“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.” Deuteronomy 20:1

“Ughhhhhh!!!” was the sound I made, because it was the feeling I felt! In the writing world the description is called Onomatopoeia… a word that mimics a sound. I was feeling that way because I realized the job in front of me, but I didn’t really FEEL like doing it! It wasn’t a hard or labor intensive job… it was just not going to be fun! I needed a motivator to adjust my attitude!

Katie’s new car showed the evidence of many a small battle. While the multitudinous dead carcasses of bugs splattered on the front evidenced her victories, the job of cleaning them off and waxing it to prevent further carnage fell upon me. If you’re looking for a dead bug cleaner offer… I’m not your guy! But the job needed done so I did what I do and started by turning on some Jesus music!

Ever since I was old enough to ‘DO’ stuff, I found that, for me, doing it with music made the job easier. Varying between rock music, country or Christian, depends on my mood and attitude. If you come around when I’m really blue, you’ll likely hear Elvis singing Gospel music! But I wasn’t that low so, Oldies slowly changed my attitude and lifted me up enough to get the job done. VICTORY!

In reading up on the story of David and Goliath last week, I found today’s Bible verse in the notes of my Scofield Bible. When I turned to the Old Law I was quite surprised! Right there was God giving a command to the Israelites that, BEFORE they go into battle, they’d better ‘check their attitudes!’ After committing to be a warrior for God, Rule #1 was “Do NOT be AFRAID! HMMMM!

Being an emotional kind of person, I have to confess that ups and downs too often follow external circumstances. I can easily see how facing a big or difficult job can naturally start off with a poor attitude. But a poor attitude can determine how far one can rise in the altitude of any work environment. As God led me through The Word, I found LOTS of God commands about my attitude.

Sorrow, happiness, worry, fear and anger are just SOME attitudes that can determine the altitude, or success, in the areas of faithfulness, encouragement, gentleness, patience, love, joy, and peace. I discovered that God has PLENTY of words telling me what my attitudes should be. All of them pointing toward, as His child, DOING something with, and through Him. I can hear Him singing!

How is YOUR attitude as you face family, friends, associates and the world? Do you have your Jesus face on?

“Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Psalm 79:9

“What we’re watching is not a political movement… it is evil!” Those were the words of Tucker Carlson this week BEFORE he was fired (or left) from FOX News. The story was so big I received SEVERAL links and posts from fellow Christians. Which is interesting because I don’t watch ANY news! Presumably I was sent the link because of my vocation. Listening to the speech… I say Amen!

I don’t say Amen because it’s my job to do so. Having lived 67+ years in America, I can remember from where we came. As a boy I prayed the Lord’s prayer and said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in school. To NOT participate would have brought discipline. I saw the church rise, and lose, when prayer was taken out of school. I was a senior in High School when Roe v Wade was passed!

What I see today truly fits Tucker’s definition. This is NOT about politics. This is about the satanic kingdom of evil invading and taking over our individual hearts and societies. Many Believers in Jesus Christ have been warning this for decades! Unfortunately the deliberate deaf will not hear! At this time, evil has MORE than created just a beach-head! It has taken over government, schools and businesses.

Frustrating is a nice way to describe my feelings. In years past I taught Revelation as a future serious possibility! Now, it is here! And it is MORE than just serious! The picture today may offend some people. But it represents the whole gambit of why we are… where we are! Interestingly enough, the picture led the story in “The Times of Israel!” They should KNOW how a country gets taken down!

As far as speeches are concerned, Tucker Carlson didn’t give one! What he gave was a SERMON! A sermon lays out a story with a problem, and ultimately gives God’s opinion and advice as to where and how that story might end. Tucker’s Sermon ended with the encouragement that, since Evil has invaded our country… “maybe we should all take, like 10 minutes a day, to pray about it.”

And THAT is PRECISELY where YOU come in! So PRAY!! Then once you pray… ask God what He wants YOU to DO about it as well! Because you know where this is headed if we don’t attempt to stop or slow this evil down! Are YOU engaged in God’s Battle?

“I pray that you…grasp…the love of Christ, and know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

We were sitting on the sidewalk dining ‘en plein air.’ It was a BEAUTIFUL day as Katie and I enjoyed each other’s company. Soon, 2 folks were seated right beside us, and so close I could have almost eaten off THEIR table! They were only 2 people, but the way the older woman was behaved, they became a spectacle of 3!

It became obvious the women were mother and daughter, and it didn’t take long to figure out the sad reality of their lives. The third party at their table was a dog, all dressed up in baby clothes, sitting in a stroller. While mom barked short sentences to her daughter, she kissed all over and baby-talked to the dog! At one point she held a piece of ice for the dog to lick as a treat. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut!

