Thursday May 2nd, 2024

Greetings and salutations on another day above ground, dear Reader, and welcome. I stayed up all night watching political videos and posting forbidden political memes. 😂 I will never be politically correct, but I WILL ALWAYS BE HONEST. Even to my detriment.

Let GOD be true and every man a liar! 

Since I'm on the verge of being banned by Fascistbook, you can follow me on TruthSocial and X. 

Here's something that I just watched; another very valuable sermon from wise, mature Christian Joyce Meyer. 

It's awesome, in this sermon she talks about my favorite example in the Bible that I compare myself to: Balaam. I believe that if God can open the mouth of a donkey to speak to Balaam, certainly He can use my human mouth! (also, see Numbers 22). So, here we are. 

Prayer:
Good morning, dear Lord and Master, sweet Savior and Redeemer! We love You, God! Today is the US's national day of prayer, God. We ask You to pour out Your Spirit onto all flesh like never before, God! Please bring a huge revival to all the people, in Jesus' Name. Father God, please meet every human need today, God. We ask for You to please end all the wars currently raging around the world, God, all of them. We ask for You to rebuke ALL illness and heal every disease, God! Lord, please protect ALL of the unborn God! Please send your angels to minister to those who have need, dear Lord. We also lift our leaders up to You, God, and ask that You work in and through them to the glory of Your Name. Lord, we also ask for You to remove all wicked rulers from authority and replace them with Godly leaders of Your choosing, God, in Jesus' Name. Please minister to our loved ones, friends and family; Lord, please also minister to our enemies, and to the people that we don't know, God. Lord will You please also reveal to us the mysteries in Your Word? We ask for a world-wide revival in Jesus' Name, amen! 

I'll tell you something: even though ALL of my formal theological education is based in the theology adhered to by the Assemblies of God, I have never spoken in tongues. Now, I am not saying that God can't do it, only that He hasn't yet. 

Today's reading:
Acts 2
Proverbs 2

And now I think I'll go lay down. Watch that Joyce Meyer sermon; you'll be glad that you did. 

As always thank you for stopping by today, dear Reader. I pray the Lord make Himself more real to you today than ever before, in Jesus' Name, amen. 

💝 Wednesday, May 1st, 2024💝

Good morning (et cetera) dear Reader, and welcome to a beautiful day above ground, again today! Today I'd like to go ahead and dive right in to today's Proverbs, starting with Proverbs 31, and then Proverbs 1. (Proverbs 31 today because there were only thirty days in last month, and Proverbs 1 since today is the first day of the new month). 👌 

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for another day of life today! We praise You today, God. Please prepare our hearts and minds to receive Your Word today, dear God. Please save the lost, please bring the backslid into repentance, please cleanse us each of all unrighteousness, God. Please end all wars today, Lord. Please feed the hungry, Lord. Please put all the homeless into homes, Lord. Please remove all wicked leaders and replace them with good and godly leaders, dear Lord. Today we ask for You to protect the unborn, Father God. And please use each of us to the glory of Your Name. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Proverbs 31:
The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother

1 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

2 What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?

3 Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

5 Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all [a]the afflicted.

6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

The Virtuous Wife

10 Who[c] can find a [d]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.

15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [e]her profits she plants a vineyard.

17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.

20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.

27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Footnotes
Proverbs 31:5 Lit. sons of affliction
Proverbs 31:8 Lit. sons of passing away
Proverbs 31:10 Vv. 10–31 are an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew; cf. Ps. 119
Proverbs 31:10 Lit. a wife of valor, in the sense of all forms of excellence
Proverbs 31:16 Lit. the fruit of her hands

Proverbs 1:
The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;

4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—

5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,

6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;

9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12 Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

13 We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;

14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;

16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;

18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.

21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:

22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.

23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,

27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.

