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Your Oil Clean or Dirty?

We had finished packing the car.

The trailer with the Seadoos was hooker up to the car.

I was sitting in my easy chair, relaxing when my wife asked, “Did you change the oil in the car?”

I shook my head as I jumped up and headed outside.

It was 7:30 and the mosquitoes were out in force!

As I pulled the dipstick out and noticed the dark oil, I knew I had to change the oil.

I was trying to convince myself that I didn’t need to.

Because of the engineering advances in lubricating oil production, I could have waited to change the oil.

The on-board computer indicated that I had 54% of the oil life left!

It did not matter. I have always changed the engine oil before it gets too dark to see through on the dipstick.

As the oil is used and contaminated, it changes from a thin clear substance to a thicker dark substance.

It was not pure oil anymore. It was contaminated and no longer provided the best protection for my engine.

Thirty minutes later, I was done, and the oil is “pure” again.

Now, the engine will perform better, and it will even run cooler. Simply because it has “pure” oil in it.

The Israelites used pure oil for their lamps, so that they would keep burning!

Exodus 27:20 NIV "Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.

Do you see the spiritual application here? The lamps (that is us) had to keep burning (shining our light) so they used pure oil.

Is your oil dirty?

You see our hearts are much like the engine in our cars. Amen?  

It is a proven fact that engines last longer, thus we can go much further when we use “pure” oil.

How far do you want to go in your walk with the Lord? 

How many more spiritual miles are needed before we reach our destination? 

Keeping that engine pure will ensure we reach our destination, amen?

Matthew 5:8 NIV Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Yes! That is the spiritual mileage I want to attain! Don’t you?

Listen, God is the great Master Mechanic. He can change your oil as often as needed and keep that spiritual engine running!

Psalms 51:10 KJV Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Have a blessed day.

A Foothold!

As you can see by the picture, Zebra mussels got a foot hold on our houseboat!

Leaving the motor in the water does not hurt anything unless of course you have zebra mussels!

They can wreak havoc on many things!

Since we have an outboard, it is not as bad as it can be for the folks with inboard motors having a cooling system.

My neighbor at the marina had to have a professional mechanic come out and make some repairs due to the zebra mussels that infiltrated his cooling system! If he had not noticed that one engine was running hotter than the other he could have lost an engine!

You see, the veligers (microscopic babies) can cause this harm when they are taken into the cooling system, where they can attach, grow and block intake screens, internal passages, hoses, seacocks, and strainers.

They get a foothold inside the cooling system and then continue to grow, eventually blocking the system, resulting is an overheated engine.

Yes, a catastrophic failure due to a small “insignificant” mussel. Crazy huh?

We have to avoid this by not allowing the mussels to get a foothold!

I should have left the motor lifted out of the water a far as I can. 

That is just like the devil, isn’t it?

We give him a small insignificant inch and he eventually takes a mile!

Giving the devil a foothold will lead to him having a stronghold on you!

The word tells us to not even give him a place!

Ephesians 4:27 KJV Neither give place to the devil.

Or a foothold

Ephesians 4:27 NIV and do not give the devil a foothold.

The word for foothold or space means a small spot on the whole.

It boils down to this.

Just compromising your time with the Lord gives the devil a foothold.

It could be your friends, family or just your own attitude that gives the foothold to the devil.

That small insignificant SPOT in relationship to your WHOLE time.

Once he gets a start, he will do everything he can to overtake you, just like the mussels on our houseboat!

Pray today and ask the Lord what you may be doing (or not doing) to allow the devil a foothold.

Have a blessed day!

Being a Good Steward

We are heading out today to do some maintenance on the houseboat.

We have quite a few things to do.

One of the deck lines has broke from a previous storm and had to be retied. So, we will replace it.

Fresh water system needs some maintenance as well as the water heater.

The deck needs some cleaning also.

The list keeps getting bigger. LOL.

Even though we may not get spend a night on the boat until July, we need to take care of it.

It has been too long since we have cleaned up the boat or performed some preventative maintenance on it.

We are just trying to be good stewards of what God has given us. Amen?

The more things we get, the easier it is to let some of those things lapse.

Then when you go to use it, SURPRISE! That is when it seems like everything is falling apart.

I know I have posted about this before.

But being a good steward of EVERYTHING that God has given us is important. Amen?

I remember brother Jerry saying one time that a young man asked for prayer for a new car. Jerry said he would be glad to pray for that and offered to pray over his current car. 

When they got to the car, Jerry shook his head and said, “You haven’t taken care of this one, how can you expect God to bless you with another one?”

The Lord gives us everything we have, and we are expected to care for it.

Even our spouse was given to us by God and is on loan.

We should treat our spouse as if they are a child of the Most High God because they are! Amen?

The way we take care of things we currently have has an impact on what God will trust us with next. Amen?

Luke 16:11 GNB If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?

God expects us to take care of the things we have been given but he also expects us to take care of each other. Especially our family. Amen?