The daughter was in her early 20’s, wearing rebellion in her demeanor, from head to toe! Poorly dressed, tattooed all over and grossly overweight, she just SAT there silently conveying disgust. It was obvious she wasn’t there because she WANTED to be. Soon, it became easy to see and hear why! The loving attention that SHOULD have gone to the daughter was being audaciously poured out upon her rival… A DOG!

Knowing God through the perfection of His Word, It isn’t hard to see that there are a LOT of things wrong with the world. What SHOULD be plain to people, because God has MADE it plain (Romans 1:9), is that we were created for a unique and special purpose. Our position in the chain of creation was to be the dominant representative of Almighty God in the world made BY Him…FOR Him. Each one of us being filled with the person and purpose of our creator.

To ascribe human traits to that which is not human may be entertaining. Cartoons and movies do it all the time because sadly, anthropomorphismis profitable! But to assign undeserved traits to undeserved things instead of people, ESPECIALLY those under our care, is not only sin… it’s idolatrous treason! Something God WILL have MUCH to say about it at judgment.

There is NOTHING more special, valuable or deserving of God’s love and Grace than those for whom it was created. To steal a human privilege and present it to an undeserved animal or a thing causes alarms to go off inside my head and heart. Which is why God calls humans into the unique position of being FILLED with ALL HIS fullness, to go about the business of proclaiming that privilege to the ones for whom it was intended.

My dad used to leave everyone he talked to with the words, “You are Special!” He said it because, whether they knew it or not…they WERE! But those are words ALL human beings need to hear… from God through you and me!

Do YOU realize how special YOU are to God? Do you thank and praise Him by receiving those words and then graciously pass them on to others? Because the Good News is only Good News when it is shared! And proclaiming it isn’t a ‘ruff’ job!

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDT! DDDDDDDDDDDDDDT! Every day at this time of year, and just about at the same time, between 7 and 7:30am, a pileated woodpecker arrives at my house and starts making a racket… ON MY GUTTER! When 2 of my grandkids stayed with us this week, they awoke to the sound saying, “WHAT IS THAT?” I told them it was a woodpecker sharpening its beak! But I was wrong!

I had this great idea of sharing the importance of keeping oneself sharp by getting up early and getting into God’s Word. I even looked up a great Bible verse to drive the point home!!! Looking for a picture, I found that gutter thumping woodpeckers are a common occurrence. But the reason has NOTHING to do with sharpening their beaks. They’re ACTUALLY looking for attention from the ladies!

Red headed pileated woodpeckers are always males. In the spring, like all birds, they begin to look for a mate. But while other birds chirp or sing, woodpeckers do it by drumming! The sound marks their territory and lets lady woodpeckers know they are there and ready! Which, in a way, kind of destroyed my theme or idea of sharpening my life with God’s Word. Then God said, “hold on there!”

It may be a funny allusion now, but 45 years ago ‘I’ was drumming in a gutter bar and caught the attention of a VERY fine lady on vacation! We were married in 2 months and have been making music ever since! So the woodpecker’s story relates. But humorously, it doesn’t stop there! You see, the 2 loves of my life are STILL the one’s whose affections I continually look for. So I still drum!

I have found, through time and experience, that diving into God’s Word does indeed sharpen my life… AND makes me more attractive to my mate. The more I learn and grow, the better and more attractive I become to both of them… AND to those around me. “Jesus Works!” Is one of my sayings. And when I say that, I’m not just making noise. I’m sharing a truth, never meant to be kept a secret!

Are YOU attracting God’s attention in a good way? Do other people see and hear you joyfully drumming for God? Or are you just being selfish, loud and irritating? If you’re not sure, why not ask some of your fellow feathered friends how THEY see you? And then go to God’s Word for some drumming tips! After all… the whole idea was invented by Him in the first place!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NLT

“What the heck happened?” I asked my grandson. He’d just brought me his tangled fishing pole when I suddenly had a flashback to the time when MY kids were little and I took THEM fishing. The #1 rule I learned then was to not even bother taking a pole for myself, since there wouldn’t be time. As I untangled, my other grandson brought HIS pole over with the same problem! “Grampa…..!”

With grandkids visiting, the ideas for “fun things to do” kept popping into my head. Boys LOVE to fish and there’s a big lake at the end of my street. Doing the math, it was common sense that found us sitting on the bank having fun… which started immediately with the first cast! “Papa!” I was glad I had a knife in my truck, because untangling THAT mess was going to be impossible! Ah memories!

I have lots of old fishing gear that’s been unused for a long time. Having dug it out, we made our way to the lake. It didn’t take long to remember that we WEREN’T going fishing… we were going ‘untanglin!’ A thing I had forgotten about since I’d put the gear away long ago. It’d taken years to realize that the cost, frustration, tangles and lack of fish weren’t really worth the idea!