31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”

Footnotes
Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
Proverbs 1:5 acquire
Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
Proverbs 1:13 plunder
Proverbs 1:17 futility
Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
Proverbs 1:20 in the street
Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
Proverbs 1:22 naive
Proverbs 1:22 naivete
Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
Proverbs 1:33 at ease

Thank you for joining me to read the Word of the Lord this morning. May these sacred words serve as a guiding light for you throughout today, in Jesus' Name, amen. 💝

💜The morning of Tuesday, April 30th, 2024💜

 

Hello/ good morning (et cetera) dear Reader, and welcome to another fine day above ground! I love today's Proverb, especially verse 2. 😂 Here's what today's Proverb says about who we (being, all humans) are:

But here is what today's Proverb says about Who God is, by contrast:

Therefore, if you find anything of value here, it has to be from the Lord because you can know that it's not from me. So far this morning, I've read Proverbs 30; now I'm spending just under fifteen short minutes listening to this:

Prayer:
Good morning, dear Lord; I love You! WE love You, dear God! Thank You for another day of life today, God; please help us each to redeem the time that it won't be wasted in Your eyes, Lord. Father God, there are so many needs! Today we boldly request that You please end all wars on the earth, God. Lord, today will You please feed every hungry mouth with food and every hungry soul with Your Spirit and Your Word, God. Please protect the unborn from slaughter, dear Lord! Please meet every human need on planet earth today, in Jesus' Name, God. Please work through us, the redeemed, that Your light shine in and through us to the saving glory of Your Name. Father God please save ALL flesh today, Lord! Please reveal the mysteries of the Gospel to all Who seek it, God. Please meet the needs of all veterans, widows, orphans, foster children, the disabled, the poor. Lord, please work in and through our leaders today; we ask for You to please remove evil leaders and replace them with those who You choose, God. We thank You and ask for all of these things in Jesus' Name, amen.

Additional reading:

1 Corinthians 1-2

Thank you for stopping by today, dear Reader; I pray that these things are beneficial to you today; may He reveal Himself to all of us more and more as we seek Him, in Jesus' Name, amen. 

Galatians 2:20 ☦

As I look back on what I thought was living

I'm amazed at the price I choose to pay

And to think I ignored what really mattered

Cause I thought the sacrifice would be too great

But when I finally reached the point of giving in

I found the cross was calling even then

And even though it took dying to survive

I've never felt so much alive.

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

Not I but Christ that lives within me

His Cross will never ask for more than I can give

For its not my strength but His

There's no greater sacrifice

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

As I hear the Savior call for daily dying

I will bow beneath the weight of Calvary

Let my hands surrender to His piercing purpose

That holds be to the cross but sets me free

I will glory in the power of the cross

The things I thought were gain I count as loss

And with His suffering I identify

And by His resurrection power I am alive

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

Not I but Christ that lives within me

His Cross will never ask for more than I can give

For its not my strength but His

There's no greater sacrifice

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

And I will offer all I have

So that His cross is not in vain

For I found to live is Christ

And to die is truly gain

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

Not I but Christ that lives within me

His Cross will never ask for more than I can give

For its not my strength but His

There's no greater sacrifice

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Allen Clark / Denise Phillips / Donald A. Koch / Randy Phillips

Crucified With Christ lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

My Idolatry Exposed! On Sunday, April 28th, 2024

Good morning on a beautiful day above ground, dear Reader. I found that video late last night right before heading to bed and I watched it again (so twice, so far, by the time you read these words anyway); I'd never heard of this man, but it was suggested to me by YouTube, and I'm very glad to have seen it! I highly encourage all believers to watch it; a quick preview, the Pastor exposes idolatry in the video and lays both a logical and Biblical foundation of understanding.

Here's where I see myself in that (video, above): Well in several of the cases he describes, but primarily I see that I have become legalistic, which has always been a weakness of mine. Oh and also I used to worship my idea of Jesus, one where He winked at/ ignored sin and I could just do anything that I wanted to because He loves me and forgave/forgives me no matter what; He was my Sunday-only Savior (but not yet Lord and Master). Yes, I worshipped my idea of Jesus, not the Person of Christ Himself. It's unnerving how easy a trap that is to fall into, in fact! 

But going back to the word legalism, let's look at that one by starting with the (secular) definition of the word:

I also went ahead and included the usage chart the internet provided; do you notice how much the use of the word has increased, between 1800 and 2019? I wonder if that's even higher, today in 2024?