1 Timothy 5:8 KJV But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Have you been a good steward of the things that God has given you?

Are you a good steward to those around you, especially your family?

Just asking….

Have a blessed day.

Squeezing Time for God in a Hectic Schedule!

I can hear some of you sitting there looking at your emails and wondering, “Is Monty going to miss a day?”

Some are probably saying, “It took longer than I thought but I knew he would quit sending a daily blog post.” LOL

Well, my schedule gets adjusted beyond my control just like it does to everyone of you.

I am not immune to family problems and illnesses. Which is exactly what has delayed this daily post.

But the good thing is it gave me something to post about! Amen?

Do you find it hard to squeeze in time for God?

I have lost count of how many people have started bible studies, devotionals, online studies with me but are not any longer.

Their schedules have become too constricted to squeeze God in.

I know, that hurt but we all struggle with this.

That is exactly what satan wants. He wants us to be too busy for God!

I know, some of you want to know how to make time for God, but you just can’t seem to figure out how to squeeze HIM in.

The struggle is for real, and it is for all of us.

But the real deal is that spending time all by yourself with the Lord is critical to that intimate relationship we need.

I have had so many tell me they just don’t have the time anymore. Then they will go on about all the challenges in their lives that is competing for their precious time.

Here is the biggest secret.

Are you ready?

It’s not about “having” the time. It’s about making the time.

You see, we have to spend time with the Lord or we will become separated!

Jesus talks about how important it is to spend time with God in John 15.

He uses the analogy of spending time with God as a branch being attached to a vine. Amen?

If a branch is removed from the vine, it will eventually die. Furthermore, a branch can only bear fruit when it is attached to the vine.

So, the biggest question you need to ask yourself isn’t how can I make time for God.

No, we need to ask ourselves, “how can I make spending time with God my Number 1 priority.”

Where are you already spending your time?

It may be helpful to take a look at where your time is going and replace some of it with spending time with God.

Just saying….

As much as it may hurt to hear this, I share this with everyone that tells me about their challenges for spending time with the Lord.

I tell them, “Get up earlier.”

The looks I get when I say that! LOL

But, Jesus had a busy schedule! Right?

Mark 1:35 GNB Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed.

I guess if it was the answer for Jesus it certainly is an answer for us to consider.

Praise the Lord he kept me in line today and still provided me with a daily blog to post as I squeezed in some time with HIM!

Squeeze in your time with HIM today.

God bless.

Genealogy

Tammy and I work on genealogy.

Tammy spends hours and hours doing research while I am just a novice but we both enjoy it.

Last night in bible study while reading 1 Chronicles chapters four and five, one of the study notes that was shared was worth sharing here today.

It stated that bible genealogies show that God cares about families!

God values families!

God chose Abraham to be the father of a great family that would be a blessing to every nation.

This blessing came in Abraham’s greatest descendent, Jesus Christ, who came to redeem sinful humanity and allow them access into God’s family. Amen?

That is one of the wonderful truths of the Gospel, God welcomes us into His family!

John 1:12 communicates this beautifully, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

God not only cares about families, but He wants you in His family, Amen?

Our own earthly genealogy also shows our love for our earthly family and when that study note was shared last night it just made sense why we were struggling through all the begats! LOL

Have a blessed day and be thankful you are in the genealogies of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Have you ever heard that said?

Have you ever told someone “Practice Makes Perfect” yourself?

Yesterday, my blog was about patience and waiting for a break in the weather so we could check out the “twins” on the lake.

God must have read my blog (LOL) because the weather cooperated and we were able to launch the twins in the lake and ride for a bit.

This particular “ride” was not for fun but for practice.

You see, we were using the car for the first time to pull and launch the Seadoos and needed to know if we were going to have any issues.

There were some lessons learned and Tammy knows the changes needed when pulling the twins out of the water.

Without those changes, we could have a huge problem!

There were some surprises in launching the twins also.  Ethan and I now know the changes we have to make for a smooth launching.

The test “ride” confirmed that the twins were lake ready and at the top of their performance.

Also, during the drive to the lake and back home, we realized that we needed to take a couple items with us to Indiana that was NOT on our list.

Without the practice run yesterday, “Murphy” may have raised his sorry head during our upcoming trip!

We do what is called “Dry Runs” in just about anything we plan on doing.

We set up camp in the back yard a day or two before actually going to be sure we are ready. Or you could say we practice to be perfect.

On many occasions we spend the night sleeping in the motorhome (in the backyard) the night before heading out.

Most of the time, we realize we need something else to take with us!

Do you practice to be perfect?

You should, because it keeps us from failing. Amen?

The same goes with our spiritual life to.
2 Peter 1:10-11 ESV (10) Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (11) For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I know many people that wait until the last minute to get things ready for just about anything they do.

Many times, they will become frustrated with things that are not working and/or require maintenance when they just want to relax.

What they have done is deceive themselves into believing that they were ready for their adventure only to find out that the were not.