Fishing makes me cuss! It gets me irritable and frustrated too. It’s like volunteering for a broken heart… repeatedly! I don’t like that feeling and I certainly don’t want my grandkids to witness that in me. So when a 7’ alligator made his way to one of the kid’s bait… we naturally switched purpose! NOW they have an even BETTER story to tell than the one about the fish that got away!

Today is a day that is bringing frustration, sorrow and grief to friends of mine. Galen and his wife started off thinking that their marriage was going to be fun… even better than most! Soon into it, Doctor visits became normal. When they amputated his leg years later due to infection, they thought the problem was over. But today they are going to the hospital to remove his other one!

Having known Galen and Paula for a long time, the one thing that I KNOW is normal for them is… they just keep moving with Jesus. Tangles and all! When they hit another snag, it’s normal for them to get discouraged. But then we all KNOW it won’t be long before they’ll be back to giving God glory for the victory that very few people have the ability to see! But Heaven is recording them!

What do YOU do when you, expecting to be ‘living,’ find yourself ‘tangled and confused?’ Do you crumble? Or do you lay aside the frustrations of unmet expectations and apply Faith in God to your circumstances? Are you patiently enduring HIS-story in you like He expects? Because there are a LOT of people watching you! Please join me in prayer for Glen and Paula.

“…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

I don’t run… and never have. I tried it as a kid, didn’t like it and decided to not press the subject. If someone was chasing me down with a knife, I’d rather chance on standing and fighting… even though my knife skills are as bad as my running ones. Today’s verse has Paul using a runner to encourage us to ‘strive’ and ‘press on’ toward ‘THE’ prize that Jesus Christ wants us to have. I know how to ‘Press On!’

It’s been a week of ‘pressing on’ for me… which is not unusual. Having a ‘love-hate’ relationship with my vocation, it is usually a joy to be in the business of ‘Cheer-leading God’s Saints along life’s road.’ God puts people in front of me who have been called by Him to ‘run’, ‘strive’ and ‘press on’ toward a particular goal HE has in mind for THEM. MY call is in the position of an encouraging teacher for Him.

Lately I have had the honor of encouraging quite a few saints at the same time. These special sheep are individuals facing very different life circumstances. Several sheep are looking for health improvement. A couple others are being led into vocation changes. Some are just looking for the strength to continue with Joy. But ALL have shared their needs, and I put their names on a sign!

My daughters were beautiful and talented cheerleaders in High School. So I know a thing or 2 about cheerleading. In pressing on through life, it helps to see your name on a sign and other folks calling out your name with encouragement. Giving God’s instructions and holding them up to Him helps during the running process. “GO GO GO!” from the crowd invigorates the runner to keep for the win!

I like being a cheerleader for Jesus. If you are reading this, you can actually help me out! WOUld you help me shout out some names toward heaven to encourage these runners to keep going with joy and look to Jesus for the prize? Please pray for Heather and Rob, Galen and Paula, Amy and Elia, Ian and Ryan! You don’t need to know the details of their race. Just hollering to ‘The Master’ will do!

Thank you  

“If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” Proverbs 27:14

BURRRRRRRRP….BURRRRRRRRP!! The sound was loud, irritating and belching forth from Katie’s phone at 4:50 am! Of COURSE it woke us up! It probably woke YOU tool! Looking up the story on the story, it turns out that most of Florida became unglued as well. But, HEE-HEE, it was ONLY a TEST of the ‘Emergency Alert System!’ If the test was to wake us up abruptly to be irritable… it worked!

The news on the news reported the incident as “an accident,” and someone in some office apologized! But then the schedule was posted for future tests and, HEAR THIS, a 4:50am “BURRP” time remains scheduled every other month, through December of this year! OH HECK NO! As far as I’m concerned, this is kinda-sorta like the straw that broke this camel’s back! “TO THE PHONE!”

Living in the 21^st century certainly has its advantages. Modern technology provides all kinds of perks. I used to have to go to the library and utilize the Dewey Decimal System to look up information limited to only the books in that room! Now I can carry the Library of Congress on my cell phone! But in my 67 years, I have NEVER had to endure a test of an emergency system at 4:50am!

There is a process to appropriate complaining! The first thing I need to do is calm down. Which is tough when my instinct of ‘fight or flight’ has been kicked in… in total darkness! Words said in anger or frustration don’t usually come off well. The next thing I need to do is more research. I don’t know… maybe there is a valid reason the State of Florida HAS to wake us up early??! I’ll ask!

In studying and teaching the Book of Revelation recently, I can say with confidence that in 2023, if there is any validity to us living in the Church age of Laodicea, we NEED a globally large dose of “WAKE-UP!” Anyone with any sense of propriety knows that the wheels are coming off the vessel of normal! Evil is being called good and good is being called evil! Now, it’s a fight over definitions!