So, for years and years, I used to worship at the altar of Self and would spend the very first part of my day dedicated to Vanity, pure and simple. And it's a good thing to repent of because, that wasn't just a routine for me, but an act of actual worship (at the altar of Self) because my heart was wrongly focused on Vanity, Self as an idol, pure and simple. In other words, God did not have first place in my heart, and for that reason, to me, it became sin. In my case, at least, this was true. Fully realizing repentance for that Sin (of mine) will probably take the rest of this life to fully walk out, but I'm grateful for what He's done in me so far in these last couple of years and I'm determined to follow Him wherever He may lead.

But, God doesn't fit in my tidy little box. I've tried to keep myself from putting Him in one, but it turns out that I'm just as human as everyone else.
See, I thought that I could avoid that (that is, limiting God, or my concept of Him) if I'd just not adhere to any strict doctrine other than:

 "Love God (number one) and Love others (secondarily)"

And, until He shows me differently, I still do believe that these basic tenets are pretty much all we need, at least to start with, as far as a theological foundation goes. 

I just can't go any further without asking for His help and Presence. 
Prayer: 
Good morning, dear Lord! You are a Mystery to me, great and awesome God! Please reveal Yourself and Your will to us today, Father God. Please destroy all false concepts of You and replace them with the Truth of Who You really are, Lord! Please help us to receive Your Word into our hearts and souls today and use It to bring change, God, to us, and to the world around us, in Jesus' Name, Lord. Today we ask that You also please end all wars that are currently raging across the planet, God; but let Your Will be done. Father, we ask that You please prevent the murder of abortion today, God, that You would protect all of the little babies today, sweet Jesus; but let Your Will be done. Lord, I also ask for You to heal all of the sick, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, cure the sick, save the lost, and bring religious believers like me out of deception and into the marvelous Light of the real reality of Who You are, God. Thank You for interrupting my religion in lieu of real relationship with You, God. Please prevent me from ever following a concept of You instead of the Spirit of the Living God and forgive me, please, for being so religious, God. Father, please show us the true Way. In all of these requests, though, may Your will be done. Almighty God, together we stand in agreement against the wicked principality of Deception and declare Your victory over it, God! Thank You for everything, dear Lord, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Oh, dear Reader, I am undone by Truth! 

Prayer, part 2:

Dear God, please make Yourself known to us in Spirit and in Truth and tear down all idols, remove our false concepts of Who You are, please; in Jesus' Name, amen.

Well, I still think it's a good idea to read the Proverbs every day; today is the 28th, so here it is, the Word of the Lord (Proverbs 28):
The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,

But the righteous are bold as a lion.

2 Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;

But by a man of understanding and knowledge

Right will be prolonged.

3 A poor man who oppresses the poor

Is like a driving rain [a]which leaves no food.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

But such as keep the law contend with them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice,

But those who seek the Lord understand all.

6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity

Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

7 Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,

But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

8 One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion

Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,

Even his prayer is an abomination.

10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,

He himself will fall into his own pit;

But the blameless will inherit good.

11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory;

But when the wicked arise, men [b]hide themselves.

13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,

But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

14 Happy is the man who is always reverent,

But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15 Like a roaring lion and a charging bear

Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,

But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

17 A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;

Let no one help him.

18 Whoever walks blamelessly will be [c]saved,

But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,

But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,

But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

21 To [d]show partiality is not good,

Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,

And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.

23 He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward

Than he who flatters with the tongue.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother,

And says, “It is no transgression,”

The same is companion to a destroyer.

25 He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

27 He who gives to the poor will not lack,

But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked arise, men hide themselves;

But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Footnotes

Proverbs 28:3 Lit. and there is no bread

Proverbs 28:12 Lit. will be searched for

Proverbs 28:18 delivered

Proverbs 28:21 Lit. recognize faces

Today, dear Reader, my prayer for you is that God make Himself known to you in the deepest part of who you are. I pray that He reveal Himself to you in a brand new and powerful way! May He do that for me, too, I hope and pray, in Jesus' Name. Thank you for taking the time to read this today, dear Reader; I hope these things are beneficial to you. 💜

💝 Saturday Morning Prayer and Proverb, April 27th, 2024 💝

Good morning on another fine day on this side of the Grave, dear Reader, and welcome. I hope that your day is starting/ going well. I have loved that song (above) for years, and it's the cry of my heart; basically "Lord, please make me MORE compassionate!" I have so far to go. Sometimes I just cry before Him, broken-hearted by my own sin and limitations. However, it is a process. We must be patient with ourselves as well as with one another. Today I remind both of us, dear Reader. 