The Lord warns us with that when it comes to the word as well.

James 1:22 GNB Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.

Do you practice being perfect?

I pray you do and never fall.

Have a blessed day!

Be Patient!

We are getting ready to travel to Indiana on vacation.

We are going to take our Seadoos with us and have been watching the weather for a good day to take them out and make sure they are ready.

We have been watching the weather for over two weeks for a good day to take them out!

One thing that my wife and I have never been, is a last-minute procrastinator.

Tammy has been making a list of items that we have to take for over two weeks and some of that is already in the trunk!

Have you ever had your patience tested?

That reminds me of a story about a fella that walked into a doctor's office and the receptionist asked him what he had. 

He said, "Shingles."

So, she took down his name, address, medical insurance number and told him to have a seat.

Fifteen minutes later a nurse's aide came out and asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles."

So, she took down his height, weight, a complete medical history and told him to wait in the examining room.

A half-hour later a nurse came in and asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles."

So, she gave him a blood test, a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram, told him to take off all his clothes and wait for the doctor.

An hour later the doctor came in and asked him what he had.

He said, "Shingles."

The doctor said, "Where?"

He said, "Outside in the truck. Where do you want them?"

Now, that is patience! (Kind of a stupid too but you get the idea.)

Today makes less than a week before we will be leaving for Indiana and we still haven’t been able to take the “twins” (Two Seadoos) out to make sure they are ready!

The last thing I want to do is be over a thousand miles from home to find out there was something I needed to do to have them ready for the lake in Indiana!

Now, the plan is to watch the radar and head out when it looks like we have a two to three hour break in the weather!

I ask you again, has your patience ever been tested?

Life is full of situations that test our patience. How about traffic?

How about waiting at long traffic lights?

How about waiting in a doctor’s office or a dentist office for hours?

How about waiting in line to checked out on a busy day in the grocery store? It always seems that we get in the wrong line, doesn’t it?
Life itself tests our patience.

Don’t you get tired of being tired?

Don’t you get tired of this world?

Don’t you get upset and angry at all the horrendous crimes that take place in our world and in America?

Don’t you wish these things could come to an end?

Don’t you wish at times that the Lord would come back and call an end to this sin-filled world?

And do you know what is the last prayer recorded in the Bible?

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Can you pray that prayer and mean it?

I have often felt that way, but God knows best and does best.

And apparently, the only reason He has not sent Jesus back yet is because He is patiently waiting for more people to come to Christ and be saved.

HE IS PATIENT BUT WE ARE NOT!

And doesn’t His patience tell us something about life?

It tells me once again there is more to life than this life and God will set all things straight, He will correct all errors, He will make everything right in the next life.

We may suffer for a season but there is a greater and better and longer season coming!
Amen?

James 5:7-11 (NIV) (7) Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. (8) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. (9) Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (10) Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (11) As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

So, Remember Job. If we remember Job, how can we say anything negative or talk about how much we suffer in this world?
Amen?

May you have a blessed day indeed!

Memorial Day.

I pray everyone spends time today in remembrance of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Most likely everyone reading this knows a soldier that gave their life for our freedom.

If not, you certainly know another person that grieves for a fallen comrade.

Today is a great day to share a hug with that person.

As we remember all the fallen heroes, spend some time with God the Father in prayer also.

He gave the ultimate sacrifice for us too.

Have a blessed day of remembrance.

A Voice From the Grave

A voice from the grave!  

Ever heard that before?  

Many of us have family and loved ones as well as friends and acquaintances that have gone to the grave in our lifetime!  

And those that have, speak to us from the grave!  

Not audibly like some movie, I am talking about in our conscience, we dwell on something that person said or did during our lifetime with them.  Amen?

This weekend many of us will think of the friends or family that gave their all for the freedom of this country!  

Those people may be speaking to us from the grave this weekend, amen?

The word of God talks about this as well.

Hebrews 11:4 (KJV) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

"Dead, yet he speaks!" 

Memorial Day is a day for remembering!  

It’s a day we set aside to remember those fallen veterans.

It’s a day to remember those who’ve sacrificed and given their lives to keep us free!

I know our nation has its share of problems, but it’s still the best nation in the world! Amen?

Abel was the first fallen soldier on the spiritual battlefield.

He was the first fatality for the cause of righteousness!

 Abel is telling us from the grave that sin can lead to uncontrolled anger just like it did with his brother.

Abel is crying from the grave that life is short just like many soldier friends of mine are crying from their graves.

Abel is crying from the grave that salvation is available and required for eternal life.

Finally, Abel is crying from the grave saying, our life has an impact. 

Whether it is a good or bad one, is up to us!

Revelation 14:13 KJV And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Whatever good we do for God in this life won’t only follow us on into eternity but will continue live on and impact those still alive! Amen?

Ask yourself this morning this question: What is going to be heard from your grave?

Have a blessed day!

A Helpless Society!

Why have we become a “helpless society?”