I want to fight about as much as I want to be rudely awakened at 5am! But my Bible tells me that according to God’s Emergency System, we’re right on time. It is MY job to issue the warning and to explain the what’s and why’s of God’s heart. God wants ALL PEOPLE SAVED and IN HIS SALVATION VESSEL (1 Timothy 2:4)! Unfortunately, that warning is going to sound unpleasant to many an ear!

Are YOU sharing the Good News of Christ? Loud and clear?

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:11-12

Approaching my driveway, I saw a rabbit under the lemon tree. I know If I say a ‘cute, little, bunny,’ people will be more drawn to the story. So there… I said it! As I approached to park in the driveway, a mental question popped into my head, literally right out of the blue! ‘I’ asked ‘me…’ “since the lemon tree is beside the driveway… will the bunny run?” In less than a second ‘I’ answered… “yes!”

I didn’t have any money on the bet, and honestly ‘I’ wasn’t even favoring ‘I’ over ‘me’ in any way! SO I don’t know why I slowed down. I guess I didn’t want to force the rabbit’s decision by being too threatening. Pulling into the driveway, the bunny resisted for just a second… then took off like a shot! ‘I’ congratulated ‘I,’ and ‘me’ was just happy no money had been lost. Then I thought about the news!

Lately there has been a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Elon Musk warned in a new interview that artificial intelligence could lead to “civilization destruction!” And he even OWNS an AI company! With computers in existence that can out-think humans now, there is a legitimate question as to the future of our world, in the face of such power, if ‘it’ is used against ‘us!’ Time will tell!

As I read and study God’s Word, it is obvious to me that the battle of Armageddon is going to be a bet between man and God. Man is going to look at the Almighty and literally snicker! Thinking he has become even smarter than God Himself, man is going to go to war against God. A reprise of what already happened when Lucifer tried to outsmart God. We’re STILL awaiting THAT final act of war!

Having chosen ‘God’s Team,’ I realize that it requires even MORE Faith to live in today’s world. In Revelation, God even says so! So here I sit, like a little bunny beside the driveway of life, having to continually force myself to ‘STAY’ and NOT run! But today’s verse REALLY HELPS me to know that “I” was CHOSEN for this a LONG TIME AGO! I’m choosing to stick with God’s side! How about YOU?

“…and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?  I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’” Judges 2:2-3

“Pull harder,” I said to myself. It was kind of funny being my own running-back AND cheerleader! And all over a stupid weed! As I grasped and pulled, the top of the weed broke off in my hand leaving the root intact! “Stupid weed,” I said to myself. Then God moved in to set up the classroom to force me to ponder the question, “If weeds can be considered stupid… how ‘bout YOU?”

I had been cutting the lawn, and in the back were some rather large, leafy weeds. Most of the year, I cut the grass weekly. But in winter, I only cut it about every 2-3 weeks. Truth be told, the good grass seems to go into hibernation and the only thing flourishing ARE the weeds! The one in my hand was big and healthy and, with the top broken off, ‘root’ was now laughing underground!

Having never had a healthy, weed free lawn, I wasn’t sure WHY this one weed was bugging me so much! Great lawns take lots of time, labor and money… none of which I desire to throw into my yard. I have more important things to look after, my life and walk with God being MOST important. Yet right then and there, God was letting me know just how meticulous and demanding HE really is!

Studying the Book of Revelation starts with Christ’s ‘Love Letters’ to His Bride… ‘The Church.’ Anyone thinking Jesus’ isn’t serious about His marriage need only read Chapters 2 & 3 to see His intensity. The tough part is, since He’s already perfect, all the weakness in our relationship falls on ME! His instruction and detail of how and where I need to improve come close to modern day spousal abuse!

As I surveyed my yard, holding the broken weed, it became clear to me that I have LOTS of weeds! And while the abrupt lesson He laid upon me did nothing to make me want to improve my lawn, it DID cause me to look at my relationship with Him with fresh eyes. Things of the world have moved into mine and are thriving toward a takeover coup to make me grow more weedy. Jesus says “NO!”

It is times like the weed experience that make me love Him even more! It is hard to remember 24/7, that the world, the flesh and the devil never sleep. My destruction will never happen because of my relationship with The Savior. But the QUALITY of my life, and my work-ability in His field, are always a target for the enemy. I’m s’pose to watch for and remove weeds that the world passes off as pretty!

So how are YOU at weed recognition? Eradication? Is Jesus pointing at something in your life that has to go? Are you making moves to ‘get it gone’ or are arguing for it to remain? DO you remember that His love and instruction has NEVER failed you in the past?