Hubby's up with me this morning and we're having coffee with YouTube praise and worship music playing through the living room TV. That makes my devotion time different, but Life doesn't operate by my rules, so I have to be flexible. 

Prayer:
Good morning, dear God, and thank You for another day of Life! Father God, please please please make me more like You. God, please heal me of sin and remove character weaknesses far from me! Please make me worthy of the call You have placed on my life, sweet Lord, to the glory of Your Name. Father God, we come to you in agreement and ask again for You to please end ALL wars on the planet, God, in Jesus' Name. Lord, we lift our leaders up to You and ask that You work in and through them to the glory of Your Name. Lord, please remove all wicked and evil people who are currently in leadership in this nation, Father God. Please replace the wicked with good and Godly leaders, Lord, in Jesus' Name. God, please extend Your healing hand to all who are sick and in need of a touch from You, Lord. Please rebuke all disease, dear Lord. Today we also ask that You feed the hungry all across the globe today, God. Please provide for ALL who are in need, dear Lord, please meet their needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Also, we ask that You please meet all of the needs of: veterans, widows, orphans, the disabled, the unloved or unwanted. God, You see them; they are never far from Your heart. Please, raise up people and organizations to meet their needs, Father God! Show us how to help them, dear Lord! We also ask, Father God, that You send Your saving Spirit to ALL flesh today: to us, to our loved ones, family and friends, to our acquaintances, to our enemies, to ALL flesh, God. It's Your Will for NONE to perish and for ALL to be saved so we ask You to please do precisely that Lord. And for all things, and in all things, we give you grateful Praise. In Jesus' Name, amen. 

Psalm 27 NKJV:
My Son, Be Wise

27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

7 A satisfied soul [a]loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by [b]hearty counsel.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished.

13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to him.

15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike;

16 Whoever [c]restrains her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoever [d]keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,
So a man’s heart reveals the man.

20 Hell[e] and [f]Destruction are never full;
So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And a man is valued by what others say of him.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

26 The lambs will provide your clothing,
And the goats the price of a field;

27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And the nourishment of your maidservants.

Footnotes
Proverbs 27:7 tramples on
Proverbs 27:9 Lit. counsel of the soul
Proverbs 27:16 Lit. hides
Proverbs 27:18 protects or tends
Proverbs 27:20 Or Sheol
Proverbs 27:20 Heb. Abaddon

And, since "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God", here is Psalm 27 read aloud: 

Thank you so much for joining me this morning, dear Reader. I pray that the Word is life to your spirit today, in Jesus' Name. Amen. 💝

👏 Friday, April 26th, 2024

Good morning, dear Reader! We find ourselves alive again today to enjoy the gift of this existence here on the mundane, tumultuous mud-ball that we call Earth. Let's give Him some praise for that, right out of the gate. 💘

Prayer:
Good morning and thank You for another day above ground, Lord! I love You, please help me and anyone reading these words to love You more than we do at this moment, and please also increase our capacity to love all others, Lord! God today I confess to You that I am still immature and need You, Your Word, Your Holy Spirit to change that within me. Today, Father God, I lay all of my flawed human emotions down at the foot of the Cross of Christ and ask that You empower me to place Your Word and Your Will above literally everything else, Lord. 
Father God, we ask for You to please bring peace to the entire world. Will You please bring an end to ALL wars on the earth, Lord? 
We also ask for You to work in and through our leaders, Father God. Please bring conviction where there is sin. Please expose all corruption in high places and bring about Your Justice, God. Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. Please remove all evil rulers in high places, Lord, and replace those people with Godly servants who will serve You in wisdom, love, and Truth, God. 
Lord, we ask for You to please heal the sick today. Father, please let all who seek You out for healing today find that healing and more in You, precious Lord. Please remove all disease today.
We ask for You to please provide for all orphans, veterans, and widows, Father God. Please don't forget the disabled today, Lord. Please remember the homeless and give them shelter, dear Lord. Please change the hearts of men today, God. We ask for You to please bring ALL souls to You, that all be saved according to Your Word and Your will, that none should perish. Father we lift up to You today our loved ones, friends and family; we lift up our acquaintances to You, Lord, and our enemies as well. Basically, God, we lift all flesh up to You and ask for You to move in and through all today to the glory of Your Name, the Name that is above ALL names. Please give us understanding and real knowledge of the mysteries of Your Word, Lord. And we ask for all of these things with gratitude and reverential awe of You, in Jesus' Name, amen. 