What I mean is that just a generation back and no more than two generations at best we were doing things daily that the majority of people do not know how to do anymore!

I pulled over once to help a young man with a flat tire. I just thought he most likely didn’t have jack or found out that his spare was flat.

What I learned was that he was clueless on how to change his tire! I gave him a class and let him do all the work while I supervised. That was the longest tire replacement I have ever experienced!

Why did that young man not know how to change his own tire?

The generation before him did not pass on the knowledge!

Tammy and I were riding one day and we went past a woman sitting on her motorcycle and before I could turn around we came across her husband on another motorcycle slowly heading back towards her while looking on the shoulder of the road for something.

I turned around, flipped on the hazard warning flashers, and followed him back to his wife.

Tammy and I greeted them and then he explained that her shifter had fallen off and her bike was stuck in second gear.

He was distraught that he was going to have to call for someone to come tow her bike back home.

I smiled as I explained that I had a spare shifter lever in my saddle bag.

This is not the first shifter to rattle and fall off a Harley.

The look on their face was priceless when I pulled the lever from my saddle bag.

The look on my face was priceless when I noticed that she still had a shifting lever on her bike!

I pointed to the lever and said, “You don’t need a lever, you got one right there.”

Then her AND her husband explained that the one on her bike was for downshifting only. She needed her upshifting lever.
I tried not to laugh! When I did, they both looked at me like I was the crazy one. Then the man asked, “Is that one,” pointing to the one in my hand, “for downshifting also?”

I shook my head in disbelief at his question and explained that she could use that ONE lever for both upshifting and downshifting.

He was looking at me like I had a third eye in my forehead when I slowly pointed at the shifter on my Harley.

I never have liked the heel/toe configuration so the first thing I did when I bought my bike was remove the “upshifting” lever. LOL

I sat on my bike and demonstrated how it worked.

Once I noticed that the lights came on, I dismounted my bike and adjusted her “downshifting” lever so she could place her foot under it for upshifting.

On the way home all I could think was they would have spent hundreds of dollars on getting their bike back home. (It was a a very long distance) And all because they did not have the slightest idea on how the shifter worked.

I stopped one time to help a guy that didn’t know where his battery was and was going to call for roadside assistance because his bike wouldn’t start! (It was a loose battery connection!)

These stories could on and on but my point is that we have become a helpless society!

Yesterday I talked about waiting on the gas company to come turn on our gas.

The gas company representative was going to call a local plumber to come bleed our gas and re-light the pilots for us.

I shook my head, “No, I’ve got that.”

He looked surprised, “Are you sure sir?”

I answered a couple questions he had about my appliances and I volunteered how I was going to do what needed to be done.

He nodded with approval and turned on the gas for us.

Fifty years ago EVERYONE that had gas appliance KNEW how to re-light their pilots and bleed gas from the lines, etc.

In the 60’s and 70’s, owners manuals explained how to adjust the valves on your car.

Today’s generation doesn’t know what a valve is.

We have become a helpless society!

Why?

Because the generations before us have not taught or passed on that knowledge!

This is with everything!

The sad thing is that it also is with teaching our children to follow Jesus.

If we don’t teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.

That is why the word tells us to teach them!

Proverbs 22:6 KJV Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I had a man tell me just a couple days ago, “ I gave my children a choice to accept Jesus on their own.” He went on to explain that he didn’t push Jesus on his children and in fact he didn’t attend church while his children were growing up!

When should you teach your children?

On Sunday’s while at church?

No, we should be teaching them always!

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 KJV (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. (9) And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

It is a daily and an all-day long process, amen?

Don’t let your children become part of the helpless society!

Teach them today!

Refuse to contribute to the helpless society movement and teach, teach, teach!

Have a blessed day!

Mad for No Reason!

There was a note on the front door of the church from our local gas company. 

It said that they showed up to turn on our gas but we weren’t there. 

It went on to say that, “Once repairs have been made for us to call to make appointment for them to turn the gas back on.

We didn’t have any repairs made!

Yesterday we went to the church to verify that the gas was turned off. After verifying that the gas was indeed off, I called the 800 number on the card.

That already had my blood boiling because the 800 number usually indicates that the person I am going to be talking to will be very hard to understand and in a different state if not a different country!

I called the number getting angrier.

“I didn’t need any repairs!” I thought to myself. Then the dreaded automated system answered with “if you…. Press ONE, if you ….. press TWO.”

“This is ludicrous “I thought to myself as my face became flushed!

After answering more questions than I wanted, I finally got a real person on the line.

My greeting to her was not as nice as it should be but it wasn’t as bad as I have been before.

I still have to work on that! Just being honest.

I candidly explain to her in a louder voice than I should have, that my gas was turned off and I DID NOT have any repairs done!

Even though she probably didn’t need to know, I also let her know that I wasn’t happy that I had to call to have it turned back on since it should have never been turned off!

She was so kind as she explained that the meter had to be changed and the gas company could not turn the utility back on for my own safety due to the related appliances inside needing attention immediately after the service was turned on.

