people. Nothing wrong with that. I always felt going to church was a sort of sacred thing. I went to a lot of them over the years and then stopped because I had some rather upsetting things happen in my life which affected my faith. I was a young man. That sort of thing wouldn't happen today. I think of Job and how even his wife, who was surely the closest person to him, left him in his hour of need and told him to curse God and die. What did Job do? Here was a man smitten of God. No doubt about it. God slayed him. Job defended God to his wife and rebuked her attitude. Job was slayed by God and Job defended God. Why? Because he feared Him? Perhaps. I think Job knew God like few men do. Job definitely loved God. But he also understood God could give and take away in equal measure.  Job's friends came to "comfort" him but, instead, sat in silence with him for a while and then started tearing him apart. They didn't ...

I copied and pasted this into blogger and the photos didn't come through. Leave a comment with your email address and I can send you the pdf or just search for it. This is an interesting read for those who are trying to understand the two competing bloodlines Jesus talked about (wheat and the tares).  The Nephilim: Satan’s Seed from Creation to the Great Tribulation Transjordan and Golan as Their Habitation ©2016 Susan Lynn Schmidt M.B.S. M.A. The idea of aliens, giants and mysterious monolithic structures has become popularized. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Biblical text tracing the seed of Satan, namely the Nephilim, and Rephaim. These are possibly the basis of the Greek Gigantomachy, which was condemned by the Risen Christ as Satan’s Throne, both genetically and spiritually. Two ancient sites, the Pergamon Altar in Berlin, as well as Rujum el-Hiri in the Golan Heights in Israel, will be included to demonstrate the possibility that these “fallen ones”...