This morning I'm reading various things, starting with Proverbs 26 and I Corinthians 15 (which, that last one, I'll have to read it over and over to better understand it). Maybe you comprehend the things you read the very first time and so do I (to a degree), but to glean a truly deep understanding (for me, anyway) it takes much more than just reading it once. 

Well, you may or may not know this, but I've got issues, man. One of those issues (problems, failures, faults, weaknesses, sins, whatever you prefer to call them) is a short temper. Even after all of this time walking with the Lord it remains a thorn in my flesh today. I hope and pray to obtain some healing in this area and more Christian maturity by virtue of confession and repentance, since that's what the Word tells us to do with those things. So I suppose, in a way, I've confessed that sin to you just now, dear Reader. 
Here's what I think about confession of sin: if we've sinned against an individual, it's important that we make confession to that specific person. In that way, we make the relationship healed and whole. Often the person we've offended/hurt/sinned against is the very last person we wish to speak to about the matter; we're ashamed, we feel guilty, we're afraid that we won't be received, we're afraid that we won't be forgiven. I want to encourage you here, that even IF we are rejected, it's still the right thing to do before the Lord. 
Of course it's best to submit all of these things to the Lord that He will provide the best timing for that to occur. Allow Him to guide the process; if He doesn't put it on your heart to call that person or go to see whomever it is you've hurt/sinned against, He might very well bring that person to you and create the perfect opportunity that way. 

I know (now more than ever before, at least) that it grieves God when we hurt one another. If for no other reason, this should motivate us to seek to set our wrongs right. If you find that you just don't have it within you to make confession and ask for forgiveness, ask Him to give that to you, and He will. He will empower you to do everything that He asks of you. 

This morning, I'm going to post I Corinthians 13 for us to take in to our souls. From the NKJV, here it is (full text, highlighted):

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes
1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast
1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil
1 Corinthians 13:10 complete

Well thank You for joining me this morning on the search for Truth in the Lord, dear Reader. I pray the Lord answer all of your prayers today. May He fill your hearts and minds with His truth; may He empower You pursuant to His will for you and your life today. May the eyes of your understanding be enlightened. Please take care; have a good day, dear Reader, and know that He IS with you. 💜

☆ Thursday, April 25th, 2024 ☆

Good morning (afternoon, et cetera) on yet another day of Life today, dear Reader. First, a song of praise to help us get our hearts and minds into focus on what really matters:

Some days, like today!, no matter how early I rise in order to spend time with God, there are distractions that seek to keep me from doing just that; some of them (the distractions, that is) are within me, and some of them come from without. Maybe you can identify. I mean, have you ever lain there at night and fallen asleep within minutes or moments of deciding to use that time to pray? I know that I do; that is actually part of why the prayers that I share with you here are so short. Really I do like to keep things short and sweet when it comes to making my requests known to God. I can't say that that's necessarily good, or that it's necessarily bad, or otherwise; that just seems to be what's working for me at this point in my walk with Him anyway. 
No matter where you are on your walk with God, be encouraged. All that matters is that you're on the path that He's chosen to guide you on.  Now, that path gets narrower and narrower the longer we pursue it, and that's by Design. 

An example of the narrowing path in my own life: recently He's convicted me that Hollywood is satanic. So,  now I have decided to only watch movies that I've already seen (so they've been vetted) or, if new, I can watch movies that were made by any of a number of Christian movie production companies (for example, Affirm Films). And here let me stress that I'm not trying to tell YOU what you can/cannot should/should not watch. Nor would I dare to. But this is what's going on in my own heart and mind so I find it worthy to share with you, dear Reader. 