Yes, I felt really stupid and ashamed and thanked her for her assistance in setting up an appointment for today.

Have you ever been Mad for No Reason?

You know, God changes our plans all the time and we get upset at the change or situation, don’t we?

I know people who, while traveling, get so irate when they hit a detour that some decide to turn around and go back home! They decide, "I'll just go later!"

I know others that are in the planning stages of doing a project with others and someone else’s idea is considered the best and that person quits helping altogether!

I know those who joined a outreach of the church and when things were being done a different way than they would have done it, they just quit participating in the outreach.

I could go on and on but that is enough about me in the past! Yep, that used to be me!

But I am sure many of you were reading that and saying, “I wonder who told him about me!” Right?

Anyway, my point this morning is that there was a reason that the gas was turned off.

I just didn’t know why it was turned off.

I was upset about the gas being turned off but it was for my own safety.

You see the world doesn’t revolve around me!

Sometimes we get wrapped up in a change with that attitude but the world really doesn’t revolve around you or me. Does it?

Spiritually speaking, we could all do better if we would just remember that the Lord is going to make everything work for the better.

Even if we don’t see the BIG PICTURE, amen?

Romans 8:28 KJV And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God’s thoughts and plans and HIS ways are not ours. Amen?

Isaiah 55:8 KJV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

The next time you have plans changed just remember that God’s plans thoughts and ways are not ours.

He has a reason for that detour in our lives!

I have heard this quote for years, “A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.”

So, enjoy the detours of your life starting today.

Be blessed.

Heartburn!

After Bible study last night, we stopped at the Sonic and got a blast! It was a splurge day, I guess, and we got Large ones too!

All that ice cream and chocolate before going to bed!

Heartburn!

Most of us know what foods give us heartburn and that we shouldn’t eat it but we still do. 

We know before we even take the first bite. 

We know before we order the food, but we still do.

I thought about heartburn this morning but a different heartburn.

A heartburn that I am sure everyone of us have experienced!

Luke 24:30-32 KJV (30) And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. (31) And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. (32) And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

These two men were on the road on their way to Emmaus.

This stranger joins them and theirs hearts burn as he speaks and teaches them what the prophets had said all the way back to Moses.

Their hearts burned as they were hearing the truth.

This stranger was the Lord himself, but they did not know it!

I wonder why Jesus disappeared the moment they recognized who he was.

He had revealed to them the truths of the prophets and then when their eyes are opened he disappears!

Then, they asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Brothers and sisters, they felt that heartburn. 

That uneasy sensation in their spirit as Jesus was explaining the sacred scriptures to them.

We have all felt spiritual heartburn at some point in our lives.

Spiritual heartburn is a result of having had a face to face with the Holy Spirit.  

We have a sense of that nervousness, anxiety, and even discomfort (spiritual acid reflux) in our souls.

This happens during worship service and the groaning soul leads a wounded soldier to the altar.

This happens when the preacher is giving a message and the invitation can not come soon enough due to the constant spiritual acid reflux.

This happens while reading the word of God and he suddenly opens our eyes!

It can even happen when we our with others from the church in fellowship or at an outreach and their conversation suddenly opens our eyes!

I can not list all the different ways that the Lord will reveal himself to us, causing our eyes to be opened!

Until our eyes are fully opened, we will continue to have that heartburn.

The discomfort from the heartburn is a sign from the soul letting us know that we are not right with HIM.

When I have heartburn and it wakes me up in discomfort, I finally go take some TUMS. This brings me relief and I can have a restful sleep, amen?

I don’t know what may be causing your heartburn.

Maybe you haven’t called on the Lord in a bit.

Maybe you have been walking in disobedience for a while and no one knows but HIM.

But your heartburn is letting you know because that is how the Holy Spirit gets our attention, amen?

We can have that spiritual heartburn when we are on fire for God and he has something else he wants us to do for HIM!

Whatever the reason, and I am praying that the Lord reveals to you as you read this what it is.

If you will take the same thing I take for my heartburn, you will be fine.

Yes, TUMS is the answer!

All you need to do is take the prescribed dose of TUMS and you will receive the relief that you need!

TUMS

The Understanding and Merciful Savior

Get your dose of TUMS today!

Be blessed.

Confirmation on the presence of the MAGIC

On the 17th of May, I posted about the MAGIC. My Anointed Gear Illuminating Christ.

Essentially, I explained the anointing on each and everyone of us and on the priestly garments.

Many of our church members wear a mantle (biker vest), their priestly garments, that identifies them as a blood bought saint. 

There is no MAGIC in the mantle, but the mantle represents the anointing. Amen?

Last night I received a phone call from my dear sister in Christ telling me that her and the entire group had felt the MAGIC during their bible study.

It manifested in a divine appointment at the bible study. Praise the King!

Elisha experienced the anointing of God on his mantle that was received from Elijah.

2 Kings 2:8-14 KJV (8) And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. (9) And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. (10) And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. (11) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (12) And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. (13) He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; (14) And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Wow!

Do you have a mantle?

I don’t mean the vest our motorcycle ministry saints wear.

I mean any priestly garment that has been anointed for HIS work.

It could be a wardrobe of Christian T-shirts and/or hats.

Maybe your church has T-shirts to wear?

Does your mantle scream out that there is a God as you walk into the room of a crowded restaurant?

Is your appearance drawing attention in a way that causes the spectator to realize that you are a blood bought saint of God?

I encourage you today to go to your closet and pray over your Christian oriented wardrobe and claim that anointing onto your mantles.

Don’t leave home without your mantle and be prepared for someone to be drawn to you because of the MAGIC!

Have a blessed day.

Hot and Cold!

This morning I had my nice hot cup of coffee while my body was “steeping” in the Hot Tub. 

I laid my head back with my eyes closed, silently praising the Lord for a working hot tub. 

Then I felt it! Then again and again! 

My face was being pelted with cold rain drops!

My face soon became cold enough that I sat up and sipped on my coffee while the rain cooled off my shoulders.

I chuckled and thought to myself, “I’m hot and cold this morning.”

I didn’t want a cold face, so I had sat up. 

I didn’t want cold shoulders but I still wanted to enjoy the therapy on the rest of my body.

Wow!

God was telling me something again.

Even though part of me was cold, it was still part of my body. 

It was not like I could detach the cold parts and be “wholly” hot. Right?

We, the body of Chris is the same, amen?

1 Corinthians 12:14-19 GNB (14) For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. (15) If the foot were to say, "Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. (16) And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body. (17) If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? (18) As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. (19) There would not be a body if it were all only one part!

It is our responsibility as the church (the body) to take care of the cold parts of the body as well as the hot, amen?

1 Corinthians 12:22-23 GNB (22) On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; (23) and those parts that we think aren't worth very much are the ones which we treat with greater care; while the parts of the body which don't look very nice are treated with special modesty,

If you are hot today, minister to the cold ones, amen?

Tomorrow, you may be the cooler one!

Have a blessed day.

The Truth Behind Star Wars (Title is link to sermon)

I was asked by a sister in Christ how I decide what post to send out every day. 

I pray about it and also scroll through my old sermons while asking the Lord to help me pick one to use for a post.

Sometimes, I use an old sermon and sometimes it is from a conversation of event from the day before. Today's is both.

During fellowship time at church yesterday, that same sister talked about Star Wars and our conversation reminded me of this sermon I preached back in 2015.

I want you to look at a scripture of passage with me today...and it’s nothing we can be indifferent about...The book of Revelation really does point out a Star Wars...
Revelation 12:7-9
"And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."

Do you see it...there was a Star Wars, but that battle was already fought and the dark side lost. Michael the Prince of angels defeated the dragon and his co-horts. But the cameras need to keep rolling, because Star Wars has now become Earth Wars.

George Lucas-- make a movie on that..., because that is where the heat of the battle is now, and you, your friends, your co-workers, your family are all involved.

Listen to what Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The battle that we are in today is the same one that the Stars Wars movies highlights. 

The battle between the good and bad. 

The force of good “The Light” and the force of evil “Dark Force”.

If you’re not familiar with the basis of the first Star Wars movie: Phantom Menace-- listen. 

It’s about a young boy named Anakin...he was a slave boy, picked up by a couple of Jedi Knights. The Jedi are good...they follow the force- the side of good. Protect peace and harmony in the universe. Little Anakin wants to be a Jedi but the Jedi council found that he wasn’t fit to be a Jedi. The two Jedi decide to train him anyway but just by watching because they were forbidden to actually formally train him. 

The next two movies will show how Anakin makes decisions that will lead him from desiring to be a good Jedi, to ultimately becoming Darth Vador.

Bottom line, PRIDE led him to become Darth Vador. We all know what God has to say about PRIDE.

In the movie one of the Jedi’s leans over to Anakin and said "The most powerful thing you possess is your power of choice...the choices you make will determine your destiny."

Life if full of choices and your choices determine your own destiny.

Amen?

You have a choice whether to follow the dark side or the side of good...

The bible says in Romans 10:13 "All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

We have a choice! 

I pray every one of ya’ll have made that choice and have indeed received Jesus as your Lord.

I claim right now in Jesus name that may the Force from Above be with you and draw you to him if you don’t know him! 

Have a blessed day

Are you Hopeless, Helpless, or Ok?

Luke 5:27-32 (KJV) And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. (28) And he left all, rose up, and followed him. (29) And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. (SLIDE) (30) But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? (31) And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. (32) I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Levi and his friends, family and co-workers were all considered Hopeless by the local religious leaders!

Have you ever been considered Hopeless?

Someone has determined that for you to be saved is Hopeless and they may even quit praying for you. They may even tell you that your Hopelessly going to hell!