That's my intro for today; before even praying I wanted to reach out and let you know where I am today; today it's not just flowing naturally to seek Him and His Face out; today, dear Reader, I'm having to make my sinful, willful, rebellious flesh obey the force of my will. 

Without any further ado, let's pray! 
Prayer:
Good morning, sweet dear Father God, beautiful Holy Spirit of God, and glorious, exalted Son of God! We love You and worship You today, no matter how we feel in the flesh. Please help us to subdue the flesh and make it submit to Your will today, Oh God. It's the daily fight that wears us down the most, God; therefore we ask for You to strengthen us and help us today, in Jesus' Name. Thank You, dear Lord, that as of today, we still have the freedom to worship You. Your Word tells us to worship You in Spirit and in Truth; please show us the way, Father God. Lord, we come to You and humbly ask for You to please end ALL wars that are currently raging across this planet that You've made, God. Dear Lord, You alone are Sovereign. Please reign supreme in the hearts of men today, God. We ask You to bring Peace and cause it to overcome War today Lord. Father God, we also lift up ALL of our friends and family to You; all of our acquaintances, and yes, all of our enemies too and ask for You to move in and through them today to the glory of Your Name. Lord, please let NO soul be lost that You have created, Father God! Please use us as You see fit today, God. Please help us to pour ourselves out to bless others, using the many gifts You've given to each of us, that we may glorify God Who is in Heaven. Thank You for everything, sweet and wonderful Lord. Father God, we also ask for You to please work in and through our leaders today. Lord, we also ask for You to please remove any and all wicked/evil leaders currently in power and ask that You replace them with wise and Godly servants of Christ. Lord, please empower us to carry the cross today. Please teach us to seek Your face rather than merely Your hand of blessing. We want to see Jesus. We love You and thank You for everything, including the times when the answer to our requests is "No" because You remain Worthy! Thank You, dear Lord. Please show us how to love you more and more. In Jesus' Name, amen. 

The thing about praying is that I always leave something important out. Like today, I failed to ask for healing. I didn't ask for God to house our veterans and orphans and I didn't ask Him to end world hunger. These are just examples. Hopefully that will improve as I mature in Him; I've got such a long way to go! 
Here *are today's readings, starting with Proverbs 25 from the Book of Wisdom:

Proverbs 25

Jeremiah 21

Now, I chose Jeremiah 21 randomly because it's a chapter that I'd never read before. 
Thank you for joining me for morning devotion today, dear Reader! My hope and prayer is that you're able to squeeze some good wine from the grapes that I place before you. I pray the Lord encourage you and empower you unto good things today, in Jesus' Name, amen. 💜

Good morning! 💝 Wednesday, April 24th, 2024

Good morning (afternoon, et cetera, depending on where you are in the world) dear Reader on this beautiful day above ground. Thank you for coming by, I pray that the things herein are of benefit, even value, for you, now and to take with you as you walk the path of Life.

Worship:

Prayer:
Good morning, dear Lord, we love You! Thank You so much for another day to be alive, Father God. It's a gift; please help us each to use the time wisely today, Lord. We thank You today for Jesus; thank You for Your Holy Spirit; thank You for Your Word, God! We thank you for each other as well. Lord, today we ask that You please redeem the ones who do not yet know You. Father God, please pursue each of them and capture their hearts, in Jesus' Name. Lord, we also ask again that You please stop ALL wars on the planet, Father God. Please protect all humans in all war zones in the world, God. Lord, today we ask for You to protect the unborn, God. Please touch the hearts of those in crisis and give them a love for their unborn, God. Today, we also lift up our friends and family to You, God. We lift up all of humanity and ask for You to move powerfully as You see fit, Lord. Let Your will be done. Please use us to glorify Your Name, Jesus. Please cause us to mature and grow in You so that we may become more useful for Your cause. We love You, God. Please help us to love others the way You first loved us. Again, God, we even ask that You please touch our enemies today and bring all souls to a saving knowledge of Jesus, Who is the Christ. Father God, please humble and guide our leaders to the glory of Your Name. We humbly ask for all of these things in Jesus' Name. Amen. 