Have you ever considered someone you know as Hopeless?

Have you ever quit praying for someone that you considered to be in that Hopeless state?

See, Jesus knew that Levi and his “followers” were all considered Hopeless BUT Jesus makes a difference!

His presence alone changes their Hopelessness into Helplessness.

Helpless meaning that they do NOT have to go to hell and that their eternity home is questionable.

We have all been in a Helpless state somewhere in our lives.

That is when Jesus offers us Himself and IF we accept HIS invitation our status changes from Helpless to OK! 

Praise the Lord, Amen?

Jesus wants us to go out into this dark and perverse world and let the Hopeless know that they are NOT Hopeless but Helpless with out Jesus!

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may be filled. AMEN?

Go see that person that the Lord has put on your heart

Call that person that the Lord has put on your heart!

Let them know that they are NOT Hopeless!

Explain that they can be OK and it is spelled out for them in the word of God.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Listen!

You are on the spiritual battlefield and your job is to help the Hopeless.

Be a blessing today!

Tasting the Salt from Other’s Tears

Romans 12:15 KJV Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Yesterday evening, I visited with a family that is on the verge of saying goodbye to their 92-year-old loved one.

I could taste the salt from their tears.

This morning at 0230 hours a good friend of mine had a heart attack.

I could taste the salt from his tears as I prayed with him on the phone.

Today at 1100 hours our time, my cousin will be laid to rest.

I can taste the salt from my other two cousins that are saying goodbye to their brother. As well as all my Aunts and Uncles.

Have you ever heard that saying, “I can taste the salt from your tears.”?

Even if you have never heard that saying, I bet everyone reading this has experienced it.

At some point in your life, you have tasted the salt from someone else’s tears.

It is because of the compassion that you have for those that you taste the salt.

Most of the time it is because you shed your own tears producing that salt physically.

But the closer our relationship becomes with Jesus, the more we taste that salt even without crying.
Amen?

Sometimes we get so involved in our own lives and agenda that we don’t recognize those around us hurting.

Have you tasted the salt lately?

I pray for you to spend time with the Lord today and ask him to help you be more sensitive to those around you that have those tears.

May you taste the salt from their tears and show them the love of Christ.

Have a blessed day

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (Title is link to sermon)

This is our mission if we wish to except it.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

If you are old enough and remember, back in the 60’s and early 70”s there was a tv show called mission impossible. The show consisted of a team of highly skilled and trained detectives who accepted missions that were deemed impossible by all other agencies and organizations. 

Because of the extreme high risks involved the mission was strictly voluntary.

Well Matthew 28:19 is an impossible mission set before us. How could just a few of us reach the entire world with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ?

The people around us are not into Jesus. 

They are into Sports, Reality Shows, The World series, The Super Bowl, Nascar, but not Jesus.

They are into money, fortune, and wealth, the stock market, investments. But Not Jesus.

We have to join the only organization that is actively working on this impossible mission and that is the...

C.I.A. CHRISTIANS IN ACTION!

You see our mission if we choose to accept it is to reach these people with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

Not to join them, but to save them.  

To throw them a saving line of rescue, we must first have our feet planted where it’s safe.

Oh but we are dealing with people that want nothing to do with Jesus.

They are too busy with their own life, College, career, or they are shopping, traveling, playing, and partying.

They are far too busy for Jesus.

So your impossible mission is to reach these impossible people who want nothing to do with JESUS.

And the RISKS involved, you don’t want to know the risks. They are many. We need to be strong to even think about attempting to start this mission.

Some of the Risks Include:  

Un-acceptance from your peers. 

Your school mates or work associates may think of you as weird. 

Your friends and relatives will think you lost it.

You risk being mocked, made fun of, talked about behind your back, left out of things, laughed at and shunned. 

You may lose friends or a job over the stand you make.

A time may come when you risk being beaten or put in prison or even put to death all because of the stand you will make by joining the C.I.A.

Apostle Paul was one of the first C.I.A. members and was whipped/beaten 5 times because of it!

But Jesus said he would never leave us, right?

That is why the mission is possible! 

Our secret weapon is the Holy Spirit within us! 

We can do all things because we have Christ in us! Amen?

Who will join me and become a Christian In Action.

Join the C.I.A. today!

Be blessed

Martha’s Doubt and Mary’s Faith (Title is link to sermon)

Do you think that our actions can stop God from doing something that he wants to do?

Can our actions or our doubt stop God from answering prayers?  

On the other hand, can our actions motivate God to do something?

Let us revisit the story in the bible when Lazarus had died.

The mourners had gathered to comfort Mary and Martha.  

When someone came into that stilled and hushed room and whispered to Martha that Jesus was coming down the road, she left Mary and went alone to take her pain out on Jesus for not being there when they needed him!

Have you ever blamed God for not being there when you needed him?  

Can you feel the bite in her voice or notice the pain in which she spoke?

John 11:20-21 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. (21) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Jesus if you really cared you would have come and performed this miracle for me!  