I like to start out things asking for as much as I can think of, because I am basically greedy for all the things of God. 😂 It's true, and I freely admit it. Hey, I figure that it never hurts to at least ask, right? 

Here's a link to today's Proverb from the Book of Wisdom.
Proverbs 24 NKJV

Other reading for today: 
Psalm 51
John 1
Galatians 5

and these:

Sometimes, all I have to share with you is prayer and to tell you what I've read today. The times that other things drop in my heart, I share those too. Still I pray that the things I've shared with you today are of a benefit to you somehow. May the Lord bless you and keep you today, in Jesus' Name, amen. 💜

💘 The Morning of Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024

Good morning, et cetera, dear Reader, and welcome to another beautiful day above ground. 

Prayer:
Good morning, dear Lord, and thank You for this day of Life today! Father God, please prepare our hearts and minds to receive Your Truth today. Lord, please reveal the mysteries of Your Word to us. Dear Lord, today we come together to praise You for Who You are. Also, Father God, we lift our leaders up to You and ask that You please work in and through them today for the glory of Your Name. Dear Lord, we boldly ask for You to please stop all wars raging in this world today, God; please let there be peace. Lord, please help us to walk out our salvation hand in hand with You today; please help us to learn a new thing today, Father God. Lord, we lift up to You our family and friends; we lift up our acquaintances to You, and yes, Lord, we lift up our enemies, and we ask for You to please draw every single soul unto Yourself for healing, wholeness, and salvation God. Please empower us to not sin today, dear Lord. Please change us to become more and more like You. Please let the light of Your Truth shine through us, though we are imperfect vessels. Let us lift Your Name on high, Lord. In all things let us defer to You, dear Lord. Please make us more like Jesus and we ask for all of these things in Jesus' Name, thank You. Amen.

Without any delay, this song is called "Dead Come To Life" (Jonathon Thulin). 

I chose that one this morning because we are dead in our sin before Christ, and He comes along and gives us Life, eternal. 

Today's reading:

Proverbs 23 NKJV

Ezekiel 37 NKJV

John 11 NKJV

Thank you for joining me this morning, dear Reader. I pray that His Words become Life to you. May His Word go forth in our world today and bring repentance and healing, in Jesus' Name, amen. 💜

Morning Prayer on Monday April 22nd, 2024

Prayer:

Good morning, dear Lord Jesus! We love You, we worship You, we bow before You at Your feet in awe of Who You are. Dear Lord God, thank You for the gift of Life today. Please help each of us to use the Time wisely, Father. Today we stand in agreement and ask that You use us for Your kingdom today, Lord; Your Word says that today is the day of salvation. Dear Lord, today I pray for all of my loved ones, all friends and family including their children and grandchildren, all acquaintances and Yes, Lord, all enemies too and ask that You please touch each one of them with Your Power and redeeming grace. Lord, it's Your will that none should perish so please send Your Word; please send Your Spirit; please send Your angels and overcome the enemy, Lord. Today we also stand in agreement and ask for You to please bring Peace to Ukraine. Please bring an end to the war in Israel and Gaza, dear Lord. In fact, Father God, by the power of Your Might, we ask that You please end ALL war in the world, today. We love You Lord. Please love others through us. Please renew our hearts and minds and draw us ever closer to You. We pray in Jesus' Name with gratitude for all You've already done and all that You will do. Amen. 💖

Here is the 23rd Psalm from the Amplified Bible, Classic edition:

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Footnotes

Psalm 23:5 It is difficult for those living in a temperate climate to appreciate, but it was customary in hot climates to anoint the body with oil to protect it from excessive perspiration. When mixed with perfume, the oil imparted a delightfully refreshing and invigorating sensation. Athletes anointed their bodies as a matter of course before running a race. As the body, therefore, anointed with oil was refreshed, invigorated, and better fitted for action, so the Lord would anoint His “sheep” with the Holy Spirit, Whom oil symbolizes, to fit them to engage more freely in His service and run in the way He directs—in heavenly fellowship with Him.