Oh Lord if only you could have been here, he would still be alive!  

John 11:23-24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. (24) Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

I wonder, did she not believe that he could be raised from the dead right now?

You see, we limit God in what we think he is capable of doing!  Hello?  

Have you ever said something could happen and then when confronted with that possibility, have doubt?  She said with her own words that God would do anything he asks!  Then when Jesus says her brother will rise again, she says yeah, I know he will in the last day.

Her doubt is really showing, isn’t it?  

Martha leaves and tells Mary that Jesus wants to see her.

John 11:28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Maybe while walking back to see Mary, she realized her doubt!  

Can you relate to times in your walk that after the fact and in many cases only a few minutes afterwards that you see your doubt!  The scripture did not say “Go tell Mary come here.”   

Maybe she went to Mary because Martha knew Mary had more faith? 

Just some thoughts to ponder.

John 11:29-30 (29) As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. [30] Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

NOTICE:   Jesus did not move from where Martha first met him!

It is as if her doubt stopped him in his tracks!  

He had set out to raise Lazarus from the dead but has been delayed due to doubt!  

Notice also that he didn’t move any closer to completing this deed until another faithful one came!

John 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

NOTICE:  Her mood and her spirit upon approaching Jesus!

There was no mention of Martha bowing or kneeling or any signs of submission to God as she spoke with Jesus!  

But Mary did. In fact, she fell down at his feet!  

And the word used here means to literally fall at his feet!  

Have you experienced a broken spirit and while approaching the altar FALL at the feet of Jesus?  

You see Mary spoke the same words but with an entirely different spirit, amen?  

Enough so that it moved Jesus in the spirit!

John 11:33-36 (33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, (34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Was it his love for Lazarus?  Or. did Mary move him by her display of emotions?  The scripture relates his love for all three of them and his intentions to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Yet he wept and cried with Mary!  Maybe because she did believe, amen?

Anyway, He was stopped by Martha’s Doubt!

He was moved by Mary’s Faith!

Ask yourself right now!  Will your approach to the Lord stop him from doing the miraculous or will he be moved BY YOUR FAITH?

Some of us here are at the point of our miracle!  Jesus has come to deliver and is ready!

Has our doubt prevented his working a miracle or has our faith and approach provoked him to hastily do the miracle?

I don’t know about you but I want all he has and I want to approach him in the right manner so a miracle in the making will materialize!  Amen?

Ask yourself today, are you a Mary or a Martha?

Have a blessed day

Three Things Jesus Could Not Do (Title link to sermon)

We have been taught all our lives that Jesus could and can do all things, Amen?

Today we assumed that Jesus could and can do anything, having all power and authority Amen?

This morning, however, I am going to share with you three things that Jesus could not do.

We will see that scripture testifies to the fact that He who possessed all authority, He who has all power from Heaven and God the Father, He who is our Lord and Savior was limited in that infinite power in some measure.

Number One:  HE DID NOT MANY MIGHTY WORKS!

I know you are about to unsubscribe from this blog, right?

Finish reading this blog before you decide to do that!

In Mark chapter 6, we read where Jesus did not do many mighty works because of unbelief.

Mark 6:5-6 KJV (5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

They recognized His miracles but refused to admit that His power came from God.

This made their judgment blind!

They denied the sequence of the supernatural.  Since it didn’t happen the way they thought it should it wasn’t of God!   Sound familiar?  

Their unbelief stopped Jesus in his tracks!  He wanted to do many mighty things!

Jesus did not work miracles to create belief, but He worked miracles where there was belief!

Even today still, our unbelief denies the supernatural! Amen?

Number Two- HE DID NOT TEACH ALL THINGS

The second thing that Jesus did not do was teach all things because of un-readiness.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).

He wished to reveal much more to them, but their ears were attuned to other things, and their spirits were dull.  So, he did not teach all things!

The apostles were in the Lord’s school for three years, and yet they did not understand when he told them about the approaching cross and resurrection.

Are we responsive and ready for His teaching this morning?

Number three- HE DID NOT SAVE A CITY

(1)- Jesus did not do many mighty works because of unbelief.

(2)- Jesus did not teach all things because of un-readiness.

Finally, the third thing (that I will talk about today) that Jesus did not do was save a city!

Jesus DID NOT save a city because of unwillingness.

Matthew 23:37 KJV  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

The lament of the Lord over the Holy City is the gesture of the love of God.

Even Jesus could not save them when they would not be saved!

There are many things Jesus wishes to do, but He is hindered by these well-known factors we covered this morning!

Yet, unbelief may give way to faith! Amen?

Un-readiness may give way to receptivity! Amen?

Unwillingness giving way to taking action! Amen?

At the cross, the One who refused to save Himself saved all others.  Amen?  

The one that could not save himself due to the power of his own restraint saved the whole world!

Will you be changed this morning?

The terms of acceptance are still the same:

Believe, Receive, Obey.

Have a blessed day.