May the Word of the Lord bless you today, dear Reader. I pray the eyes of your understanding are enlightened, I pray the Lord make Himself real to you today in an undeniable way! Thank you so much for stopping by; I love you, but God loves you all the more. Remember that. 💙

💖 Morning Devotion on Sunday, April 21st, 2024

Good morning, dear Reader! Welcome to another gorgeous day on this side of the Grave; we are so fortunate. 

Prayer:

Good morning, dear Lord! I love You! Thank You for this day of Life today, Father God; please help me to not squander it. Lord, please bring Your peace to the globe today and please cause all wars to cease. Please flood our world and our hearts with Your spirit and Your Word, dear Lord. Please bring Your light where there has only been darkness. Father God, please heal the wounded and bind up the broken hearted today, Lord. Please cause Your holy Light to pierce all darkness and please silence the enemy. Also Lord will you please redeem our family, friends, acquaintances, and enemies who do not yet know You. We pray for all of these things in Jesus' Name, amen.

This morning I'd like to do things a little differently. First of all, this Truth is one that all believers need to be familiar with; from the Book of Revelation, the same Book that tells of Jesus' ultimate victory! 

Well since we have received the sacred Blood of the Lamb, I'm going to put out some "word of testimony" as well today. 

See, it took a while for the Lord to woo me into the habits that I have today. Specifically, the habit of seeking Him first thing when I wake up, every day, without exception. It is a habit that had to be developed over time, so I'll tell you about how that happened (in my case). 
It all started the Lent season of 2022; I'm not even Catholic but felt strongly led by the Holy Spirit to give up doing my makeup for that entire time. I didn't understand why, but I obeyed. (At that time) my habit had been to roll out of bed and immediately start "getting myself ready" by jumping into a shower, getting dressed, and doing my hair and makeup. That seems pretty normal, right? I'm sure that it is, but I had been craving and needing to go deeper in the things of God and He began to deal with me, for that reason.
Ok. So I was obedient during that Lent season to abstain from wearing makeup; I can't say that it was easy, but it was rewarding. I feel like that period of abstinence was used to break a stronghold in me. 
Fast-forward a year to the Lent season of 2023. THAT time, He convicted me to give up wrong speech (see Ephesians 4:29): swearing, speaking idly, but I came to learn through that lesson that the most important thing to the Lord about how we use our speech is that, first and foremost, that we do NOT speak ill of others. I'd say that particular lesson took about at least a year of me walking it out daily to really get the gist of that one. In fact, I didn't really understand how much it grieves Him for us to speak ill of one another. That is actually the most important take away to me from that entire (long) lesson. 

And even to this day I am far from perfect; just last night I let out a few choice words after I let some political videos get me all riled up. So, it's safe to say that I'm still working on this one (as well as many others) and will until I breathe my last. 

So you see, dear Reader, that it has taken literally years of submitting to Him in little things, every single day, as He reveals them to get to the point that I'm at today, where I easily roll out of bed, greet Him, and plunge right into praise and worship and searching the Word for Wisdom first thing in the morning instead of worshipping at the altar of Self, which I did for years and years. Salvation happens in the blink of an eye, but walking out that salvation on the path of righteousness, that's a whole 'nother story right there. That is something that we do daily, moment to moment and hour by hour, and that's by Design, so don't feel condemned. We're all at different places in our walk with Him and there's nothing wrong with that, at all. 
Therefore, be encouraged! He is loving, kind, and patient. He will work with you and He definitely works FOR you as well. He can be trusted implicitly. Especially during those times when we're tempted to ask "Why, God?" I find that it's best to instead say to Him "I trust You, Lord". 
Here is today's Proverb from the Book of Wisdom (Proverbs 21 from the NKJV translation). 
I hope that this has encouraged you, dear Reader, especially with regard to your own walk with God. So often He walks us through this life, step by step. The Word does say this:

 

So line upon line, precept upon precept; step by step. He works with us daily to build our faith, usually in small little steps. Take heart, because He IS working. You can trust and believe that. 

Thank you for joining me for morning devotion today, dear Reader. I pray the Lord will use this for your benefit, and I pray that you will become aware of His love for you in a new way today, in Jesus' Name, amen.